How Mock Inspections paired with Funded Leadership Training supported the Chiltern Centre to Build a CQC Inspection Ready Team.
The Chiltern Centre in Henley-on-Thames has always been a lifeline for families, providing short breaks and support for children with disabilities. As the community’s needs changed, the Centre made the decision to evolve — expanding its services to support young adults aged 16–30 and becoming registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
“We needed more than just training — we needed a strategic partner who understood the realities of social care. Alium absolutely delivered that.”
– Gareth Groves, Director of Services, The Chilterns Centre
Alium was proud to partner with The Chiltern Centre on this journey, helping them to build leadership strength, upskill their team, and embed a confident, CQC-ready culture.
The Challenge
Shifting from a children’s service to a CQC-regulated adult service was a big step forward, but it came with clear challenges.
The team needed to:
- Complete the CQC registration process and meet new regulatory standards.
- Develop leadership skills at every level of the organisation aligned to the new service.
- Build the knowledge and confidence of the whole team to deliver outstanding adult care.
- Create a strong succession plan to secure the future of the Centre’s leadership.
The Alium Way
At Alium, we believe that successful care organisations take a strategic approach to organisational development, including bespoke training and consultancy, aligned to their specific requirements. For The Chiltern Centre, we took time to understand their vision, goals and values enabling us to provide a bespoke programme focusing on these:
Consultancy for CQC Registration
We guided the team through policy updates, operational reviews, and practical preparations for registration.
“The consultancy support from Alium was brilliant. It made what felt like a huge task manageable and clear.”
Fully Funded Leadership and Management Training
We helped the Centre access government funding and provided the Skills for Care-recognised programmes, growing leadership capacity across the organisation.
“The leadership training has had a ripple effect across the team — confidence, communication, and accountability have all improved.”
CQC Mock Inspections
Rigorous mock inspections gave valuable feedback, building the team’s confidence and helping them prepare thoroughly for the real thing.
In the Inspection, CQC said:
“The Chiltern Centre registered manager and staff were supported by a strong provider that had clear vision and values ensuring people were at the heart of the organisation.”
Face-to-Face Training
We delivered practical, engaging sessions on Safeguarding, Mental Capacity, Effective communication, Person-Centred Care, and much more — always focused on applying learning to real situations.
Coaching and Mentoring for Leaders
Individual coaching supported leadership growth and succession planning.
“Having Alium’s mentoring alongside the training was a real strength. It felt personal, not just off-the-shelf.”
Throughout the process, the Alium Team made accessing funding and organising courses smooth and stress-free — saving The Chilterns Centre valuable time and resources.
The Results
The Chilterns Centre has achieved some fantastic outcomes:
- CQC registration completed successfully, opening a new chapter for the Centre.
- Stronger leadership across the service, with visible improvements in team dynamics and decision-making.
- Daily practice improved, helping to meet CQC standards and deliver higher quality care.
- Succession planning strengthened, with staff members feeling supported to step into new leadership roles.
- Increased team confidence, creating a positive, motivated culture across the organisation.
“The impact has been huge. It’s changed the way we work and the way we think about our future as a service.”
In Summary
Leading change isn’t easy — but with the right partner, it’s achievable.
At Alium, we’re proud to work alongside organisations like The Chiltern Centre, providing quality bespoke training, coaching, and consultancy that creates tangible outcomes, not just on paper, but in the everyday lives of staff and the young people supported.
“Alium Care Training has been collaborative, responsive, and genuinely tailored fully to our needs. I would absolutely recommend them to any service looking to grow, strengthen their leadership, or prepare for CQC inspection.”
– Gareth Groves, Director of Services, The Chilterns Centre
