My Journey into Health and Social Care

My Journey into Health and Social Care

by Carol Haynes, Quality Director, Civitas Investment Management Limited 

I joined Civitas in late 2023 to take up the role of Quality Director as part of the development of a new quality function and quality team.

My journey into health and social care began more than 30 years ago when I qualified as a Registered Learning Disability Nurse (RNLD).

Since then, I have worked in the UK and abroad delivering, developing, and supporting services provided to children and adults with learning disabilities, mental health needs, acquired brain injury, complex spinal injuries and older people.

Throughout my career, my motivation has always been to improve outcomes for people and to make a positive difference to their journey and experience.

I have always been passionate about the rights of those with complex needs and ensuring that people with such needs have access to quality care and quality housing, which fits perfectly with Civitas’ objectives  to deliver positive social outcomes.

Whilst it is not its legal responsibility to monitor the care services delivered within its properties, Civitas takes its ethical and moral responsibility very seriously and my  role at Civitas builds on that. I am developing the quality assurance function,  providing deeper insight and full-time dedicated assessment and monitoring of the care providers, care delivery and activities within the real estate itself.

An essential element of the role involves establishing or deepening relationships with our prospective, new, and existing care and education providers to support the understanding of their services and the quality of service they provide. I work in partnership with providers offering support in line with best practice whilst monitoring and maintaining oversight of the portfolio.

I am supported by and report to our Quality Assurance Board which  includes highly experienced clinicians with extensive clinical and healthcare sector knowledge, and together we evaluate services, and report on the quality of care and education provision, whilst identifying and mitigating risk, and in turn, reporting to the Civitas Board.

This important function supports our impact objectives, building quality partnerships, ensuring that providers have the capacity to deliver sustainable high-quality services leading to positive outcomes for adults and children over the long term.

As part of our working in partnership with providers, at Civitas we support Care Home Open Week. We celebrate the good and outstanding achievements of our care providers and individual carers, recognising the invaluable work they do to enhance the lives of the people who depend on them.