Bluebird Care Bicester, Banbury & Kidlington

Husband and wife Team John and Suzzanne are passionate believers that high quality consistent care at home should be available and accessible to everyone as a basic right.
The decision to move into provision of care came about after a family member became more dependant and requires significant care.
'Without my grandmother, the idea of a service which emulates what you would expect for your family would never have come into fruition and the idea of running a care service, let alone an' Outstanding' one, would never have occurred to us' says Suzzanne.
The care offered in a pm e cases was not of a good standard and this lead to a partnership with Bluebird Care who we feel hold the same standards and core beliefs surrounding care provision as ourselves.

John brings to Bluebird Care a wealth of business experience having spent the last 25 years in the IT industry working for and with a large number of global companies providing business and sales solutions for a wide range of customers. John provides business operational skills to the Bluebird Care Cherwell team.

Suzanne comes from a financial background working within some of the major financial institutions before having a career break to establish a family unit. She has also worked within the community as a volunteer worker and really understands the difference good quality care in familiar surroundings can have on the individual concerned.

At 16, I knew that I wanted to dedicate my career to helping people, and as a close family member already worked for a local care company, they encouraged me to join the team. From my first few days, meeting all the customers and hearing their stories, I knew I had found my calling. After working in home care for 2 years, I decided to widen my knowledge and went on to work in residential care for 2 years. I then moved on to reablement, working alongside other healthcare professionals to support adults over the age of 18 to rebuild independence within their own home. I bought my first home with my partner in a small village just outside of Bicester, which prompted me to find a more suitable role closer to home that would widen my knowledge even more. I first joined Bluebird Care as a Care Co-ordinator, the team, right from the beginning, were welcoming and happy to share their knowledge. Due to a change of management, I was offered the opportunity to take on the Care Manager's role. I am keen to learn and grow my knowledge and skills to be able to provide the best care to all of our customers, to continue to improve and maintain our CQC Outstanding rating and to support the wider team of care staff to achieve their full potential.

My name is Marko, and my first experience in care was when I volunteered one summer at a Red Cross Day centre. I absolutely loved my time there and the company of the people who attended the centre. I then studied Pharmacology at Portsmouth University to further my education and now hold a degree in Pharmacology. Once I completed University, I found employment in a customer-facing role where I stayed for 6 years, as I really enjoy meeting new people and that human connection. When COVID hit and we went into lockdown, I was placed on furlough. This gave me time to reflect and made me realise that I wanted to do something more with my life and really help people, which was why I made the decision to go into care, and I have never looked back. After researching local companies, I first joined a small company to gain valuable experience, and then once the opportunity at Bluebird Care presented itself was an easy decision for me. Having personally known John and Suzanne through being a friend of their son for many years, I knew how dedicated they were to helping people in their local community. From the first day that I came in to meet the team at my interview, there was a great energy within the team and a sense of unity that I knew I wanted to be a part of.

When I was 14 years old, I wanted to build a career in helping others due to personal experiences. So, I decided to study Social Work and received my Bachelor's Honours Degree in Social Care while still living in Hungary. My first job was as a Hotel Receptionist, where I learnt a lot about customer service and was able to demonstrate my passion for learning new languages. I speak 4 languages, and I am learning the fifth one. 2 years later, I was offered an opportunity to move to England and work in a nursing home as a Health Care Assistant. I was both afraid and excited. I had never imagined myself working with the elderly, but I wanted to give it a go. Ever since I have been working in healthcare, I have absolutely loved it. 2 years later, I was promoted to Senior Health Care Assistant, and I became the bridge between customers and staff.

I've gained a deeper insight into all aspects of care whilst working in the nursing home. Whilst assisting the customers with their everyday care requirements, the nurses with their tasks, I was also leading the care team and providing mandatory training. The latter soon became a new passion for me. I enjoyed every minute I spent working in the nursing home, but after nearly 4 years, I needed a change, something a bit more of a challenge, to also widen my knowledge. At first, I started working with children with disabilities, and this is something I continue to do in my own time. I then came across Bluebird Care in 2023. I had never worked in community care before, but I do not regret giving it a chance, as I love seeing this side of the care industry and customers being cared for in their own homes. I felt welcomed at Bluebird Care straight away and have already learnt so much not just from my co-workers but our customers as well. However, my learning never stops as I love improving my knowledge and skills, and to share this with other.

My name is Georgie, and I started my Bluebird journey as a Care Assistant in February 2018. Previously, I had been working in the catering industry for five years until I made the decision to get out of my comfort zone completely. After witnessing the amazing work Bluebird Care provided for a very close family friend, making her comfortable at home for the last stage of her life, I knew this was the company I wanted to start my career with. From the beginning, during the interview process,s everyone was so friendly and welcoming, making me feel at home, so I knew this was the job for me. After my first shift supporting customers in our local community, I honestly thought I couldn’t continue working for Bluebird Care. My nerves got the better of me, but due to the support offered by all the team at Bluebird Care, 3 years later, I started a new position as a Senior Carer, where I mentored and trained the new carers into their new role at Bluebird Care. I have now progressed to the Care Co-ordinator, I manage staff rosters and set up and continue to support the continuity of customer care visits. I absolutely love making an impact on people’s lives, even if it’s for a chat and a cup of tea. Every day is different with new challenges and training to keep your mind busy and improve on your skill set. I will forever be grateful to Bluebird Care for the opportunity to meet and support people in our local community.

My name is Carmine. I moved to France from Italy in 2014 and to the UK in 2015 to help me achieve my passion for learning new languages. I am now trilingual and currently learning Spanish as my fourth language.

From a young age, I have always enjoyed helping the community. I have a background in hospitality and completed my diploma in Hospitality whilst living in France, which has allowed me to travel around Europe and gain important experiences. After my experiences in the hospitality industry, I wanted to make a meaningful difference in my community. This desire led me to join Bluebird Care as a Care Assistant. In little over a year, I have progressed within the company and am now a Field Support Supervisor. My role is to support and mentor our Care Assistants to achieve their full potential within their role. I look forward to progressing further within Bluebird Care and continuing to make a positive impact not only with my team of Care Assistants but the customers we support.

My name is Megan, and I grew up watching my mum thrive in the care sector, which has always been a significant source of inspiration for me. When my Gramp was diagnosed with Cancer, I witnessed the profound impact that Katherine House Hospice had on him, which further fuelled my passion to pursue an opportunity where I could care for people in the local community. Since beginning my career within Health and Social Care, I have worked for another Care agency, but was keen to find a company that aligned with my own values and career goals. After joining Bluebird, my outlook on the care industry was completely transformed. It ignited a spark in me. I find tremendous fulfilment and passion in providing care and support. I started my career as a Care Assistant, quickly progressing to a Senior Care Assistant and then onto my current role as a Field Support Supervisor. This role allows me to support our Care Assistants in all aspects of their roles, helping them grow and develop their skills to become exceptional Care Assistants.

The care industry can be tough, which is why I strive to provide the best possible support for all our Care Assistants to ensure they feel confident and competent in going out and excelling in their roles. Bluebird Care has played a vital role in growing my career. The best decision I made was joining such a hardworking and dedicated team. Care is truly at the heart of what we do.

My name is Joanna, and I have worked within the care industry since I was 18 years old. I first started out as a domestic cleaner in a care home. I found myself spending more time supporting the residents and offering to help. I ended up being offered a shadow shift as a care assistant. It was never a job I saw myself doing as a teen, but since that day, I haven’t looked back and love the job. It’s been amazing hearing about people’s life stories and experiences. I have learnt more about war history from residents and customers than I ever did at school. As I didn’t really enjoy school, I found it easy to expand my qualifications within the job role, as it was learning about something I enjoyed doing and coming to work never felt like work. Once I got married and started a family of my own, my husband’s job meant we travelled a lot, and with this, I gained more experience and training from many different care organisations.

Once we settled in Bicester, I started off working for Bluebird Care back in 2018 and loved their training program, nothing like I had ever received before. As we covered a big area, at the time, it was a great way to get to know the area we had just moved to. Unfortunately, COVID hit, and I felt the need to be home with my family. After taking some time out but still working on my knowledge, training and qualifications while working elsewhere in care, I made the move to return. I love being back, and I’m pleased to be returning as Care Supervisor so I can share everything I know with the forever-growing Bluebird Care team.

I started my career in a residential care home, and I then moved into a domiciliary role to support customers in the community. I then had children, and in 2021, I had a change of career and wanted to widen my knowledge of administration, so I worked for the courts. I always take the time to help others in need and have a strong passion for care. Due to my extensive experience in administration, I have developed and built on in previous roles. I decided to join Bluebird Care as an Office Administrator, and I was keen to continue to support others. I am a strong team player, self-motivated and enjoy the opportunity to learn more.