Christies Care, a family-run live-in care agency in Saxmundham, Suffolk, is one of the few such organisations in the UK to have been awarded “outstanding” status twice in a row by the Care Quality Commission.

It has grown through word-of-mouth recommendations and the agency recruits those who focus on client service. Carers and office staff also come through recommendation. At least half of the agency's carers are recruited in this way, which is a testament to how well the company treats them.

What makes Christies Care a great place to work is that everybody knows why they are doing what they do: their job is to make clients' lives better. Everybody works towards that goal.

Emphasis is placed on good communication. Managers whose teams communicate well share their best practice with others, so everyone learns. There is regular cross-departmental input into team meetings. Having non business-related conversations has helped, too — teams feel they can chat at a human level. Carers receive a monthly newsletter to keep them in touch with what is going on in the company and share good news.

Christies Care Commitment outlines its mission, purpose and the values that will be upheld for clients and carers. An internal re-structure has brought clarity and role definition for staff, and for clients and carers by creating clear points of contact for specific needs.

Christies Care's biggest environmental initiative has been its office building, which is built to passive-house standards to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.