The Old Orchard

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity, and respect.

This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated outstanding.

This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

This service scored 100 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff consistently demonstrated exceptional kindness, compassion and respect for people’s dignity. They had a strong understanding of people and used this to provide personalised, sensitive support. For example, staff recognised subtle changes in people’s mood or behaviour and responded with patience and reassurance, particularly for those who did not use words to communicate.

Care was delivered in a calm and respectful way that promoted privacy and choice. Staff supported people to express emotions, provided dignified personal care and created environments where individuals felt safe and in control. Relatives commented that staff were extremely kind.

We observed that people were treated with warmth and genuine care; staff took time to listen, offered comfort during distress and celebrated achievements in meaningful ways. As a result, people and relatives consistently described feeling valued, respected and truly understood. A relative commented, “I can’t believe my luck finding this placement.”

The provider treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. The provider took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

The service demonstrated outstanding practice in treating people as individuals. Staff had a detailed understanding of each person’s preferences, communication needs and life experiences, and used this to deliver highly personalised support in line with the principles of Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture.

People were supported to make meaningful choices about their lives, including holidays and activities. For example, individuals were supported to enjoy trips to places such as Wales, Cornwall and Amsterdam, based on their interests and aspirations. Staff also promoted positive risk taking, enabling people to safely take part in activities such as swimming and horse riding, supporting independence, confidence and wellbeing.

Staff showed creativity and flexibility in meeting individual needs. One person was supported to attend a family wedding through preparation and planning, helping them feel confident and included. Another person, who found visiting distressing, was supported to maintain relationships in a way that suited them, with flexible arrangements and additional support from the management team.

Staff consistently adapted care, routines and environments to meet individual needs, ensuring people felt understood, respected and in control of how they lived their lives. A relative commented, “It’s brilliant a carer brings [person] home. The carer takes the stress out of the visit home. We do a lunch. We have no issues whatsoever. [Person’s] got a better social life than we have.”

The provider was exceptional at promoting people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

The service demonstrated outstanding practice in promoting independence, choice and control. Staff recognised that independence looked different for each person and provided patient, creative support to build skills, confidence and self-esteem.

For example, people were supported to develop everyday living skills such as helping with laundry and cooking, enabling them to take an active role in their home and build pride in their achievements. Staff also supported individuals to make meaningful choices about how they spent their time, including selecting activities based on their interests and preferences. One person was at risk of not being able to continue an activity that had brought them great joy for many years due to changes to funding arrangements. Staff tirelessly advocated on the person’s behalf to facilitate changes to the person’s financial arrangements so the person could continue to enjoy the activity and ensure their rights to choice and control were upheld.

Positive risk-taking was encouraged, with people supported to safely enjoy activities such as water play and trampolining, which promoted confidence, independence and wellbeing.

Overall, staff created a culture where people were empowered to make decisions, develop new skills and feel in control of their lives.

The provider was exceptional in how they listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

The service demonstrated outstanding practice in responding to people’s immediate needs and reducing restrictions. Staff had a detailed understanding of each person and used proactive, preventative approaches to recognise early signs of distress and respond promptly with reassurance and appropriate support. We observed staff quickly recognised subtle changes in people’s presentation and responded with personalised reassurance and adjustments. This included the use of sensory-based strategies such as calming environments, preferred activities and sensory items to regulate distress. Staff also identified early signs of potential seizure activity and acted promptly in line with the person’s epilepsy care plan.

These proactive and highly individualised approaches reduced anxiety, prevented escalation and promoted people’s safety, dignity and independence.

People had personalised communication plans which enabled staff to identify subtle changes in presentation and adapt support quickly, preventing escalation. Staff consistently used least restrictive approaches and made timely adjustments to care and the environment.

The service had not used any physical restraint for three years, demonstrating a strong commitment to least restrictive practice.

Overall, staff’s skilled and compassionate approach reduced restrictions while maintaining safety, resulting in improved wellbeing, greater autonomy and enhanced quality of life.

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

The registered manager demonstrated outstanding commitment to staff wellbeing, recognition and development. Staff consistently described a supportive and inclusive culture where they felt valued, listened to and respected. One staff member told us, “The registered manager is excellent, I would always go to them 100%,” while another said, “The manager and deputy are part of the team and we all support each other.”

There were strong systems in place to recognise and celebrate staff contributions. Initiatives such as ‘colleague of the month’ and regular thank you messages and praise created a positive culture where staff felt appreciated and motivated.

Staff received regular supervision and attended meaningful team meetings which supported reflection, learning and emotional wellbeing. These were described as safe spaces to share ideas, discuss challenges and celebrate successes.

The management team actively promoted development and progression. For example, a team leader shared how they had been supported to grow into their role through mentoring and training. In addition, staff had been trained as ad hoc shift leaders, ensuring there was a skilled and confident workforce ready to step up when needed, providing resilience and continuity of care.

Staff were empowered to take ownership of their roles and were encouraged to lead during the inspection process, reflecting high levels of trust and confidence. This strong focus on wellbeing, recognition and development resulted in a motivated, skilled and cohesive team, ensuring people received consistent, compassionate and high-quality care.