Extraordinary work comes from extraordinary people.
That's the belief Mac Research & Consultancy was built on - and the reason it exists at all.
Our Story
Twenty years in health and social care has taught me one thing: extraordinary work comes from extraordinary people.
I've been lucky enough to work alongside some of the best in the business - and having spent years assessing services against the same frameworks CQC and the Care Inspectorate use to decide whether a service passes or fails, I've learned exactly what a regulator looks for.
I've walked into care services the regulator had already visited, and found more than they have - in the same building, sometimes the same week. Not because the regulator had done a bad job. Because an inspection is a snapshot, and a snapshot only tells you what was true for the few hours someone was standing in the building.
I've seen that gap cost people. Providers walking into enforcement action they didn't see coming, because the people closest to a service were the ones least able to see it clearly - too close, too stretched, or simply too used to the way things were to catch what an outside, evidence-led eye would catch immediately.
So I built the thing I wished existed while I was still on the other side of the table: an independent diagnostic that uses the regulator's own standards, tells you the truth in writing, and hands you a plan - not just a list of what's wrong and an invoice.
Who we are
Arlene Bunton - Director
Twenty years in health and social care across Scotland and England, specialising in regulatory compliance, quality improvement, and dementia care.
Arlene built Mac Research & Consultancy around a simple standard: know exactly what the regulator is looking for, help providers find it first - and fix it - with evidence, not guesswork.
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Health & Social Care · Regulatory Compliance · Dementia Care
Paul Bunton - Co-Director
Seventeen years at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, working directly in oncology, patient care, and end-of-life care - experience that brings invaluable insight to the support we provide to care home owners.
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Between us, and our specialist consultants, whatever your service needs scrutinised, someone on the team has sat on that side of the table - or the other one.
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Healthcare & Oncology · Patient Experience · End-of-Life Care
What our clients say
Where We Work
We work with care providers across England, regulated by CQC, and Scotland, regulated by the Care Inspectorate.
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Our main focus is growing our work across England, while Scotland - where much of our team's experience and relationships are rooted - remains a core part of what we do
How We Work
Honest, not comfortable.
We tell you what we find, not what's easiest to hear. If something's wrong, you'll know - in writing, without softening.
Regulator-grade, not generic.
Every review is built on the actual framework your regulator uses - not a one-size-fits-all checklist.
A plan, not just a verdict.
Every finding comes with a next step. We're not interested in telling you you've failed and walking away.
