In today’s ever-evolving adult social care sector, the idea of Outstanding care is no longer reserved for the few—it’s achievable, scalable, and sustainable when the right support systems are in place. Two key organisations helping to lead this journey are Skills for Care and The Outstanding Society. While they operate in different ways, their goals are beautifully aligned: to support care providers in delivering the best, most person-centred care possible.
The OS and Skills for care hold a shared mission: Better Care, Not Just Better Compliance
In a recent article in Care Talk Magazine, titled “Outstanding is not about perfection”, Rob Hargreaves, Central Engagement Lead at Skills for Care, explains that simply meeting compliance is no longer enough. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) now looks for care that is continually evolving—where services demonstrate a culture of improvement, not just adherence to standards.
This core message resonates deeply with the ethos of The OS . Formed by providers who have achieved an Outstanding CQC rating, the Society’s mission is to share best practice, champion innovation, and support others on their journey to excellence.
“Outstanding” Is About People, Not Paperwork
Both organisations believe that Outstanding care starts with a people-first approach—care that is compassionate, consistent, and deeply person-centred. As Rob Hargreaves puts it:
“Outstanding care is about asking, ‘What more can we do?’ – not ticking boxes.”
That mindset is the foundation of The Outstanding Society’s work, too. They promote lived experiences, peer mentorship, and provider-to-provider learning that bring the theory of Outstanding care into real-life settings – Practical Support Meets Peer Inspiration
Skills for Care offers a wide range of practical tools, training programmes, and workforce development resources. Whether it’s supporting registered managers, promoting good governance, or developing leadership pipelines, they help services build lasting foundations.
The Outstanding Society complements this perfectly by showcasing how these principles play out in real services. Through case studies, networking events, and online forums, they create space for peer-led learning, where providers can see what Outstanding care looks like in action—and how to get there themselves.
Caroline Cosh, Director of The OS and MD of Clifton Homecare commented on how partnership working supports everyone:
“The Outstanding society not only helps improve quality of care across the care sector but helps to facilitate professional discussions and partnership working like this. This benefits providers, social care teams and ultimately service users. In addition, I, as a Director at The Outstanding Society learn from everything we do; this includes our webinars and Care show panel discussions. Given the ever increasing pace of change, reflection and appraisal of our own systems and quality of care provision is vital to ensure our sustainability and ongoing success. Events that The Outstanding Society and Skills for Care do, enable me to do just that. Providers like the fact that we are real people, with lived experience and the fact that we happily support others to raise the bar.”
Together, they offer a holistic support system:
- Evidence-based tools and training (Skills for Care)
- Real-world insights and inspiration (The Outstanding Society)
- Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement
Both organisations agree: Outstanding care isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being reflective, responsive, and resilient. They champion services that invest in their teams, and embrace inclusive leadership.
By working together—directly or indirectly—Skills for Care and The OS foster a sector-wide culture that puts people before process and learning before legacy.
Sanjay Dhrona, Director of the OS and Lead Director of the Out Standing Diversity Forum (OSDF) said:
“The relationship between The Outstanding Society and Skills for Care is incredibly important and exciting. Together, we’re creating opportunities to share expertise, amplify best practice, and drive real improvements across social care. It’s a partnership rooted in our shared commitment to outstanding care and supporting those who deliver it every single day.”
If you’re a care provider striving for excellence, the message is clear: you don’t have to do it alone. With the practical frameworks from Skills for Care and the shared wisdom of The Outstanding Society, you have access to the tools, community, and encouragement needed to go beyond “Good” and build something truly Outstanding.
Start small. Stay curious. Keep learning.
The journey to Outstanding begins with the question:
“What more can we do—for our people, our teams, and our communities?”