The Old Orchard

The following is CQC's published account of its assessment, published 8 June 2026. References to “we” mean CQC. It describes findings at that time.

Date of assessment 21 April to 05 May 2026. The Old Orchard is a care home providing personal care and support for up to 6 people under 65 living with a learning disability and autistic people.

At the time of the assessment, the service was supporting 6 people. We also completed a subsequent out of hours visit. Out-of-hours visits help identify risks, check that people are safe and understand the quality-of-life people experience outside of standard hours. They also show whether staff are doing the right things when supervision is lower.

The Old Orchard was registered in June 2022. This is the service’s first assessment.

We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence, and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.

We observed exceptionally high-quality interactions throughout the home. Staff were consistently warm, patient and highly responsive, using calm, kind, and reassuring approaches at all times. They demonstrated a deep and detailed understanding of each person’s preferences, life history, and emotional needs, enabling them to anticipate and respond to people in a highly personalised way. Strong, trusting relationships were evident, and people were actively engaged in meaningful, person-centred activities each day, showing clear enjoyment, confidence, and sustained engagement.

The service demonstrated an exceptional commitment to learning, personal development and skill-building. People were supported by a highly skilled and enabling staff team who consistently empowered them to develop independence and achieve meaningful outcomes and confidence in new or unfamiliar situations. Staff delivered outstanding, structured, and enabling support, breaking learning into manageable, achievable steps. This approach ensured people made consistent progress at their own pace and experienced a strong sense of achievement and success.

Emotional wellbeing was central to all aspects of care. Staff responded proactively and compassionately to signs of anxiety or distress, using personalised strategies such as predictable routines, sensory resources, calming techniques, and access to quiet, safe spaces. These approaches were highly effective in increasing people’s sense of control, reducing anxiety and supporting long-term emotional resilience.

There was a strong and sustained focus on reducing restrictive practices. Staff consistently reflected on incidents and adapted their approaches, embedding proactive, positive, and enabling strategies that promoted autonomy, choice, and independence. This was clearly evidenced in practice, resulting in reduced distress, increased trust, and more positive daily experiences for people.

Feedback, our observations and records confirmed that people felt safe, secure, and happy in their home. People were consistently supported to express their views, wishes and preferences in ways that were meaningful to them. Staff demonstrated a deep understanding of each person’s communication style and responded appropriately, ensuring peoples remained fully at the centre of their care and support.

Overall, the service demonstrated an embedded culture of outstanding, person-centred care, where people were empowered, valued, and supported to achieve meaningful and fulfilling lives.