A Letchworth-based care provider has been given an ‘outstanding’ rating in its latest Clinical Care Commission inspection which was published on Saturday.

The director at Hand in Hands – a supported living and outreach service for adults with learning disabilities – says she is “very proud” of the team who have been recognised for providing outstanding care.

The top-rated report – which follows three inspections in September – said: “People’s needs were assessed to ensure they received the support they required in the areas that were important to them as individuals.

“Staff supported people to make choices about how they wished to live their lives daily and worked with them to achieve their goals, learn new skills and develop interests.

”We saw numerous examples of how people achieved their goals with the right support from staff. Achievements included leaving the house or eating out without family support, developing their independence. Another person achieved their goal of working once a week for the first time in their life.”

The care provider – which also has a supported living service in Royston – was given a ‘good’ rating at its previous inspection in September 2015.Hand in Hands director Michelle Dudderidge said: “Everything we do is based on the needs and wishes of the individual and how those needs and wishes can be achieved enabling the individual to live their lives to the full.

“Our vision is to ensure the individuals we support have the right to a place in society which is free from discrimination, and our mission is to offer individuals a high standard of support to enable them to have the quality of life that we ourselves would wish for.

“I am very proud that the entire staff team at Hand in Hands have adopted this ethos which is clearly evidenced in the positive feedback provided by individuals, families and stakeholders to the CQC inspector in regard of the high quality care and support being delivered.

“To achieve an ‘outstanding’ rating a tremendous amount of hard work and commitment is required by all, therefore, I would like to thank and congratulate everyone concerned and say how extremely proud I am to be part of the ‘Hand in Hands family’.”

To read Hand in Hands CQC report in full or to find out more, go to cqc.org.uk and search Hand in Hands.