Visiting Angels is celebrating another significant milestone after one of its franchisees received an Outstanding in all five areas rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) at their very first inspection, demonstrating how the home care franchise's proven model is helping franchisees build exceptional care businesses from day one.

Visiting Angels West Leicestershire, is led by franchisee Jade Thumwood, is now one of only 24 home care businesses from over 14,000 rated outstanding in all five key lines of enquiry by the CQC: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The Outstanding result follows just two years after Jade launched her business in Hinckley, highlighting how the franchise's comprehensive support, operational systems and carer-centric philosophy are enabling franchisees to deliver care of the very highest standard while building successful businesses in their local communities.

The CQC praised the service's personalised approach to care, compassionate leadership and strong governance. Greg Rielly, CQC’s Deputy Director of Adult Social Care in the East Midlands, said: “What we found at Visiting Angels West Leicestershire was genuinely impressive, particularly for its first inspection. From the moment someone first interacted with the service, staff put people at the heart of any decisions and took real time to understand who they were, what mattered to them, and how they wanted to live their lives.”

Inspectors also highlighted the service's proactive approach to healthcare, effective partnership working with health professionals and commitment to helping people remain active in their communities. The report recognised a workplace culture where carers felt valued, confident and proud of the care they delivered.

Jade Thumwood, Managing Director of Visiting Angels West Leicestershire, said: "Receiving an Outstanding rating in all areas at our first inspection is an incredible achievement and reflects everything we set out to build.

"From the beginning, Visiting Angels gave us the tools, guidance and confidence to create a care service that genuinely puts people first while supporting our carers to thrive. Having that framework behind us has allowed us to focus on building meaningful relationships with our clients, our team and the wider community."

"I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved together, and this recognition belongs to every member of our team."

Visiting Angels has built its reputation by challenging traditional approaches to home care, placing carers at the centre of the business model with the belief that well-supported carers deliver better outcomes for clients.

Dan Archer, UK CEO of Visiting Angels, said: "Outstanding ratings are never achieved by chance. They’re earned through strong leadership, consistent support and a retention culture. By retaining 90% of our caregivers we give clients choice on who supports them and the certainty of a familiar face every day. We’ve always said that it’s impossible to provide outstanding care unless you recruit and retain outstanding caregivers. Our carer-centric model delivers better care and this rating is a fantastic endorsement of Jade’s passion and the Visiting Angels vision.”

The achievement adds to a growing list of accolades for the Visiting Angels network, reinforcing the strength of a franchise model that combines commercial support with an unwavering commitment to quality care. As the network continues to expand across the UK, the Outstanding rating provides further evidence that franchisees can build thriving businesses that are transformational for their local community while achieving the highest regulatory standards.