Bluebird Care is a home care provider company that specializes in delivering care and support services to individuals in their own homes. With over 200 franchise offices across the UK, Bluebird Care is one of the largest and most recognized home care brands in the country.
Quick Answer
The headquarters and registered office of Bluebird Care is located in The Old Post Office, 33 Billing Road, Northampton, United Kingdom, NN1 5AT.
More Details on Bluebird Care Headquarters
Bluebird Care was founded in 2004 by entrepreneurs Duncan and Suzie Johnston. The company’s headquarters has been located in Northampton, England since its inception.
The main offices are housed in a historic building called The Old Post Office at 33 Billing Road. This Grade II listed building was originally constructed in 1893 and served as the principal post office for Northampton until the 1930s.
Today, the landmark building has been thoughtfully restored and renovated to serve as the corporate headquarters for Bluebird Care. In addition to executive offices and meeting spaces, the building contains training facilities, a mock home environment used for care worker training exercises, and more.
The headquarters location in Northampton provides a number of advantages for Bluebird Care:
- Central location – Northampton sits in the middle of England, providing easy transportation access for franchisee visits, meetings, and events.
- Local workforce – The surrounding area offers a strong talent pool to recruit corporate staff from.
- Cost savings – Operating outside of London and other major metropolitan areas reduces overhead expenses.
- Historical building – The Old Post Office provides a stately, respectable image for the company brand.
While daily operations and strategic decisions for the franchised company occur at headquarters, local Bluebird Care offices have autonomy over their own processes, staffing, and service areas. There are over 200 franchise locations spread across England, Scotland and Wales.
The Role of Bluebird Care Headquarters
As the corporate center and heart of the company, the Bluebird Care headquarters serves several key functions:
- Leadership and Administration – The executive team, including the founders, provide central oversight, long-term planning, and resource allocation for the franchise network.
- Franchise Support – Dedicated corporate staff provide ongoing support, best practice guidance, and standardized tools and systems to franchise office staff.
- Recruiting and Training – Care worker recruitment, vetting, orientation and training programs are developed at headquarters.
- Quality Control – Quality standards, regulatory compliance policies, and performance monitoring systems are set and overseen centrally.
- Brand Management – Marketing, advertising, public relations, and other brand-building activities are coordinated through headquarters.
While local offices operate with some independence, the headquarters organization provides critical infrastructure, consistency, and oversight for the Bluebird Care brand across the UK.
History of Bluebird Care Headquarters
Bluebird Care was founded by Duncan and Suzie Johnston in their hometown of Northampton in 2004. The couple invested £50,000 of their own savings to open the first Bluebird Care office, recruiting a small team to provide home care services in the local area.
As demand grew quickly, the fledgling company moved into their first dedicated office space in 2005. Over the next few years, Bluebird Care expanded across the Midlands region with new franchise locations. By 2009, headquarters had moved to a larger office in Northampton to accommodate additional corporate staff.
In 2011, the current premises at The Old Post Office were acquired and renovated to serve as Bluebird Care’s national headquarters. The increased space allowed the company to build dedicated training and recruitment centers to support a growing franchise network.
Today, over 400 corporate and support staff work at the Northampton headquarters. Additional space has been leased in nearby offices to supplement the original building as Bluebird Care’s operations continue to expand.
Services Offered by Bluebird Care
Bluebird Care franchise offices provide a wide range of care services to clients. While service offerings may vary slightly by location, the core services delivered include:
- Personal care – Assistance with daily activities like bathing, dressing, meals, medication reminders.
- Companionship – Friendly home visits, conversation, activities, appointments.
- Housekeeping – Cleaning, laundry, changing bed linens, tidying up.
- Dementia care – Specialized support for those experiencing dementia or Alzheimer’s.
- Post-hospital care – Short-term assistance after discharge from hospital.
- Respite support – Providing the caregiver/family member with a break.
In addition to in-home care, some Bluebird Care locations offer extra services such as transportation, live-in care, home modifications or equipment, and more. All services aim to provide clients with the support they need while living independently in their own homes.
Company Values of Bluebird Care
Bluebird Care has built its brand identity around a set of core values that inform and guide operations at every level of the company:
- Compassion – Showing kindness, empathy and patience is at the heart of Bluebird Care’s caregiving services.
- Respect – Respecting the dignity, values and privacy of each individual is embedded in the organizational culture.
- Honesty – Delivering care with openness, integrity and transparency builds trust.
- Excellence – Striving to provide the highest quality care and going the extra mile is key.
These principles shape everything from care worker training programs to franchise owner support at the company’s Northampton headquarters. Upholding these values consistently across all locations and interactions maintains Bluebird Care’s reputation in the home care sector.
Year | Headquarters Location Milestone |
---|---|
2004 | First office opened in Northampton by founders |
2005 | Moved into first dedicated office space as franchise business grew |
2009 | Relocated to larger Northampton office as corporate staff expanded |
2011 | Acquired and renovated current Old Post Office headquarters |
Today | 400+ corporate staff, additional leased office space |
Bluebird Care Franchise Network
In addition to company headquarters, Bluebird Care delivers home care through over 200 locally-owned franchise offices across the United Kingdom. Here are some key facts about the Bluebird Care franchise network:
- 200+ franchise offices in operation
- 10,000+ trained Bluebird Care employees nationwide
- 75,000+ clients supported annually
- 1 million+ home care visits per year
Bluebird Care franchises provide consistent services under the brand while allowing local owners to operate with autonomy. Headquarters supports franchisees with training, shared best practices, marketing resources, quality standards and more.
Geographic Coverage
Bluebird Care franchise locations are spread across England, Scotland and Wales. Some areas with significant presence include:
- South East England
- London
- Midlands
- South West England
- Yorkshire and The Humber
- North West England
- Wales
- Scotland
In recent years, the company has prioritized expanding coverage in Scotland and Wales to extend services across more of the UK.
Typical Franchise Office
While individual franchises may vary, a typical Bluebird Care local office would include:
- Owner/manager
- Office staff
- Field supervisors
- 10 – 60 care workers
- Client base of 100+ individuals
- Serving both private clients and local government referrals
- Mix of hourly, daily, live-in, and respite care services
Franchise staff coordinate closely with headquarters and follow brand standards but have flexibility in day-to-day operations to serve their local area.
Becoming a Franchisee
To be approved as a Bluebird Care franchisee, candidates must meet qualifications including:
- Sufficient capital to invest in the franchise opportunity
- Strong leadership and people management skills
- Experience in healthcare or a service industry is preferred
- Commitment to Bluebird Care values and philosophy
- Willingness to participate in initial and ongoing training
- Clean background check
The company seeks to partner with dedicated franchisees passionate about caregiving and equipped to operate the business successfully. In return, franchisees gain the advantage of an established national brand with back-office support.
Leadership Team at Headquarters
Bluebird Care’s founders Duncan and Suzie Johnston continue to lead the company as Group Managing Directors. They guide the strategic vision and promote the organization’s values from headquarters.
Other executives based at head office include:
- Mike Padgham – Managing Director
- Kathy Padgham – Finance Director
- Garynice Marsh – Head of Learning and Development
- Karen Williams – Head of Carer Recruitment and Development
This experienced leadership oversees franchise operations, marketing, HR, finance, compliance, IT and other functional areas. Department heads have teams of managers and staff executing day-to-day activities across the organization.
Care Worker Training at Headquarters
One of the most important functions coordinated through Bluebird Care’s headquarters is care worker training. All new care employees, whether company or franchise hires, must complete core training modules focused on:
- Introduction to the Bluebird Care brand
- Delivering person-centered care
- Essential care skills like safe transfers
- Dementia, mental health and end-of-life care
- Medication administration, infection control
- Professional boundaries and conduct
Much of this training utilizes interactive resources and simulations in the dedicated training spaces at headquarters. After initial orientation, care workers undergo regular refreshers and additional specialized courses.
Consistent training means clients of Bluebird Care can trust they will receive quality, compassionate care whether served by the Northampton headquarters office or one across the country.
Technology Resources
Behind the scenes, Bluebird Care headquarters provides franchise locations with centralized technology to streamline operations, improve care quality and meet regulatory requirements. These systems include:
- CareFree – Client management software for care plans, scheduling, reporting and more.
- HR platform – Recruiting, background checks, payroll and compliance.
- Intranet – Repository for policies, training, best practices and tools.
- Data analytics – Track KPIs, identify issues and trends.
This technology infrastructure enables the company to maintain quality standards consistently enterprise-wide.
Awards and Recognition
With its continued growth and reputation for high quality care, Bluebird Care has accumulated various awards and recognition over the years. Some recent accolades include:
- Great British Care Award winner 5 times running
- Ranked #17 Top Franchises in the UK
- Winner of 17 International Customer Service Awards
- Winner of the Home Care Award from the UK Enterprise Awards
As a recognised leader in home care, Bluebird Care attracts talented franchisees, employees and suppliers to support its headquarters and national operations.
Social Responsibility
Bluebird Care’s head office oversees several initiatives that give back to communities across the UK:
- Bluebird Foundation – Donates care to elderly, sick and disabled individuals in need.
- Dementia Friends – Employees become Dementia Friends supporting those affected.
- Chosen Charities – Each year two national charities are chosen as recipients of fundraising.
The company aims to make a difference both through their home care services and charitable activities led from headquarters.
The Future for Bluebird Care
Looking ahead, Bluebird Care is well-poised for continued expansion of its franchise model to extend support to more communities. Goals on the horizon include:
- Growing the network to 500 franchise territories UK-wide
- Expanding services for specialized care needs
- Piloting new technology like virtual reality training
- Developing leadership and professional development programs
- Introducing eco-friendly initiatives across the company’s operations
Under the steady guidance of headquarters leadership, Bluebird Care strives to maintain its standards of excellence while continuing to innovate as a leading home care provider.
Conclusion
For over 15 years, Bluebird Care’s headquarters office in the historic Old Post Office has served as the company’s stable center of operations. Overseen by dedicated founders, the Northampton site manages key functions for the franchise network like leadership, training, systems and quality control.
Bluebird Care’s national presence and reputation is built from this headquarters foundation coupled with excellent local service delivery through franchises. As demand for home care increases, the company looks well prepared to scale up and support more clients without losing their personal touch.