Alice is a solicitor within the Commercial Group, specialising in the regulation of health and social care services.  Alice’s experience also includes advising on wider regulatory matters relating to Ofsted, DBS, NMC and SWE disputes.

Alice advises and acts for providers on regulatory matters in respect of a range of services and settings covering: residential care and nursing homes; GP surgeries; independent hospitals; children’s homes; domiciliary care services; services for people with learning disabilities; specialist training providers in the adult social care sector and patient transport services.

She has a range of drafting experience including appeals to the Care Standards Tribunal (First Tier), Representation to CQC in respect of enforcement action, Factual Accuracy and Ratings Review challenges to the CQC. Alice also has issued judicial review proceedings to the High Court in relation to disputed inspection reports for both CQC and Ofsted.  Alice’s experience covers regulatory due diligence projects for sales, purchases and investment for some of the largest care providers in the sector.

Alice also regularly undertakes work in Coroner’s inquests matters, safeguarding matters and police investigations in respect of criminal prosecutions of care providers. She has experience in challenging local authority decisions in respect of funding and Care Act matters.  Alice provides advice to providers in respect of contract compliance with both CMA and LGO guidance.  She also provides urgent support to providers in respect of contact with the media in relation to enforcement action.

Alice is regularly involved with drafting articles for sector publications and enjoys speaking at and attending events within the sector.

Recent examples of work or case studies

• Successfully represented a domiciliary care service in defending action by CQC to impose conditions on its registration through an appeal to the FTT.
• Successfully increased a provider’s service rating from Requires Improvement to Good by CQC through the ratings review mechanism and obtained the removal of a breach of Regulation 12.
• Prevented Ofsted enforcing a condition on a provider’s registration.
• Worked with the team on regulatory due diligence in respect of sales and acquisitions of many of the largest national groups in the sector.
• Supporting both nursing and care providers throughout the inquest process and providing support to staff in drafting witness statements along with attendance with Counsel and representation at inquest hearings.
• Acting for care providers in successfully challenging CQC reports during the factual accuracy process.
• Issuing High Court judicial review proceedings against CQC and Ofsted.
• Successfully obtained a withdrawal and factual accuracy amendment of a CQC report post publication.
• Providing support and advice to professionals subject to regulatory action undertaken by regulators such as the NMC, SWE and DBS.
• Acting on a large governance review project for a major children’s home provider including review of recent enforcement action undertaken by Ofsted.
• Drafting letters before claim to CQC and Ofsted in respect of public law concerns ahead of Judicial Review action.
• Successfully obtained further funding for a provider from the local authority.
• Drafting new CMA compliant contracts for care providers and providing ancillary advice as to FNC disputes in the context of contracts.