Proud, but not complacent - reflections on amazing improvements in Halifax

By Amy Gilbert, Managing Director of Supported Living, Lifeways

I’m incredibly proud to share that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated our supported living services in Halifax as “Good” overall - with an “Outstanding” rating for how well-led the service is.  

I can’t stress just how massive an achievement this is for the dedicated team that has driven and committed to an intensive improvement plan. You can read the full CQC report here: Lifeways Community Care (Halifax) - Care Quality Commission 

When the CQC first visited Halifax in January 2023, they found issues such as a lack of the kind of person-centred, empowering support we stand for at Lifeways.  

The service was rated “Inadequate”, and we were placed in special measures.  

Rebuilding from the ground up 

We took that inspection result hard, and rightly so, it is not the standards we expect. We have an “outstanding strategy” with a bold ambition to strive for outstanding across all of our services.  

What followed was months of honest reflection, hard work, and rebuilding. A new manager came in with the energy and leadership we needed.  

They put our CHOICE (Caring – Honest - One Team – Innovative – Courageous - Equal) values at the heart of their approach, embedding it in the way the team worked. 

They lived the values every single day and, most importantly, we listened. We listened to the people we support, to their families, and to each other. 

The impact 

The transformation has been nothing short of inspiring with people we support in the service now achieving things that once felt out of reach: 

• One person found the confidence to go on holiday abroad for the first time since they were two.  
• Another spoke verbally for the first time in 30 years.  
• Someone else, supported by the team, took control of their own finances and told inspectors that it made them “feel human.”  

These are life-changing moments – made possible by committed, compassionate teams who believe in people’s potential. 

The CQC recognised how we embedded this change across our teams. They described a service where people feel safe, empowered and part of something that feels like family. They praised the leadership, the training, the culture, the care. 

What’s next?

But while I’m proud of this turnaround, I’m not complacent. 

Making improvements is just the start. At Lifeways, if we fall short, we face it, we fix it, and we sustain it.  

We learn and grow. That’s the promise we make to the people we support and to every family that places their trust in us. 

So today, I want to say thank you to the Halifax team – you’ve shown what true person-centred care looks like. And to the people we support – thank you for your courage, your trust, and your voice. 

This result shows what’s possible when we work together. And we’re just getting started.

VIDEO: A running club set up in our Halifax services is going from strength to strength, just one of the ways we're supporting people to live more independent and fulfilling lives.