Quality Account From 2025 – 2026
At iBC Healthcare, quality is not a standalone measure — it is how we show up for people every single day. Our Quality Account for 2025–26 is our honest account of what we have achieved, where we have focused our energy, and how we are continuing to build the systems, teams, and practices that underpin safe, personalised support for every person we work with.
This has been a year defined by maturity. We have moved beyond establishing the foundations of quality governance and begun the deeper work of embedding and sustaining them — ensuring the standards we set are not only met, but lived out in the daily experiences of the people we support. – Read our Full Quality Account 2025 – 2026 here
100% Good — and pushing further still
We are proud to have maintained a 100% ‘GOOD’ CQC rating across all rated services — but Good is our baseline, not our ceiling. This year we set our own internal benchmark aligned with CQC’s Single Assessment Framework and our principle of Nothing Less Than Good.
That commitment showed up in our inspection results. Fordrough Cottage, Supported Living North, and Supported Living Nottinghamshire all achieved the benchmark in their internal inspections — carried out by our Quality Team and focused on lived experience, risk management, and the quality of person-centred practice. We really do amazing every day, and these results show it.
Alongside our formal audit schedule, we delivered 99 quality support visits and 121 spot checks across our services — a phenomenal 480% increase on the previous year’s 17 visits. Every service received at least one mock inspection, at least two focused audits, and monthly desktop monitoring. Services receiving regular visits have shown more consistent practice, stronger documentation, and greater confidence — and visits have been instrumental in identifying emerging risks before they escalate.
This is what we mean when we say quality is not done to services — it is built with them.
Expanding our therapeutic offering
One of the most significant developments this year has been the launch of our Therapeutic Framework in November 2025. This brings together our two core therapeutic pathways — Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) and Mental Health — into a single, unified approach grounded in our values and our commitment to Homes not Hospitals.
The Framework ensures that therapeutic thinking is embedded into daily care, leadership decisions, and multidisciplinary practice across the organisation — not treated as a specialist add-on. For the people we support, many of whom have co-occurring needs and have experienced significant adversity, this matters enormously.
A key part of this has been the introduction of our Mental Health Lead — a registered nurse who brings expertise in trauma-informed care and complex mental health support. Since joining, we have seen real improvements in how mental health presentations are identified, assessed, and responded to, with a clear referral pathway ensuring the right support is in place quickly. The Mental Health Lead works in close partnership with our PBS Team, reducing the risk of gaps or conflicting approaches and keeping the person’s overall wellbeing firmly at the centre.
“Quality is not a standalone department — it’s a shared value. We’re building a culture where improvement is continuous, feedback is welcomed, and every individual is seen, heard, and valued.” — Anna Goscombe, Director of Quality & Therapeutic Services
Keeping people safe — the numbers speak
Our commitment to health and safety delivered significant, measurable results this year. Total recordable safety incidents fell by 34% year-on-year, with RIDDOR-reportable incidents reducing by 38%. Slips, trips, and falls — historically our largest incident category — reduced by nearly 50% following enhanced housekeeping standards introduced in early 2025.
Every external inspection during the period — including fire authority visits, local authority quality assurance, food hygiene, and infection prevention and control — was completed with 0 breaches. All residential care homes achieved a food hygiene rating of 5, and 73 fire risk assessments were completed across our estate.
Health, Safety & Fire training now stands at 91% completion across the workforce, and 18 Health First Aiders have been trained and deployed across all sites. Our Employee Assistance Programme saw uptake of 8.4% — above the 5–6% industry benchmark — reflecting a workforce that feels genuinely supported.
A home that works: Glenfield Farm Phase 2
In January, we proudly celebrated the opening of Glenfield Farm Phase 2 — solo bungalows set across peaceful farmland in the West Midlands, delivering safe, personalised homes with private gardens, robust specifications, and inclusive design features for people with complex needs.
“These homes were built with purpose — combining comfort, dignity and safety, so that people with complex needs can truly thrive in the community. It’s exciting to see this vision realised and to share it with the people who matter most.”– Head of Estates
A digital journey — advancing with purpose
Our digital capability has advanced considerably this year. Electronic recording and incident management are now fully embedded across all our services, with Nourish Safety implemented at 100% of services — bringing incident management into the same ecosystem as care planning and tightening feedback loops so teams act on learning faster.
We are also thrilled to have been invited back into the Early Adopters Programme for Nourish Confidence, which will pull the right information into one place and give us clearer visibility of emerging themes across the organisation. And we are actively exploring the responsible use of artificial intelligence so our teams spend more time with people and less time on process.
The people at the heart of it
Behind every number is a person. This year, GT moved into his supported living home just over a year ago — and with a consistent team who understand his communication style and preferences, he has gone from strength to strength, building confidence, developing independence, and enjoying a greater sense of wellbeing in his daily life.
“GT has made excellent progress since moving to his home. Over the past year we’ve seen significant growth in his independence, confidence, and daily living skills.” — Israel, Field Care Supervisor
We also had the privilege of working with H, who took part in our careers event as an Honorary Recruiter — asking candidates thoughtful, scenario-based interview questions drawn from lived experience. H’s involvement is exactly what genuine co-production looks like, and it reflects our commitment to ensuring the people we support are active participants in how iBC grows and develops.
Looking ahead: our 2026/27 priorities
Ahead of the new financial year, colleagues came together for our 2026/27 Strategy Day — a moment to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the purpose, people, and culture at the heart of everything we do. The message was clear: culture drives performance, and when we live our values, positive outcomes naturally follow.
“When we hold quality, we are holding people’s lives.”
Our ambition for 2026/27 is a sustainable 93% occupancy across all services, with our commitment to Nothing Less Than Good and Towards Excellence remaining unwavering. Our priorities for the year ahead include:
- Transitioning 100% of services onto the Nourish Confidence auditing platform
- Launching iBC Academy — a bespoke learning pathway offering clear routes to progression for our people
- Strengthening our offer for young adults transitioning into adult services, with new residential and 16+ provision
- Embedding our mental health offer through the implementation of Recovery Star, capturing individual journeys and outcomes
- Expanding our digital capability, including the responsible use of artificial intelligence
“We move forward with ambition, purpose, and an unwavering focus on the people at the heart of everything iBC Healthcare does.” – Jenny Payne, CEO & Nominated Individual
📩 Contact Us
For media enquiries, further information, or to speak to our team about this story:
iBC Healthcare Communications Team
✉️ Email: info@ibchealthcare.co.uk
📞 Phone: 0116 221 5545
🌐 Website: www.ibchealthcare.co.uk
We’d love to hear from you — whether it’s to learn more about our services, make a referral, or discuss partnership opportunities.
#DoAmazingEveryday