Striving for Outstanding
The Skills for Care Outstanding care checklist, adapted for The Vesey — with our evidence mapped against each statement. Plus curated learning resources from The Outstanding Society.
Free membership available for registered managers
The Outstanding Society provides virtual meetings, learning resources, and a community of Outstanding-rated care providers. Membership is free and includes access to all recorded meetings, podcasts, and the monthly Outstanding Voices magazine.
Step-by-Step Outstanding Staff Guide
A comprehensive domain-by-domain guide for every Vesey team member — clinical and non-clinical. What Outstanding looks like in practice, step-by-step actions by frequency, the 8-month monthly schedule, and the evidence pack you need to build. Distribute to all staff.
Outstanding Evidence Documents — Download All
All created and approved 24th April 2026. These six documents form the operational backbone of The Vesey's Outstanding journey — use them monthly, present them at governance, build the evidence trail.
Immediate Actions — Do These Today
These three actions take less than 30 minutes and create the foundation for Outstanding.
The Outstanding Arithmetic — How Ratings Are Calculated
Outstanding Care Checklist
Skills for Care — 48 statements for Outstanding-rated care, with The Vesey's evidence mapped to each. Tick items as your team reviews them.
The Outstanding Society — Staff Learning Videos
15 curated recordings from The Outstanding Society's virtual meetings, 2022–2026. Each includes CQC inspectors, Skills for Care specialists, and Outstanding-rated providers sharing real-world evidence and inspection insights.
From Good to Outstanding — Presenting Evidence to CQC That Tells Your Story
Sarah Slater (Home Instead Rugby), Rob Hargreaves (Skills for Care)
How to structure CQC evidence to achieve Outstanding — directly relevant to all 34 QS pages
Watch on Vimeo →New CQC Inspection Process — Achieving a 3rd Consecutive Outstanding Rating
Jo Anne Wilson (provider), Chris Day (CQC Director of Engagement)
First-hand experience of the new SAF inspection process and what secured Outstanding
Watch on Vimeo →CQC Update — Single Assessment Framework Latest
Chris Day, CQC Director of Engagement
SAF implementation update — current inspection expectations from senior CQC leadership
Watch on Vimeo →CQC Update — Quality Statements in Practice
Chris Day, CQC Director of Engagement
How Quality Statements are assessed in practice — essential for understanding evidence requirements
Watch on Vimeo →Unlocking Excellence — Outstanding Practice Against Quality Statements
CQC and Skills for Care guests
Concrete examples of Outstanding practice mapped to the 34 Quality Statements
Watch on Vimeo →The Inspector Calls — Inside Knowledge from a Former CQC Inspector
Jenny Pattinson (former CQC inspector, 11 years at CQC)
Insider view of what inspectors actually look for — valuable for self-assessment
Watch on Vimeo →Change CQC Inspection Outcomes — Fair Challenge Through Evidence
The Outstanding Society Directors
How to challenge inspection findings and present compelling counter-evidence effectively
Watch on Vimeo →Preparing for a New Era of Inspection
Sophie Hargan & Melissa Boulton (CQC Inspectors), Rob Hargreaves (Skills for Care)
CQC inspectors explain the new assessment approach — foundational for inspection preparation
Watch on Vimeo →Innovative Training — Evidencing Quality for CQC
The Outstanding Society Directors
How innovative training approaches satisfy CQC Regulation 18 and evidence requirements
Watch on Vimeo →Patient Safety Incident Response — Governance and Insurance
Ed Farthing (Howden Insurance) and OS Directors
Patient safety incident response, CQC learning from incidents, governance frameworks
Watch on Vimeo →Workforce Wellbeing — Practical Ways to Support Your Team
OS Directors co-host with Skills for Care
Staff wellbeing strategies that satisfy CQC Regulation 18 and Well-Led workforce expectations
Watch on Vimeo →Embracing Diversity — CQC Deputy Director Perspective
Dr Michael Brady (NHSE), Gill Hodgson-Reily (CQC Deputy Director), Rob Hargreaves (Skills for Care)
CQC perspective on equity, diversity and inclusion — relevant to Responsive quality statements
Watch on Vimeo →Using Complaints to Drive Improvement
Donna Campbell (Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman), Rob Hargreaves (Skills for Care)
Converting complaints into CQC evidence for Well-Led and Responsive quality statements
Watch on Vimeo →AI in Social Care — Starting Small, Growing Smarter
Joint webinar with Skills for Care
Digital innovation in care — relevant to Environmental Sustainability and Well-Led quality statements
Watch on Vimeo →Winter Wellbeing — Staff Retention and CQC Outcomes
Panel of Outstanding care providers
Evidencing key staff wellbeing and retention strategies for CQC Well-Led and Caring domains
Watch on Vimeo →Additional Resources from The Outstanding Society
Frequently asked questions
How does The Vesey define and strive for outstanding care?
We use CQC's Outstanding descriptors as our benchmark and build them into our annual quality objectives. Every team has an improvement goal aligned to one of the five CQC domains.
What quality improvement methodology does The Vesey use?
We use a Plan-Do-Study-Act improvement model, supported by regular audit cycles and patient-experience data. All staff are trained in basic quality improvement techniques.
How does patient feedback drive the pursuit of outstanding?
Patient experience data is presented at every governance meeting alongside clinical outcomes. Insights from feedback directly shape our improvement priorities for the coming quarter.
How does The Vesey recognise and celebrate exceptional care?
We have a monthly recognition programme where staff are nominated by colleagues and patients for exceptional contributions. Annual awards celebrate the teams and individuals who best exemplify our values.