Transformation That Works: How Lifeways Defied the Odds and Delivered Lasting Change 

By Amanda Brooke, Chief Transformation Officer, Lifeways 

It’s often said that transformation is hard. Leading authorities have long documented the sobering statistics: up to 70% of transformation efforts fail.  

They falter under the weight of misaligned leadership, unclear priorities, cultural resistance, or bloated consultant-led programmes that never quite deliver on their promise. 

At Lifeways, we’ve proven that it doesn’t have to be that way. 

Over the past two years, we’ve completed Phase 1 of a bold, organisation-wide transformation - without the need for expensive external consultants, and with a transformation team of fewer than ten people and incredible operational teams who embraced change and committed to improving how we do things. 

As Mark Beadle, Chairman of the Lifeways Board, said: “What we’ve achieved is not just rare - it’s remarkable.”  

And it’s a testament to what’s possible when you combine a clear, compelling case for change with a wholly aligned executive leadership team, passionate about delivering better outcomes for the people we support. 

A Case for Change, Clearly Made 

When we began this journey, we knew we had to fundamentally re-engineer how Lifeways operated. Our digital landscape was fragmented, our processes were paper-based, and our operating model was not fit for the scale and ambition of our future. 

But we didn’t start with technology. We started with purpose. 

We co-produced our Purpose, Vision, Mission, Values, and Strategic Objectives with our people. We listened. We engaged. We aligned. And from that foundation, we built a transformation roadmap that was not only ambitious but deeply rooted in the needs of our services, our teams, and - most importantly - the people we support. 

Transformation at Pace, with Purpose 

What was originally scoped as a three-year plan, we delivered in just two. And we did so without compromising on quality, engagement, or satisfaction. In fact, all of these improved during the transformation. 

Here’s what we achieved in Phase 1: 

• Digital Care Management: Implemented Nourish in all services, supporting 4,000+ people, reducing medication errors, and logging tens of thousands of daily interactions, freeing up precious staff time to make sure people we support can live their best and most independent lives. Lifeways’ innovative use of Nourish was recognised with Best Use of Care Management Software at the Care Home Awards 2025.
   
• Electronic Rostering: Rolled out Deputy, significantly reduced the hours managers spent manually inputting data into ColdHarbour, cutting agency use, delivering £1m annualised benefits which have been re-invested back into Lifeways for property improvements and annual pay rises. This means the people we support are supported by people they know and trust, ensuring a much higher quality of service delivery. This also enabled us to reduce duplication, reduced manager administrative time and increase accuracy of payroll giving managers time back to focus on the quality of care whilst ensuring our teams are paid properly. Our rollout of Deputy played a key part in Lifeways winning two gongs at the LaingBuisson Awards for both Specialist Care and Supported Living. 
   
• Tech Infrastructure: Migrated to cloud-first architecture, issued 5,000+ mobile devices, upgraded connectivity, and moved 20TB of data to SharePoint. This makes it easier and safer to handle the data of the people we support and our teams which protects everyone. 
   
• People & Culture: Working with our people to develop a new set of values, improved induction / Learning and Development, introduced engagement surveys and quality-linked incentives. This has supported our culture of person-centred values and transparency which results in continuous improvement in every area of the business. 
   
• Operating Model: Insourced maintenance, streamlined finance, standardised operations - delivering significant savings which we re-invested back into the business through frontline training, technology to make work easier, make us more responsive and to improve environments for the people we support to live in and develop better quality services. 
   
• Governance & Insight: New governance structures, KPI dashboards, and a robust data architecture which means we are a safer, more effective organisation that places safety and quality front and centre. 

The Results Speak for Themselves 

The impact of Phase 1 has been profound: 

• Quality compliance rose from 77% to 91.9% (inclusive of Fulcrum mock inspections). 
• Employee retention increased from 60% to 72%. 
• Agency usage dropped from 9.3% to 2.4%. 
• Employee engagement jumped from 59% to 73%. 
• We’ve created a stable, scalable platform for growth, both culturally and architecturally. 

And we did all of this while continuing to deliver high-quality care, every single day. 

Why It Worked 

So, what made our transformation succeed where so many others fail? 

1. Clarity of Vision: Everyone knew why we were transforming, what success looked like, and how we would get there.
    
2. Executive Alignment: Our leadership team was united, visible, and consistent in its support. There were no silos, just shared accountability. 
    
3. Small, Focused Transformation Team: With fewer than ten people, our transformation function was agile, embedded, and deeply connected to the business. 
    
4. Prioritisation and Sequencing: We did a lot in parallel, but we were ruthless with our prioritisation. We orchestrated change across functions, aligning it to our strategic goals and capacity. 
    
5. Culture of Continuous Improvement: We didn’t just implement systems – we changed mindsets. We built a culture that embraces change, learns from feedback, and strives for better. 

What This Means for the Sector 

We’ve shown that transformation doesn’t have to be expensive, consultant-led, or disruptive. It can be empowering, efficient, and deeply impactful when done right. 

We’ve built a digital and operational backbone that is scalable, secure, and future-ready. We’ve digitised core processes, improved employee experience, and enhanced the quality of care. And we’ve done it all while delivering significant financial benefits and improving outcomes for the people we support. 

Looking Ahead: Phase 2 and Beyond 

Phase 1 was just the beginning. With our foundation now in place, we’re moving into Phase 2 with a focus on growth, innovation, and further embedding our new ways of working. 

We’ll continue to invest in our people, our technology, and our services. We’ll deepen our use of data to drive insight and improvement. And we’ll keep listening, learning, and evolving, because transformation is not a destination, but a mindset. 

A Final Thought 

To those who say transformation is too hard, too costly, or too risky, I say look at Lifeways. We’ve proven that with the right leadership, the right mindset, and the right approach, transformation can not only succeed - it can thrive. 

And we’re just getting started.