A new UK-based consultancy, MPP Culture, has launched to support health and social care organisations in addressing organisational culture as a root cause of care quality issues, workforce challenges, and compliance risks.
The consultancy offers structured cultural assessments and advisory support to providers, boards, commissioners, and investors. Its goal is to help organisations identify and manage cultural risks that influence care outcomes, regulatory performance, and organisational sustainability.
A system-wide concern
The role of organisational culture in care delivery has been widely acknowledged. The Care Quality Commission (CQC), NHS England, and various public inquiries have repeatedly linked poor culture to service failure, unsafe care, and staff attrition.
Conversely, strong organisational cultures are associated with improved clinical outcomes, higher staff morale, and positive inspection results.
A toolkit for cultural assessment
At the centre of MPP Culture’s approach is its proprietary Culture Assessment Toolkit (CAT) – a structured diagnostic framework providing a 360-degree assessment of leadership, communication, values in practice, staff engagement, and regulatory preparedness. The process is delivered by assessors with experience in care governance, operations, and compliance and generates a report outlining key cultural dynamics with practical, actionable recommendations for improvement.
Chair Richard McKenzie, a former CEO and Chair in the care sector, stresses that culture is not a secondary concern: “It’s not abstract. Culture directly affects safety, compliance, and the long-term sustainability of services.”
Relevance to public sector oversight
MPP Culture’s services are relevant not only to care providers but also to local authorities, integrated care systems (ICSs), boards, insurers, and investors.
Current services offered include:
· Organisational culture assessments using the CAT
· CQC inspection readiness reviews
· Board and executive team diagnostics
· Cultural due diligence for investment and acquisition
These services are designed to help organisations proactively identify cultural risks, align leadership behaviours with quality goals, and strengthen system resilience.
Responding to sector pressures
The launch of MPP Culture comes at a time of significant pressure on the care system. Workforce shortages, rising demand, regulatory scrutiny, and financial constraints continue to impact the sector’s ability to deliver safe, sustainable care.
In response, national regulators have placed increased emphasis on leadership and organisational culture. The CQC now expects providers to demonstrate a positive,
inclusive, and learning-oriented culture as part of its inspection and assessment framework.
Supporting workforce and service stability
Workforce retention remains a critical challenge in health and social care. While pay and workload are important, the working culture within an organisation is often the decisive factor in whether staff stay or leave.
MPP Culture’s assessments explore how leadership, communication, and team dynamics shape the staff experience. This enables organisations to take targeted action to improve morale, reduce turnover, and create more supportive working environments.
For local authorities and ICSs, this insight can inform workforce planning and help stabilise fragile markets by reducing provider failure due to leadership or culture-related issues.
A governance and risk management tool
Boards are expected to provide oversight of organisational culture, particularly where quality or compliance concerns exist.
MPP Culture’s assessments offer objective data on cultural strengths and risks. This supports better decision-making and more effective governance, particularly in organisations undergoing change or improvement.
Cultural reviews can also be used as part of due diligence in acquisitions or investment processes. They can reveal hidden risks, such as incompatible leadership styles or unresolved workforce issues, that may affect integration or future performance.
For commissioners and public sector partners, the ability to assess cultural risk in provider organisations offers a way to intervene early and reduce the likelihood of crisis-driven responses.
Practical applications across the system
The consultancy’s model has wide application across the health and social care system. Providers preparing for inspection can use cultural assessments to test readiness and identify areas for improvement. Organisations with regulatory concerns can use findings to support action plans and demonstrate progress.
In multi-provider environments, such as supported living or community-based care, cultural alignment between partners is essential to delivering consistent, person-centred care. MPP Culture’s approach can help improve collaboration, and support shared standards.
For system leaders, these insights can be used to design targeted support, strengthen market oversight, and encourage quality improvement at scale.
Conclusion
The launch of MPP Culture reflects a growing shift in the sector: recognising that culture is not an intangible concept, but a measurable, strategic factor that shapes outcomes at every level.
For public sector leaders, commissioners, and system stakeholders, MPP Culture offers a way to bring cultural insight into strategic planning, oversight, and intervention – supporting better care, better governance, and more sustainable services.
MPP Culture MPP Culture is a UK-based consultancy focused on organisational culture in health and social care. It provides structured cultural assessments and advisory services to care providers, boards, investors, and public sector bodies.
More information visit: www.mppcltd.com or contact: richard@mppcltd.com
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