Orchard Care Homes’ Middleton Park Lodge Nursing Home in Leeds is offering all new member of nursing staff access to the company’s leadership development programme, so they can earn a diploma in leadership management and progress to senior roles.

Historically, careers in care haven’t always been known for offering fast track career progression but Orchard Care Homes’ chief executive Hayden Knight is an example of this being possible. Knight started his career as a care assistant and over the past 25-plus years has progressed through to senior management.

Orchard Care Homes stated it is making an effort to provide leadership development programmes to anyone looking to enter the sector and is recommending other providers do the same.

Middleton Park Lodge home manager Lindsey Leatham is another advocate for this approach. She said: “Solving the current skills shortage in the care sector is no easy task, but we believe this can be addressed by ensuring all employees feel valued, respected, safe and secure in their roles. Orchard is proud to be leading the way with career development opportunities on top of other incentives such as welcome packages up to £5,000 for new nursing staff. Rewarding commitment to the sector, financially or through personal development, is an expectation that we are pleased to hold ourselves accountable to.”