Oxford home care and live-in care provider, Bluebird Care, has achieved an ‘Outstanding’ overall rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), after an inspection that took place in December 2025.
Bluebird Care Oxford, which provides home care support across the local community, rated ‘Outstanding’ in their ‘Caring’, ‘Well-led’, and ‘Effective’ categories (scoring an astonishing 96%) and ‘Good’ in the ‘Safe’ and ‘Responsive’ categories.
The Bluebird Care Oxford team are celebrating the report after having previously been rated ‘Good’ at their last inspection in 2017. The CQC report highlights the service’s development, describing the care provided by the Bluebird Care Oxford team as not only flexible and person-centred, but “safe, effective, and compassionate”.
Supporting people in and around Oxford, many of whom live with dementia, complex conditions, and physical disabilities, colleagues were consistently praised by people using the service and their families. Some described the Care Professionals supporting them as “like friends”, while others spoke warmly about the emotional support they received, with one person noting their Care Professional even attended their husband’s funeral and “comforted [her] an awful lot when he died”.
The care provided helped people feel respected and valued as individuals, with the report noting customers “consistently achieved outcomes that went beyond expectations, such as maintaining independence, preventing hospital admissions, and improving emotional wellbeing”.
One person told inspectors: “They are very polite and respectful, they ring the door and announce themselves and as I know who they are, I’m reassured and safe.”
The CQC also noted Bluebird Care Oxford’s thorough approach to ensuring people’s care and treatment were effective, including regularly assessing and reviewing people’s health, wellbeing, care needs and communication needs. This proactive approach supported continuous improvement and reduced the likelihood of poor outcomes.
The person-centred approach adopted by Bluebird Care Oxford has helped ensure people with complex health and care needs feel supported and prioritised. Colleagues were recognised for building strong relationships with customers and providing consistent care.
One described the carers as arriving “with a smile and a ‘can-do’ attitude. They are all very capable, competent, professional and flag any marks to me! They are nice to me as well, kind, humble.”
This, partnered with strong leadership that the CQC report described as “exceptional and visionary”, has ensured that colleagues are motivated and passionate about the high-quality service they provide.
One colleague told inspectors, “The managers genuinely care, it means a lot to us, I feel the managers are there for the right reasons.”
In reaction to receiving the CQC Outstanding rating, Bluebird Care Oxford Managing Directors Peter Slough and Tim Rowland-Jones said:
“We are incredibly proud of every one of our Care Professionals and office team for the dedication, compassion, and professionalism they show every day. To be recognised with an Outstanding rating is a huge achievement, and it reflects the consistently high standards our team works so hard to deliver.
“The praise we receive from our customers and their families is truly rewarding, and it means so much to know the care we provide is helping people to feel safe, supported and valued in their own homes. We’re committed to going above and beyond, and this rating is a testament to the trust families place in us and the passion our team brings to their work.”
