Care Team Council: Giving Our Care Professionals a Voice
At Bluebird Care Plymouth & South Hams, we believe that the best ideas often come from the people delivering care every day.
That's why, for many years, we've run our Care Team Council, bringing together representatives from our care team to meet directly with our Director, Alexander Allan, and openly discuss what's working well, where improvements can be made, and how we can continue to strengthen our service for both our team and our customers.
While the Care Team Council has been an established part of our business for some time, we realised we've never shared this important part of how we work with the wider community.
Listening to the People Who Know Our Service Best
Ahead of each meeting, Care Team Council representatives spend time speaking with colleagues across the Plymouth & South Hams team, gathering feedback, suggestions and ideas. They then meet face-to-face with senior leadership to discuss those findings in an open and constructive environment.
The aim is simple: to ensure the people who provide care every day have a genuine opportunity to influence decisions and help shape the future of our service.
As a care provider, we know that supporting our team is one of the most important things we can do. When our care professionals feel valued, listened to and supported, they are better able to provide the exceptional care that our customers deserve.
Honest Conversations That Lead to Action
This year's meeting covered a wide range of topics raised by the care team, including communication, rostering, recognition, travel and mileage, working practices, rewards and benefits, and ways to strengthen connections between care professionals and the office team.
The discussions were open, thoughtful and solution-focused.
Importantly, the Care Team Council isn't simply about raising concerns. It is about working together to find practical solutions, improve understanding and identify opportunities to make life better for both our team and the customers we support.
Following the meeting, a number of actions were identified, including reviewing communication processes, exploring improvements to rostering, providing greater clarity around mileage and travel payments, and incorporating feedback into the ongoing Quality Improvement Plan.
Creating a Culture of Partnership
One of the things we value most about the Care Team Council is the opportunity it creates for genuine partnership.
Care professionals have direct access to the business owner and leadership team, creating space for honest conversations that might otherwise be difficult to have. Equally, it allows leadership to better understand the day-to-day experiences of colleagues working across our communities.
This collaborative approach helps ensure decisions are informed by the people who know our service best.
Looking Forward
The Care Team Council continues to play an important role in our commitment to continuous improvement.
By creating regular opportunities for our team to share their experiences and ideas, we're able to strengthen communication, improve ways of working and ensure that our culture remains centred around the people who make our service so special.
Most importantly, it reinforces a principle that sits at the heart of everything we do:
When we look after our team, they are best placed to look after our customers.
