The AGNI judgment has changed the way deprivation of liberty is understood, but it has not removed the need for strong records, clear decision-making or good governance. The Department of Health and Social Care has published an official update following the Supreme Court judgment, confirming that the changes apply immediately and extend across the UK.…
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A recent Supreme Court judgment has changed the way deprivation of liberty is understood across the UK. For care providers, registered managers and senior teams, the judgment in A Reference by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland, often referred to as the AGNI judgment, is important because it affects how providers, local authorities and professionals…
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Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training has become an important topic for health and social care providers across England. For CQC-registered providers, it is not just another course to add to the training matrix. It reflects a wider expectation that staff understand autism and learning disability, recognise the importance of reasonable adjustments, and can translate that knowledge…
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Delivering safe, high-quality care has always required strong leadership. However, the operational demands of running a care home have grown significantly in recent years. Care providers today must balance regulatory compliance, workforce management, financial sustainability, and service quality while maintaining consistent oversight across complex care environments. As these pressures increase, the importance of structured operational…
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When a care home is under pressure, changing leadership is often one of the first options considered. For many owners, providers, investors or landlords, this raises an important question: Do you need interim management, or do you need a managed assets approach? At first glance, the two may sound similar. Both can involve experienced care…
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Running a care home has never been simple, but the pressure on providers, owners and investors is becoming harder to ignore. Staffing instability, regulatory scrutiny, rising operating costs and changing inspection expectations can all affect how a service performs day to day. For many care home owners, the challenge is not always knowing that something…
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The way care homes are owned and operated is starting to shift. For many years, the model has been relatively consistent: owners take responsibility for both the asset and the operation. They oversee staffing, manage compliance, respond to inspections, and carry the day-to-day pressure of running the service. Increasingly, that model is being questioned. Across…
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The Care Quality Commission is preparing to make a significant change to how care services are assessed. On 24 March 2026, draft proposals were published outlining a move away from the current Single Assessment Framework towards more sector-specific approaches. For care home owners, this is not a minor update. It signals a shift in how…
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CQC enforcement action is one of the most serious regulatory situations a care provider can face. It indicates that the Care Quality Commission has identified significant concerns about safety, quality or leadership and no longer believes that improvement can be managed through routine oversight alone. While some providers attempt to manage enforcement action internally, experience…
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Training compliance remains a core element of regulatory expectations, but it does not in itself demonstrate competence. Attendance at training does not guarantee safe or consistent practice. CQC inspections increasingly focus on whether staff are demonstrably capable of meeting people’s needs, rather than whether training has been delivered. At Fulcrum Care, we frequently support providers…
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