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In health and social care, leadership isn’t a job title — it’s a conviction. Few people embody that truth more powerfully than Amanda Chadwick, MBE, an award-winning healthcare leader whose work has transformed struggling services into beacons of compassionate excellence.
Now Clinical Director at The ABBI Clinic, Amanda is part of a new generation of care leaders reshaping what great leadership looks like — rooted in humanity, courage, and relentless focus on patients.
“Healthcare isn’t just my profession — it’s my mission,”
Amanda reflects.
“I’ve grown up surrounded by health challenges in my family. When my daughter was born with serious health conditions, I saw both the best and the gaps in care. It made me ask — how would I want my loved ones to be cared for? That question still guides every decision I make.”
From Crisis to Compassion: Transforming a “Failing” Service
Amanda’s leadership journey has been defined by transformation. In one of her most high-profile roles, she inherited a care facility rated inadequate by the CQC. Within two years, under her leadership, it became rated good across every domain.
“When I arrived, I found incredibly talented people — but the structure had failed them,” she says. “They cared deeply, but they were exhausted, demoralised, and felt their voices didn’t matter. My first step wasn’t a clipboard full of answers — it was a blank notepad and a lot of questions.”
She began with listening — to staff, to families, to patients. The themes that emerged were simple yet profound: low morale, burnout, and fear of failure. From there, she rebuilt trust, focusing not on policy first, but on people.
“You can’t change culture without trust. My job wasn’t to enforce rules — it was to remove barriers that got in the way of delivering great human care.”
Through small wins, meaningful recognition, and relentless celebration of progress — no matter how incremental — Amanda reignited belief within her team. “A win is a win,” she smiles. “When people believe in what they’re doing again, that’s when real change begins.”
Leading Through Fear — With Focus, Not Control
Leadership in healthcare is high stakes. Every decision can impact lives — and that reality often breeds fear: of mistakes, of regulators, of falling short. But Amanda sees fear differently.
“Fear is real — especially when you’re leading a service under scrutiny. But fear won’t fix care. Focusing on what’s behind the fear will,” she says.
Her mantra became clear: Am I doing what’s best for the patient?
“If the answer was yes, then I knew I was on the right track — even if it meant challenging outdated systems or saying no to hierarchy. The focus must always be on the patient.”
She’s equally passionate about transparency. “Fear thrives in isolation,” she adds. “I shared everything — with staff, with regulators, even my CQC inspector. Once fear loses its secrecy, it loses its power.”
The Future of Leadership: People, Purpose, and Progress
For Amanda, the next generation of care leadership needs to look radically different.
“Leadership can’t be about checklists anymore. Policies and metrics matter, but they can’t be the driving force. If you focus on people, purpose, and progress — the compliance follows naturally.”
Her advice to new and aspiring Registered Managers?
Stop chasing compliance. Start chasing care.
“If compliance is your only goal, you’re aiming too low. The best-performing services aren’t obsessed with inspections — they’re obsessed with their patients. Compliance is just a by-product of doing the right thing.”
Technology as an Enabler, Not a Burden
Amanda has seen both sides of digital transformation in care — when technology empowers, and when it hinders.
“If systems are intuitive and show real benefit, they make leadership easier,” she says. “If not, they just add noise. That’s why platforms like Health Connect are such a game-changer.”
Having used Health Connect across two facilities — one in turnaround and one already excelling — Amanda is clear about its impact.
“When I first started using Health Connect, it gave me control of chaos — everything in one place. Now, I use it to elevate great services. It’s taken the administrative burden out of compliance, so my focus can stay where it should be — on people.”
She’s especially excited about Health Connect’s new “One-Click Compliance” feature, designed to instantly show CQC readiness and highlight opportunities for improvement.
“It’s a no-brainer. Suddenly compliance isn’t the focus anymore — it’s just there, done. That frees us up to do what matters most: spending more time with patients and our teams.”
Everyone Is a Leader
If Amanda had unlimited resources, she wouldn’t start with buildings or systems — she’d start with people.
“Leadership isn’t about job titles. Every person on your team is a leader in some way — they just need the right support, tools, and confidence to flourish.”
That includes digital confidence. Amanda envisions a future where every care professional has access to AI-powered learning, virtual coaching, and seamless communication tools that strengthen connection across teams.
“Technology should make care more human, not less. That’s the future I want to build.”
Amanda’s Call to Action for Care Leaders
“Ask yourself — are you meeting the standards, or delivering the care you’d want for your own loved ones? Once you reach the second, you’ve already won half the battle.”
