Meet the team

Joanna recently celebrated eleven years with Bluebird Care Richmond & Twickenham. She began her career as a Care Assistant, progressing to a senior role and then on to the critical role of Support Supervisor.

Joanna supports our Care Assistants in the field with close monitoring, mentoring and quality assurance. Our new recruits are guided through their probationary period by Joanna to achieve their Care Certificate. If a customer has an urgent concern, Joanna is on hand to attend and assist. Her weekly visits to our live-in care customers ensure an unmatched quality and consistency of care. Joanna provides a primary link between our Care Assistants in the field and our office support team. She holds a Level 3 NVQ in Health and Social Care.

She discovered a passion for care when she lived with her grandmother in Poland. When she arrived in the UK, her first job was as a waitress in Hammersmith’s Polish Social and Cultural Association where she served war veterans and elderly members of the Polish community. When one of her diners asked if Joanna could do some shopping for her, she began to explore a career in care. She met her fiancé, and now husband, Bruce ten years ago, who was then a Bluebird Care Assistant, when they attended a ‘double up’ customer call together one morning. Love blossomed and a decade later they married!

Joanna enjoys watching the swans and ducks on the pond in Ham Common and walks through Richmond’s incomparable Isabella Plantation. She says, “I love my job because whilst I ensure quality and safety, I also spread caring and kindness. It’s what the world needs!”

Sarah joined us as a Care Assistant and swiftly progressed to Senior Carer. When a vacancy for Customer Care Manager arose, she was a natural fit. Having joined Bluebird Care to gain hands-on experience towards a degree in social work, she has paused her university course to pursue a Level 5 Diploma, fully funded by the company, to deepen her knowledge and understanding of professional care.

Sarah supports our customers by creating tailored plans that can organically and fluidly adapt to meet their needs as amendments are required. She is the first port of call for absolutely any requirement her customer may have; our Customer Care Managers provide a ‘North Star’ service that ranges from organising a handyman to liaising with other health care professionals to sourcing bespoke training for a customer's preferred Care Assistant so they can continue to receive a person-centred service.

When asked to describe her favourite part of the borough, she notes autumn river walks as the leaves are turning and weekend strolls through Richmond Park with her young family.

Vandana embarked upon a career in care in 2007 and after a break to raise her children she joined the Bluebird Care Richmond & Twickenham fold in 2021. A meticulous organiser with an eye for detail, she plans our customers’ rotas on a weekly basis according to their ever-evolving care plans.

Vandana enjoys liaising with our care team to ensure their customers are looked after during periods of annual leave and illness – a top priority for both customers and Care Assistants. She works alongside our Customer Care Managers to ensure an outstanding quality of care is consistently delivered. She says of her role, “I love building good relationships with our care team, customers, and their family members.” Her qualifications include a BSc in Health Studies and a Higher National Diploma in Health and Social Care.  

She loves the open spaces of Richmond Park, taking her children there to play and enjoy the tapestry of wildlife.

Zarina became a Bluebird Care Assistant during the Covid pandemic. She finished an undergraduate degree in Design and Technology and became a Health Advisor for 111. Pining for a return to home and live-in care, she pursued a career in Care Coordination in the Ealing borough. Our long-serving Care Coordinator Kym's retirement opened the opportunity for a glorious return to the Bluebird fold. 

Why has Zarina chosen a career in care? "It's the connections you form with your customers and carers. They are so special, so precious, and take time to build. In care, a foundation of trust is important. The opportunity to forge that trust is a privilege." Why Care Coordination? "I am absurdly organised. Coordinating is an art that requires the highest level of organisation so this really suits my ability! I like to be ahead of the curve, anticipating our customers' and carers' wants and needs."

A lifelong West Londoner, she loves strolling through central Richmond, visiting local art galleries and reading crime thrillers. 

Peter’s first experience of arranging care was fraught and riddled with anxiety. “Finding care at short notice and trying to work with companies with no customer service ethos was frustrating. That’s when I thought there must be a better way!” Fast forward to 2023 and with over a decade of industry experience, Peter owns and manages three London-based Bluebird Care offices. 

After university he worked for an NGO in New Delhi, using his law degree to change government policy and improve lives. This passion for transformative change permeates his operation of Bluebird Care Richmond & Twickenham. “We are changing lives for the better, providing local residents the opportunity to create their very best in-home support structure, delivered by Bluebirds. Requiring care and support can make one feel quite vulnerable. Our aim is to make choosing care an empowering moment, one that unlocks positive outcomes with the ultimate goal of remaining safe and happy at home.”

With his first foray into arranging care for a family member ending in disappointment, Peter notes, “Our most important ethos is to provide professional care that keeps each customer at the heart of their service… care that we would be happy for our own families to receive. Delivering a consistently compassionate, highly skilled, professional service is why two thirds of our new customers come to us via personal recommendation.” 

Peter and his young family enjoy exploring the borough with outings including Kew Gardens in the summer and ice skating at Hampton Court Palace in the winter. 

Tim’s wealth of experience in business management informs his oversight of Bluebird Care Richmond & Twickenham. Having helmed a multi-channel retail business before opening his first Bluebird Care office, Tim says, “I don’t think many people dream of running a home care company… I certainly didn’t! But when my grandfather’s dementia worsened I became acutely aware of the need for exceptional, empathetic care. This lived experience pushed me to open my first Bluebird Care office and set the high standards we’ve maintained for over a decade.”

Insisting his colleagues are trained beyond industry standard, each Care Assistant is encouraged to develop specialisms ranging from dementia and post-op rehabilitation to Parkinson’s, MND, complex care, challenging behaviour, palliative care and nutrition and hydration. “Our aim is to match each customer to their ideal Care Assistants by personality and expertise. Whilst our customers are at the centre of what we do, our Bluebirds are the heartbeat of the company - their kindness, compassion, and professionalism set us apart.”

As the owner of three Bluebird Care offices across London and the South West, Tim can’t imagine working in any other industry. “It’s an unbeatable feeling, being involved in a local business that changes lives. My father is now receiving live-in care which has been life-changing so I am passionate about providing this service to Richmond and Twickenham residents.”

Spotting the Richmond Park deer has become a favourite pastime of Tim’s young family, as has feeding the ducks on Barnes pond.

Jacqui brings over two decades of industry experience to her role of Registered Care Manager, including 14 in management positions. She is proud to lead a team of consummate care professionals who deliver the gold standard of care to our customers in the Richmond borough. A ‘customer first’ mentality coupled with an unwavering focus on individualised, outcome-focussed, holistic care has led to an exceptional local reputation for Bluebird Care.

She began her career in care whilst her husband served in His Majesty’s army and immediately fell in love with the industry. Jacqui says, “The satisfaction of knowing you provide an essential service to a vulnerable adult that allows them to live their life to the full, no matter their needs, is simply unbeatable.”

She holds a Level 5 diploma in Leadership in Health and Social Care and Children and Young People Services (Adult Management) alongside a variety of other qualifications in leadership, business, and administration, all achieved throughout her care career journey.

Jacqui loves the peaceful early morning vistas of Kew, Richmond and Twickenham but for more raucous excitement she brings her young grandchildren to The Works for arts and crafts.

Natasha offers our team over three decades of experience in health and social care. She began her career as a Care Assistant and has worn a variety of hats including Assistant Manager and Registered Care Manager before returning to her true passion – training and education. Natasha joined Bluebird Care as our Training Manager seven years ago and provides the industry-leading training for which we are renowned. She holds the NVQ Level 4 Care and Registered Manager's Award as well as training, assessing and internal quality assurance qualifications and regularly updates her knowledge with ‘Train the Trainer’ courses.

Natasha supports our Care Assistants to understand the importance, rewards, and responsibilities of their role, training them in various occupational competencies such as moving and handling, medication administration and basic life support (to name just a few). She keenly develops the learning goals of each Bluebird which results in specialists emerging from our team with a focus in reablement, dementia, Parkinsons, complex care, and palliative care. For those team members wishing to pursue Health and Social Care diplomas, Natasha is their mentor and supports them through their education which is fully funded by Bluebird Care. She says of her role, “I am privileged to support such a committed team to achieve their learning outcomes which ultimately result in safe, effective, person-centred care.”

Natasha has fond memories featuring several parks in our borough where her children played, learned to ride their bikes, and played football when they were young.

The stuff of local legend, Kelly boasts eleven years with Bluebird Care. Her passion for people drove her to achieve her CIPD Associate Level Diploma in People Management and her Level 3 and Level 4 in Human Resources alongside a QCF in Business Administration. Kelly knows every one of our Bluebirds, having handpicked and onboarded almost every team member. She says of her role, "We hire for values - compassion, kindness, empathy - and train for excellence. These are the innate qualities I am looking for in our hires."

An integral member of our Richmond & Twickenham team, she is often described as the glue that knits the team together. She loves the pace and variety of her role in operations and recruitment – particularly meeting our locally-based Care Assistants, supporting them through their onboarding and watching them flourish.

A lifelong local resident, Kelly enjoys attending the cinema in Richmond as it takes her back to watching films in the same venue!

Sylwia smooths every new customer’s journey in care, working collaboratively with our potential new customers and their families to answer questions and demystify the home and live-in care process during a complimentary in-home or in-hospital Care Consultation. An expert listener, she gets to know our new customers’ needs, requirements, and personalities so she can craft their ideal custom care plan and match them with professional Care Assistants.

She joined Bluebird Care in 2009, having relocated from the Lake District, and has worked for care homes and another Richmond-based care company. “I am best placed to explain the Bluebird Care difference. All care providers are NOT created equal... Bluebird Care is unequivocally a cut above every other home and live-in care company in Richmond & Twickenham. Having extensive experience in the care home environment, I can say with authority that the most person-centred care experience takes place at home. This is why I love my job… I am able to help local people stay safe and happy at home for as long as they desire, giving them a fantastic experience of care.”

She relishes the opportunity to meet new people and create care plans that lift anxiety from family and friends, enabling them to spend unencumbered quality time with their loved ones. A qualified care professional with 18 years in the industry, she has achieved her Level 4 Lead Practitioner qualification and also holds a degree in Tourism and Recreation. Sylwia has specialist knowledge of various fields including dementia care, palliative care, and complex care.

Sylwia enjoys running in Bushy Park and along the Thames path and notes, “Richmond is my favourite borough in London… where else can you find such tranquillity and peace?”

As a Customer Care Manager overseeing live-in and long-shift customers, Sophie supports her customers and their families and advocates to ensure their personal care plans are robust and seamlessly delivered. As care requirements organically evolve, so does each customer’s care plan – Sophie ensures each customer has a care plan that anticipates and meets their needs. With a keen focus on personal preferences and outcomes, Sophie effortlessly undertakes the most challenging duties. From liaising with family members and health care professionals to sourcing specialist equipment, Sophie is an exceptional 'care concierge' for her customers. Additionally, she manages and supports her customers’ Care Assistants to ensure the smooth and professional delivery of care.

Like many of our Bluebirds, Sophie chose a career in care to help make a difference in people’s lives. With a career spanning 15 years, she joined Bluebird Care 8 years ago as a Support Supervisor. Her ability to deftly manage the care journey of our customers was spotted and she was promoted to Customer Care Manager. She loves finding ways to help improve her customers’ everyday lives, suggesting and implementing changes that have a lasting impact. A qualified care professional, Sophie holds her NVQ Level 2 and Level 3 in Health and Social Care.

Sophie can be spotted strolling through Richmond town centre with her young family.

With two decades of care experience, Virginie has been an integral part of the Bluebird Care team for a decade. She started as a Care Assistant, earning the prestigious Great British Care Award's 'Carer of the Year' for the London region, and was promoted to Support Supervisor in the field. As a Customer Care Manager, she supports her individual customers by delivering outcome-focussed plans that help them achieve their goals. When Virginie meets with her customers, she not only reviews their recent months of care but looks ahead, forecasting and troubleshooting each journey in care to ensure her customers can remain safe and happy at home.

Virginie came to the industry after caring for her late husband. Observing the professional Care Assistants at work inspired her to pursue a career in care.  Virginie has a host of qualifications including a degree in Economics, an NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care and a further diploma in Childcare and Education. She received her Train the Trainer qualification in Moving and Handling. 

She says of her role, “My work makes me happy. Knowing I helped make my customers’ lives easier gives me a fresh sense of accomplishment every day.”  

Virginie enjoys long walks in Richmond Park and Bushy Park. Our fluent French speaker be spotted in Paul, her favourite patisserie, and says of the area, “I love the feeling of being in the countryside whilst being a stone’s throw from central London.”

Kay assists Kelly with vetting and recruiting the very best future Bluebirds. If you are considering a career in care, Kay can tell you what it’s like to become a member of our work family.

She chose the care industry because she wanted a rewarding career and recruitment because she enjoys meeting new people. Kay is currently working towards her NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration.

Our team’s resident foodie, Kay loves to tour and review the borough’s best restaurants.