Providing Quality Care

Bluebird Care started as a small family business in 2004, and today we are proud to be one of the largest providers of home care services across the UK. But what makes us different?

We’re committed to keeping people in the comfort of their own home, so we help with anything from everyday tasks around our customers’ homes through to complex care needs. We appreciate that every customer is different, and this is why every day will be different.

Purpose of role

To conduct effective coordination of Care Assistants to ensure that customers receive excellent quality care and support to keep them safe and comfortable in their own homes. A supportive and calm manner together with excellent organisational and communication skills are vital to excel in this role.

Key responsibility

Ensure that Care Assistants are appropriately rostered and allocated to customers so that care is delivered on time, safely and in line with customers wishes (as agreed in their care and support plan) and aligns with the agreed availability of Care Assistants. To strive to achieve optimised scheduling that meets the needs of both customers and carers. Provide the customer and, where appropriate their representatives, with information about the service so they are clear about what to expect and how they can raise any concerns.

Duties

• Liaise with the Lead Coordinator and / or Registered Manager to ensure the right number of Care Assistants, with the right skills mixes, are recruited to meet the needs of the business. Arrange cover for Care Assistant sickness, absenteeism or holidays
• Attend the customer's first call to introduce the care corker. Report changes to care schedules without delay to the coordinator, customer, and care assistant
• Support, supervise and assist with training of care assistants.
  Accept, allocate and process new customer referrals for care and support promptly and effectively
• Distribute, collect and monitor MAR charts
• Process changes to customers’ required care and support needs
• Ensure there is sufficient cover to deliver care and support to all customers on time and in alignment with their personal care plans
• Monitor the restoring of Care Assistants to maximise efficiency whilst supporting them to maintain an appropriate work/ life balance
• Schedule Care Assistants to provide care and support to customers. Work with other members of the Bluebird Care team to appropriately match Care Assistants to customers taking account of: 
  • Care Assistant skills, experience and availability to safely deliver the care and support plan;
    
  • the customer’s preferences and care needs; and
    
  • travel arrangements, routes and working patterns to make efficient use of Care Assistant time whilst meeting the needs of customers.
    
• Make required adjustments to rotas as required to provide cover for emergency situations, to cover staff holiday or sickness, etc
• Distribute staff rotas at agreed intervals
• If required, take part in the out of hours emergency on-call rota. This will only be required after the post holder has received full training and has been assessed as competent to provide appropriate guidance and advice in emergency situations
• Work with the office team to maintain up to date electronic and hand written records. Use systems to record and monitor mileage and travel distances. Make sure that accidents and incidents are recorded, reported and acted upon
• Keep all information about customers and their families secure and confidential
• Carry out general office duties. Prepare reports as required as required by the Registered Manager
• Talk to customers and their chosen representatives about their care and support, taking account of different communication needs and levels of understanding
• Work with the Bluebird Care team and other health and social care professionals to deliver high quality homecare services and to make improvements where necessary
• Work flexibly as part of the team and apply Bluebird Care policies and procedures at all times

This list is not exhaustive and additional duties may be required.

Essential criteria

Personal Values and Attributes

Kind and Caring – compassionate towards others who need support.

Professional and Respected - excellent time keeper, reliable and understanding of professional boundaries. Dedicated to non-discriminatory care practice. This means respecting people suffering from a range of medical conditions with different backgrounds and beliefs to your own.

Innovative – strong problem-solver, who thinks outside of the box to identify solutions and opportunities.

Supportive – a team player and fantastic communicator, with good emotional intelligence.

Fun and Passionate – understand that homecare can bring joy and happiness to a customers’ day, and strive to achieve this.

Knowledge and skills

Good understanding of the needs of people who need care and support.

Experience of communicating clearly and building positive working relationships with people who use social care services and social and health care professionals.

Excellent organisational skills- proven ability to plan and organise workloads effectively so that customers receive the services they expect and are safe.

Ability to maintain clear and accurate written records and follow statutory reporting procedures.

Understanding of what confidentiality means in relation to home care services and why this is important.

Good administrative and IT skills. High level of accuracy and attention to detail.

Ability to communicate clearly and build positive working relationships with customers, their families, Bluebird Care staff and other health and social care professionals. Good telephone manner and interpersonal skills.

Knowledge of what confidentiality means in relation to homecare services and why this is important.

Good geographical knowledge of the local area (roads / routes / traffic levels).

Ability to think clearly when under pressure. Comfortable using own initiative to solve problems or as part of a team especially in an emergency.

Ability and willingness to follow Bluebird Care’s policies, procedures and instructions

Additional requirements

Willingness to work flexibly and to keep knowledge and skills up to date.

A satisfactory enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service formally known as the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)

Valid driving licence with fewer than 6 points. Class 1 business insurance and current MOT (if using own car for business purposes)