Orchard Care Homes, a leading provider of senior living in the UK, with care homes in the north of England and the Midlands, has announced the appointment of
Jo Stratford-Smith as Director of People and Talent.
Jo joins Orchard’s Senior Leadership Team with immediate effect and brings a wealth of experience to the organisation gained through her work at Four Seasons Health Care, where she directed HR strategic initiatives across 260 sites and affecting 16,500 employees. She will report directly to CEO Hayden Knight and will be responsible for driving the People agenda ensuring alignment with the company’s wider strategic initiatives.
In welcoming her to the organisation Hayden Knight commented: “Jo is passionate about making a difference to the lives of those most vulnerable within our society and is committed to working alongside our operational teams here at Orchard to enable the delivery of quality care. Her immediate focus will of course be to ensure business continuity throughout and beyond the current pandemic, collaborating closely with her colleagues over the coming weeks to facilitate this.”
On her appointment, Jo said: “I am delighted to be joining Orchard Care Homes and am really looking forward to meeting my colleagues in person over the coming months. Their commitment and dedication throughout the pandemic are testament to the existing talent that we have within the organisation and the values to which we aspire to. A key part of my role will be to continue to attract, develop and retain the right people within an increasingly competitive market; people who share our passion for delivering high quality, person-centred care across our homes. The roll out of our new Career Progression Pathways initiative, designed to create a stronger and more incentivised workforce, will be key to this. As an industry, we need to invest in our people, acknowledging their dedication and rewarding them with realistic opportunities and achievable goals to build a long and happy career in the care sector.”
Quality of care and invigorating best practice is at the forefront of Orchard Care Homes’ strategy. The group’s impressive record demonstrates the highest quality of care it provides its residents, with 88.5% of its homes now rated ‘Good’.
