CareCulture Consultancy

Aim: Helping care providers prevent abuse by launching a toolkit to spot early signs of closed cultures in mental health services

About Me and the Vision Behind CareCulture Consultancy

I’m an HCPC-registered Occupational Therapist with over 15 years of experience in mental health, working across NHS services and more recently as an inspector at the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Throughout my career, I’ve witnessed the devastating impact of closed cultures — situations where poor practice, neglect, and even abuse go unnoticed because people stop speaking up, stop listening, or stop seeing what’s really going on.

After contributing to national reviews and inspections following some of the most serious failures in care (like Winterbourne View, Wharlton Hall and Edenfield), I knew I had to be part of the solution. That’s why I’m launching CareCulture Consultancy — a service designed to help providers spot and address the early warning signs of a closed culture before harm occurs.

What We’re Creating

At the heart of this consultancy is a practical, evidence-based CareCulture Toolkit. It supports services to:

• Identify early indicators of risk
• Dashboard to monitor ongoing and emerging risks
• Empower staff and people who use services to speak up
• Take action to improve care culture and safety
• Meet and exceed CQC quality standards

It’s designed for providers supporting people with mental health needs, learning disabilities, and autism — especially those delayed in hospital discharge or living in high-risk environments.

Where Your Support Will Go

Cost Area

Estimated Amount

Toolkit design & pilot testing

£2,500

Website, branding & toolkit design

£1,000

Legal, business & insurance setup

£500

Marketing & outreach

£1,000

Contingency & digital tools

£1,000

Project Lead (1 year salary)

£50,000

Total

£56,000

Note on Salary
Due to conflict of interest policies, I am unable to launch CareCulture Consultancy while remaining in my current role at the Care Quality Commission. To bring this important work to life, I would need to step away from secure employment and commit full-time to the development and delivery of the service.

In return for this support, I will offer free initial assessments and action planning to some of the largest NHS mental health trusts — helping them spot early signs of closed cultures and reduce risks to vulnerable people. This will not only build momentum but ensure immediate impact and social return from your investment.

This salary will enable:

• Full-time development of the CareCulture aToolkit
• Partnership building across health and care sectors
• Free consultation offers to services at highest risk
• Public transparency and independent delivery of a solution our sector urgently needs

Enquiries:
[email protected]

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 24th August 2025 at 5:43am