Orchard Care Homes appoints five new directors

Orchard Care Homes has appointed four operations directors and a director of people and talent as part of a strategic restructure of the company’s leadership.

Rebecca Dobson joins as its director of people and talent, bringing more than ten years of experience in the sector.

David Williams, Raschel Smith, Jackie Murray and Sarah Armitage will focus on quality and occupancy, while building partnerships with local authority partners.

All four have been internally promoted from other operational roles to the newly created positions, reporting to chief executive officer Hayden Knight.

Before stepping into the role of CEO in September, Knight was previously the chief operating officer.

Following his appointment, Knight announced the restructure of Orchard’s portfolio, including initiatives focused on the recruitment of talent and the retention of existing staff, increasing the number of residents cared for by Orchard, and promoting an internal policy of openness and strong communication.

Initiatives to retain and recruit staff include the relaunch of a refer a friend bonus scheme to encourage staff to recommend professionals who may be looking for a new opportunity.

It will launch of an employee recognition scheme to acknowledge and reward staff that go the extra mile in providing quality care or support to its residents, families and colleagues.

As well as career and progression pathways for nurses and carers, training and continuing professional development for staff to build their leadership skills will be provided.

Orchard will also launch initiatives in 2020 to promote the benefits of working in the care sector to those looking for a new career direction.

The operations directors will look to increase occupancy by working with local authorities to understand their strategic objectives and position Orchard as a partner of choice.

In summer, it launched a new model of care, Reconnect. The model is based on discussions with local authorities about their needs and the increase of residents living with dementia who require specialist care.

Residents are actively encouraged to take part in activities and supported to do things for themselves and make decisions.

By being involved and providing opportunities to be part of the community, challenging behaviours can be reduced, antipsychotic medication often used in those living with dementia can be eliminated, and the need for specialist or one-on-one care avoided.

‘This new structure will enable us to align corporate plans with local practices and promote autonomy and accountability for regional performance,’ said Knight. ‘The team is highly experienced in day-to-day operations of our care homes and bring in-depth knowledge of both local needs and sector challenges.’