Taking the fear of audits away with Birdie

We recently caught up with Danielle Roberts, Implementation Manager at Birdie to talk about a topic that's a source of stress to many care agencies: audits. Luckily, audits can be quick, simple and predictable with Birdie by your side. Danielle explains how Birdie can make an audit smoother, and how to shift the mindset around auditing.


Why do you think audits in homecare feel so intimidating for many care agencies?

Audits often carry this looming sense of pressure. There’s this feeling like someone’s going to come in and scrutinise every detail. And that’s fair, in a way. The stakes are high: it's about proving quality, compliance, and ultimately the safety and wellbeing of the people you support. But a lot of the stress comes from not having the right information at your fingertips, or having to chase down paper records, cross-reference spreadsheets, and patch together evidence from different systems. It’s overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.

So what’s going wrong? Why are agencies still struggling, even with digital tools available?

The tools are there, but not everyone’s using them to their full potential. That’s really the issue. Some teams might be logging visits or care notes digitally, but they’re not digging into the data. They’re not configuring alerts, or using audit trails, or leveraging the reporting features that could make a huge difference. Birdie is built to make compliance easier, but you have to use it proactively, not just as a digital clipboard.

Can you give an example of how Birdie can make an audit smoother?

Absolutely. Let’s say the CQC wants to see how you manage medication. With Birdie, you can pull up a full audit trail of medication administration records: who gave what, when, and any missed doses or incidents. It’s all time-stamped, clear, and connected to the individual’s care plan. There’s no hunting for notes or flipping through binders. Everything is right there, and it’s consistent.

Birdie recently conducted an interview with Nicholas Lee of Louisa Homecare. He described the stressful run-up to audits that the team experienced before transitioning to Birdie.

“People would lose a piece of paper, handwriting wouldn’t be legible. These were liabilities. But worst of all: these carers, who were doing an outstanding job, were scared of inspections because they were scrambling to find a handwritten piece of paper. The team deserved better.”

He makes a great point. Teams deserve better than to be stressed. Especially when they already have the tools available to streamline the process and make evidencing performance simple and straightforward.

Does Birdie help guide teams on what "good" actually looks like?

Yes, and that’s one of the most powerful things about it. We don’t just give you a platform to record what’s happening. We bake best practice into how the platform works. From structured care planning and risk assessments to real-time alerts and handover notes, the system is designed to help teams stay aligned with what regulators are actually looking for. It’s like having a digital co-pilot for compliance.

What do you say to agencies who still prefer their own “tried and tested” systems?

We get it. Change is hard, especially when it involves processes you’ve relied on for years. But the reality is that regulators are expecting more visibility and accountability than they ever have, and digital systems like Birdie don’t just help you stay compliant, they actually save you time and reduce risk. The sooner teams embrace that, the less stressful audits will feel.

Any final thoughts on shifting the mindset around auditing?

Think of audits not as something to “survive,” but as a chance to show the great work your team is doing. When your systems are working for you, not against you, that becomes so much easier. Tech like Birdie isn’t just about ticking boxes. It’s about creating clarity, confidence, and control in your care delivery.

If someone’s reading this and thinking, “Okay, I want to get better at this”—what’s their next step?

I’m actually running a free webinar soon all about how to make the most of Birdie for auditing best practice. We’ll walk through exactly how to use the platform to stay one step ahead of inspections, avoid common pitfalls, and feel confident showing your impact. Whether you're new to Birdie or just want to level up, it’s worth joining. Keep an eye out, we’d love to see you there!

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