A truly transformative leader who has devoted her career to improving the lives of those in care has been formally honoured with an OBE at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday 10 March.
Anna Selby, Executive Director of Quality at HC-One, received the Order of the British Empire in recognition of more than three decades of service to adult mental health and social care, during which her work to redefine kindness in care has been transformative.
Anna was presented with the honour during the ceremony in the Grand Reception Room at Windsor Castle, celebrating a career dedicated to raising standards and championing person-centred care across the sector.
Across her career, Anna has delivered a number of significant improvements in care quality and service development. Among her early achievements was securing the first ‘Outstanding’ rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for a domiciliary retirement service within just two years. She also contributed to the transformation of NHS community services across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, while championing innovative approaches to dementia care that went on to influence local commissioning priorities.
Anna’s leadership was particularly visible during the Covid-19 pandemic, widely regarded as one of the most difficult periods the adult social care sector has experienced. As head of her organisation’s Covid-19 Task Force, she supported 46 residential homes through the crisis, working closely with Government, local authorities and NHS partners. As a result of the team’s work, 45 homes achieved ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ ratings from the Care Quality Commission, and the initiative was recognised with an industry award from Knight Frank.
In her role at HC-One, Anna has also helped shape the organisation’s approach to delivering kind, person-centred care. By engaging directly with residents, families and colleagues across the organisation, she developed a quality framework centred on understanding individuals as people first, rather than focusing solely on their clinical needs.
This approach has supported measurable improvements across HC-One’s homes. 87% of homes are rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission, rising from 78% before Anna took on the role – the highest level the organisation has achieved. Feedback from residents and families has also strengthened, with 95% of homes achieving a rating of 9/10 or higher by the end of 2024, compared with around 80% previously.
Anna Selby OBE, Executive Director of Quality at HC-One, said:
“It was an incredibly special experience to attend the investiture at Windsor Castle, and I feel deeply honoured to receive this recognition.
“Adult social care is full of remarkable people who show compassion and dedication every single day, and this award really reflects the commitment of colleagues across the sector who work tirelessly to support people to live well. I’m proud to play a part in championing kindness and quality in care.”