Optalis and Wokingham Borough Council Celebrate First Anniversary of Bluebell House Care Home

Bluebell House care home in Wokingham celebrated a year of providing care for its residents with a party attended by Wokingham Borough Mayor Cllr Adrian Mather.

Staff, residents and guests marked the special occasion with an afternoon full of celebrations, which included live entertainment from singer Jane Beaumont and a delicious afternoon tea served up by in-house chef Simon Maynard.

Sue, a relative who attended the celebration, shared her thoughts: “The team put on a lovely event. A big thank you to all the staff at Bluebell House for making us most welcome, and a special mention to Simon for the lovely food.”

The council purchased Bluebell House in September 2023 to enhance the availability of high-quality, affordable dementia and nursing care within the borough, ensuring that residents can continue to live within their local community as their needs evolve.

Over the past year, significant investments have been made to refurbish and update the building, creating a welcoming and inclusive space, with enhanced safety and care features.

Vicky Williams, Acting Director of Provider Services, representing Optalis, said: "We have come a long way since Optalis took over the running of the service last year. The whole team has been working with determination and purpose to improve the service for the people we support, and we are committed to building on this momentum.”

“From the outset, our aim has been to create a comfortable and welcoming environment where residents can spend their later years safely and contentedly, surrounded by the people and things they love, engaging in activities that matter to them."

Previously called The Berkshire Care Home under the previous ownership, the name was changed to Bluebell House earlier this year following consultation with residents and staff.

Over the past year, Optalis have taken steps to improve the care quality at the home, through dedicated efforts and improvements in all areas of care practice, the team has made remarkable progress, moving from ‘red’ to ‘amber’ and most recently to a ‘green’ rating following a Quality Assurance visit from the council’s team.

Work has been done to make the home more modern, including the installation of a new call bell system, which has created a digital care environment. There has also been new lighting, new ramps and external landscaping.

All of these changes have resulted in improved feedback from residents and their families.

Borough Mayor Cllr Adrian Mather said: “What a year it has been for Bluebell House. The care home is unrecognisable from when the council decided to buy it, with a view to improving the quality of care available locally. With a new name and a brilliant team in Optalis overseeing the continued improvements, I am confident Bluebell House will go from strength to strength.”

Cllr David Hare, executive member for adult services, health and wellbeing, added: “This event captured the tremendous progress that has been made at Bluebell House, which has undergone a significant transformation in the last 12 months. 

“Many improvements have been made to the building to make it better care home and somewhere that the residents enjoy spending time, as well as giving consideration to the needs of people with dementia. There has also been an investment in the staff to increase knowledge and provide ongoing training.

“Staff have said that if they’re happy, residents are happy and the increased technological and personal provision has meant a happier staff team. We look forward to continuing our work with Optalis, as we bring about further improvements at Bluebell House.”

Because Optalis is council-owned, it means any financial surplus generated through its operations is returned to the council for further investment in local services.