The Old Orchard

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

Well-led – this means we looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.

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

This meant service leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Leaders and the culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 96 (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 had a very clear shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and an exceptional understanding of the challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

The service had a clear, person-centred vision focused on delivering high-quality care and supporting people to live fulfilling, meaningful and enjoyable lives. This vision was shaped with the active involvement of people using the service and reflected what was important to them in their daily lives.

People consistently highlighted the importance of being treated with respect, being listened to and having choice and control. This included staff engaging meaningfully without distraction, supporting access to a wide range of activities and holidays, maintaining relationships with family and friends, and ensuring the home felt welcoming and truly personalised. People valued staff who understood their individual preferences, supported their interests and treated their belongings and personal space with respect.

Leaders ensured this vision was embedded into practice through strong governance and continuous engagement. Staff were supported to build positive relationships, deliver flexible and reliable care and uphold people’s rights. There was a clear focus on recruiting and developing a skilled, motivated workforce and involving people and their families in decisions about care and service development.

Quality was continuously monitored, and feedback was actively sought and used to drive improvement. Policies, training and working practices were regularly reviewed to ensure care remained consistent, responsive and aligned with people’s needs and aspirations.

As a result, the service delivered care that was respectful, inclusive and tailored to everyone, with a strong, shared culture focused on what mattered most to people.

The provider had exceptionally inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They always did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

Leadership at the service was outstanding. Leaders were highly capable, compassionate and inclusive, creating a respectful culture where equality, diversity and inclusion were embedded and staff felt valued, supported and able to be themselves.

Leaders demonstrated inclusivity in practice by supporting flexible working, making reasonable adjustments and encouraging staff to share their experiences and contribute to service development. Staff from diverse backgrounds were supported to progress, with equal access to training and leadership opportunities through the provider’s comprehensive training programme.

The registered manager promoted a caring and supportive environment through thoughtful initiatives and open conversations about wellbeing, helping staff feel understood and respected. Leaders were visible and approachable, and staff felt confident to raise ideas or concerns, knowing they would be acted upon.

This inclusive and empowering leadership approach resulted in a motivated workforce and consistently high-quality care for people.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

The provider promoted a positive culture of openness and honesty. Staff told us they felt safe to raise concerns, share ideas and speak openly, with one saying, “the managers definitely listen and take action,” and another, “Ideas for improvement are taken seriously and changes are made.”

The service actively supported a Speak Up approach, ensuring concerns could be raised safely and at an early stage. Staff reported feeling more supported, more able to raise concerns and more engaged in their development, which contributed to good morale, staff retention and consistency.

Leaders were approachable and responsive, encouraging feedback and acting on it to improve the service. People and relatives were also supported to raise concerns, with accessible processes in place and confidence that issues would be addressed promptly.

Leaders recognised staff wellbeing and psychological safety as essential to delivering high-quality care and driving continuous improvement. This open culture supported ongoing learning and ensured people received safe, responsive and high-quality care.

The provider strongly valued diversity in their workforce. They had an inclusive and fair culture which had improved equality and equity for people who worked for them.

The provider demonstrated an exceptionally inclusive and respectful culture, with equality, diversity and inclusion embedded in everyday practice. Staff consistently reported feeling valued, supported and able to be their authentic selves at work. This was reflected in the provider’s recognition as a Great Place to Work, including commendation for its commitment to inclusion, gender equality, staff development and wellbeing.

Leaders went beyond expectations to remove barriers and promote equity. For example, management collaborated with staff and external professionals where needed to implement practical, individualised workplace adjustments. These were regularly reviewed through ongoing, open dialogue to ensure staff felt listened to, included and able to work effectively. This demonstrated inclusive leadership and a proactive approach to reasonable adjustments in practice.

Staff had equitable access to high-quality development opportunities through the provider’s training academy, supporting career progression and personal growth. At service level, leaders promoted peer support, shared learning and recognition, with achievements celebrated in inclusive and meaningful ways.

Overall, the provider fostered a culture where diversity was valued and inclusion actively promoted, resulting in a confident, supported workforce and high-quality, person-centred care.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver high-quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They always acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

Governance and leadership at the service were outstanding. Clear accountability systems, robust oversight and effective monitoring ensured the consistent delivery of safe, high-quality and sustainable care.

Leaders demonstrated a strong commitment to protecting and enhancing person-centred care. For example, they reshaped the service model and introduced a dedicated cook to ensure people’s food choices were fully respected and promoted. Systems were also introduced to strengthen communication and transparency, such as welcome emails with staff photos, roles and updated team information, helping families know who was supporting their relatives and building trust.

Leaders maintained excellent oversight through audits and performance monitoring, using information to drive improvement and positive outcomes. Workforce planning was highly effective, with staff carefully matched to people’s needs and interests, and rotas shared in advance to promote consistency and choice.

Leaders showed confidence in balancing people’s rights with community relationships. For example, they responded appropriately to complaints about noise, upholding people’s right to enjoy their home and everyday experiences, while maintaining positive relationships with neighbours through proactive communication.

Strong partnership working ensured positive outcomes, and leaders actively planned for sustainability through staff development and succession planning. Overall, governance was proactive, responsive and person-centred, resulting in a well-led service where people consistently experienced excellent outcomes.

The provider clearly understood and performed their duty to collaborate and worked in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for people. They always shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

The service demonstrated outstanding partnership working, maintaining strong, effective relationships with health professionals, local authorities, families and other providers to ensure coordinated, high-quality care.

Leaders acted as strong advocates for people, challenging external barriers to protect people’s rights and quality of life. For example, management escalated concerns with the local authority regarding delayed funding, ensuring one person could continue meaningful activities such as horse riding, holidays and trips, as well as personalise their living space. This demonstrated a clear commitment to promoting autonomy and wellbeing.

The service also worked proactively with partners during times of change. Following the closure of a person’s day service, staff collaborated closely with the person, their family and the local authority to identify suitable alternatives, arrange taster sessions and pursue funding for a new placement. This ensured continuity, routine and quality of life were maintained.

Staff worked effectively with other providers to streamline shared care planning, ensuring consistency and clarity of support across services. Community involvement was promoted through meaningful activities, supporting people to develop confidence and a sense of belonging.

Overall, partnerships were strong, proactive and person-centred, with leaders demonstrating persistence and professionalism to ensure people experienced seamless support, maintained important routines and achieved positive outcomes.

The provider had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice.

The service demonstrated an exceptional commitment to learning, improvement and innovation, with clear evidence that feedback and reflection led to measurable improvements in people’s care.

Following concerns raised after an incident, the service worked closely with families and specialist professionals to review support. This resulted in targeted, person-specific training focusing on the person’s communication, preferences and engagement. Staff developed a more consistent approach, leading to the person being better understood and more actively involved in daily life.

People were meaningfully involved in service development. Staff created accessible surveys using easy read, Makaton, PECS and communication technology, and fed results back in formats people could understand. This ensured feedback was both gathered and acted upon in a way that was meaningful to all.

The service demonstrated strong, sustained least restrictive practice. There had been no use of physical intervention since 2022, reflecting increasingly skilled, proactive and preventative staff responses and a culture focused on dignity and understanding behaviour.

Learning from incidents, feedback and audits was embedded and shared across the team, ensuring continuous improvement. As a result, the service delivered highly responsive, innovative and person-centred care, with clear improvements in people’s engagement, independence and quality of life.