2d ago

The Exit Interview Lied to You: Why Good People Leave Care Homes

Are you confusing niceness with kindness in your care home leadership? In this episode of Inside the Care Home from Care Home DigiHive, our host, Robin, is joined by Samantha Crawley (EQ Care) and Anish Patel (Oaklands Rest Home) for a candid conversation about what really drives staff recruitment, retention and workplace culture in social care. Building a thriving care home culture isn't about fancy break rooms or modern buildings, it’s about intentional design, psychological safety and being brave enough to lead with kindness over niceness. Want to sense-check your leadership style or benchmark your home's retention strategy? Connect with us at the Care Home DigiHive: www.carehomedigihive.com Join the conversation, share your insights or get peer feedback from care providers nationwide. Don't forget to hit follow on Spotify so you never miss an episode! - Inside the Care Home is brought to you by the Care Home DigiHive. The Care Home DigiHive is a community for care home owners and managers looking to improve their service through new technology. Brought to you by iCare Services, technology experts with a wealth of experience in owning and managing care homes, the DigiHive will help you to increase your profitability, improve the quality of care, manage your time and get the best from your staff. Join us here: carehomedigihive.com/checkout/community_access/products Members of the DigiHive academy receive all of the help and advice of our free service plus a 90-minute group mentoring session and a 30-minute lunch & learn session every month. The DigiHive offers a series of online training courses called the Future-Ready Care Series on digital leadership and mastering data. View them here: carehomedigihive.com/digitalleadership carehomedigihive.com/master-data Find out more at: carehomedigihive.com/ #CareHome #CareHomeDigiHive #DigiHive #Care #SocialCare #Recruitment #Business #Staff #StaffTurnover #FYP #Leadership #CareHomeLife #Management #CareHomeLeader #CQC #People #DementiaCare #Dementia #StaffRetention #InsideTheCareHome

Jun 16

The Confidence Gap: Why Compliance Anxiety is a Quality Problem

Waiting for a regulatory knock on the door can trigger a lot of anxiety for care home providers. But that nervousness usually isn't about the type of care you deliver, it’s the lingering fear of whether your documentation actually reflects the amazing work your team is doing every single day. In this episode of Inside the Care Home, hosts Samir Patel and Robin Hall are joined by health sector veteran Nikki Rogers. Recalling her extensive background within the NHS and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) down on the South Coast, Nikki shares her unique point of view on how commissioners and the CQC scrutinise care systems when providers aren't in the room. - Inside the Care Home is brought to you by the Care Home DigiHive. The Care Home DigiHive is a community for care home owners and managers looking to improve their service through new technology. Brought to you by iCare Services, technology experts with a wealth of experience in owning and managing care homes, the DigiHive will help you to increase your profitability, improve the quality of care, manage your time and get the best from your staff. Join us here: carehomedigihive.com/checkout/community_access/products Members of the DigiHive academy receive all of the help and advice of our free service plus a 90-minute group mentoring session and a 30-minute lunch & learn session every month. The DigiHive offers a series of online training courses called the Future-Ready Care Series on digital leadership and mastering data. View them here: carehomedigihive.com/digitalleadership carehomedigihive.com/master-data Find out more at: carehomedigihive.com/ - #CareHomeManagement #CQCInspection #SocialCareLeadership #InsideTheCareHome #CareHomeDigiHive #ComplianceAndQuality #CareHome #DementiaCare #RegisteredManager

May 19

When The Inspector Says 'Show Me': How Outstanding Providers Prove Quality With Data

Dive into what it takes for care home leaders to achieve an outstanding rating using data as evidence with Samir Patel and gust speaker Kevin Humphreys, CEO of Oakland Care Group. - Inside the Care Home is brought to you by the Care Home DigiHive. The Care Home DigiHive is a community for care home owners and managers looking to improve their service through new technology. Brought to you by iCare Services, technology experts with a wealth of experience in owning and managing care homes, the DigiHive will help you to increase your profitability, improve the quality of care, manage your time and get the best from your staff. Join us here: carehomedigihive.com/checkout/community_access/products Members of the DigiHive academy receive all of the help and advice of our free service plus a 90-minute group mentoring session and a 30-minute lunch & learn session every month. The DigiHive offers a series of online training courses called the Future-Ready Care Series on digital leadership and mastering data; view them here: carehomedigihive.com/digitalleadership carehomedigihive.com/master-data Find out more at: carehomedigihive.com/

May 4

Care England & DigiHIve: The 4 Leadership Pressures Facing Care Homes in 2026 | People

Keeping your best staff is more than an HR task - it’s a leadership and culture strategy. In this final episode of the Care England and DigiHive series, we dive into the pillar of people - why retention is the heart of a thriving care home and how simple, meaningful interactions can make a world of difference. Key Topics Workforce Retention & Pressure The Power of People Leadership & Culture Building a Stronger Team Discover more from DigiHive: www.carehomedigihive.com Become a Care England member: www.careengland.org.uk/join-us

Apr 27

Care England & DigiHive: The 4 Leadership Pressures Facing Care in 2026 | Time

In this Care England and DigiHive session, Richard Ayres and Samir Patel explore one of the most persistent challenges in adult social care - time. Care services operate continuously, and leaders are often pulled into constant urgency. But being busy does not always mean making progress. This episode explores how time pressure impacts leadership, why reactive working dominates, and how leaders can create space to think, plan and improve their services. If you feel stretched, reactive, or constantly interrupted, this session will resonate and provide practical steps to regain control. Key Topics Time poverty in care leadership Busy versus progress Urgent versus important work Protecting leadership time Delegation and bottlenecks Practical leadership actions Watch the full session and learn how to lead with confidence: www.carehomedigihive.com/digihive-care-england-partnership Discover more from DigiHive: www.carehomedigihive.com Become a Care England member: www.careengland.org.uk/join-us

Apr 20

Care England & DigiHive: The 4 Leadership Pressures Facing Care in 2026 | Quality

Leaders are no longer judged on reassurance alone - evidence is now essential. This second episode of the Care England & DigiHive partnership focuses on quality: identifying early signals, avoiding quality drift and using data to improve outcomes. Key Topics Quality vs evidence Drift vs failure Using data effectively GP example and collaboration Three key areas: responsiveness, experience, stability Learn how to lead with confidence - watch the full series: www.carehomedigihive.com/digihive-care-england-partnership Discover more from DigiHive: www.carehomedigihive.com Become a Care England member: www.careengland.org.uk/join-us

Apr 13

Care England & DigiHive: The 4 Leadership Pressures Facing Care in 2026 | Profit

We explore the real drivers behind financial pressure in adult social care. As part of the Care England & DigiHive: The 4 Leadership Pressures Facing Care in 2026 series, this episode focuses on why profitability is not a dirty word, how delayed decisions impact performance and what practical steps leaders can take to regain control. Learn how better decisions - not just cost cutting - drive sustainability by watching the full session. Key Topics Financial pressure and decision-making Profit as a driver of quality Cost of inaction Technology and ROI in care Real example: CRM improving occupancy Watch the full series: www.carehomedigihive.com/digihive-care-england-partnership Discover more from DigiHive: www.carehomedigihive.com Become a Care England member: www.careengland.org.uk/join-us

Mar 17

Stop Guessing: How Everyday HR Data Predicts Staff Retention & Performance in Care Homes

Join Samir Patel with Sonia Rai, Founder and Managing Director of Nectar HR, to understand how data can predict staff retention and how using this data can improve your care home service. - Inside the Care Home is brought to you by the Care Home DigiHive. The Care Home DigiHive is a FREE community for care home owners and managers looking to improve their service through new technology. Brought to you by iCare Services, technology experts with a wealth of experience in owning and managing care homes, the DigiHive will help you to increase your profitability, improve the quality of care, manage your time and get the best from your staff. You can join us for FREE here: carehomedigihive.com/checkout/community_access/products Members of the DigiHive academy receive all of the help and advice of our free service plus a 90-minute group mentoring session and a 30-minute lunch & learn session every month. The DigiHive offers a series of online training courses called the Future-Ready Care Series on digital leadership and mastering data; view them here: carehomedigihive.com/digitalleadership carehomedigihive.com/master-data Find out more at: carehomedigihive.com

Mar 3

Time, Focus & Leverage: Why Busy Care Homes Get Nothing Done

In this episode of Inside the Care Home, Samir Patel and Robin Hall are joined by Palvi and Jay Dodhia, co-founders and CEOs of Serene Care, to explore how care providers can leverage their time to provide outstanding care. - Inside the Care Home is brought to you by the Care Home DigiHive. The Care Home DigiHive is a FREE community for care home owners and managers looking to improve their service through new technology. Brought to you by iCare Services, technology experts with a wealth of experience in owning and managing care homes, the DigiHive will help you to increase your profitability, improve the quality of care, manage your time and get the best from your staff. You can join us for FREE here: carehomedigihive.com/checkout/community_access/products Members of the DigiHive academy receive all of the help and advice of our free service plus a 90-minute group mentoring session and a 30-minute lunch & learn session every month.The DigiHive offers a series of online training courses called the Future-Ready Care Series on digital leadership and mastering data; view them here: Find out more at: carehomedigihive.com/

Feb 10

Leadership Under Pressure: Making Sense of Care in Uncertain Times

In this episode of Inside the Care Home, Samir Patel is joined by Prof Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, to explore why leadership in social care feels harder than ever — and what genuinely helps in uncertain times. Together, they unpack the pressures facing care providers today, from regulatory instability and rising scrutiny, to the limits of intuition in complex systems. The conversation moves beyond blame to focus on clarity, evidence, and the importance of leadership support when expectations are high and certainty is low. This episode sets the context for a wider series on leadership, mentoring and decision-making in care, offering reassurance, perspective and practical insight for care home and senior leaders navigating the realities of the sector. - Inside the Care Home is brought to you by the Care Home DigiHive. The Care Home DigiHive is a FREE community for care home owners and managers looking to improve their service through new technology. Brought to you by iCare Services, technology experts with a wealth of experience in owning and managing care homes, the DigiHive will help you to increase your profitability, improve the quality of care, manage your time and get the best from your staff. You can join us for FREE here: carehomedigihive.com/checkout/community_access/products Members of the DigiHive academy receive all of the help and advice of our free service plus a 90-minute group mentoring session and a 30-minute lunch & learn session every month.The DigiHive offers a series of online training courses called the Future-Ready Care Series on digital leadership and mastering data; view them here: carehomedigihive.com/digitalleadershipcarehomedigihive.com/mastering-data Find out more at: carehomedigihive.com/

Inside the Care Home

Episodes

The Exit Interview Lied to You: Why Good People Leave Care Homes

The Confidence Gap: Why Compliance Anxiety is a Quality Problem

When The Inspector Says 'Show Me': How Outstanding Providers Prove Quality With Data

Care England & DigiHIve: The 4 Leadership Pressures Facing Care Homes in 2026 | People

Care England & DigiHive: The 4 Leadership Pressures Facing Care in 2026 | Time

Care England & DigiHive: The 4 Leadership Pressures Facing Care in 2026 | Quality

Care England & DigiHive: The 4 Leadership Pressures Facing Care in 2026 | Profit

Stop Guessing: How Everyday HR Data Predicts Staff Retention & Performance in Care Homes

Time, Focus & Leverage: Why Busy Care Homes Get Nothing Done

Leadership Under Pressure: Making Sense of Care in Uncertain Times

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