Virginia Irvine MSc Dementia, BA (Hons.), DMS, PGCert Mgmt., Cert Ed. FE
About Virginia (VI)
Virginia offers practical, supportive consultancy that boosts compliance, culture, and care quality. She guides individuals, families, and providers with clarity and trust, empowering everyone to achieve safe, person‑centred, high‑quality care.
Quality Assurance Work
Improving Dementia Care
The National Dementia Care Accreditation Scheme (NaDCAS) works closely with care providers to raise standards, celebrate excellence, and support care homes on their journey towards truly exceptional dementia care, helping them create environments where every person is understood, valued, and supported to live well.
I am proud to work with NaDCAS as a Quality Assurance Lead, reviewing audits to ensure the quality and consistency of the accreditation process.
05/03/2026
Continual Professional Development
Creative Learning
This week, I have researched learning opportunities and gaps in the market, where I can develop my own courses. As a result, I produced a tool to help people understand how the decision-making process relates to mental capacity assessment. Contact me for more information.
06/02/2026
Face it: better care starts here
Facebook Launch
Based on helpful feedback, I am now using Facebook as a business platform to build brand awareness, engage with customers, and advertise my services.
30/01/26
Social Care Institute for Excellence
Making Change Happen
An interesting trip to London for an event to discuss organisational abuse. Last year, I contributed to research carried out by Jane Lawson, an Independent Safeguarding Adults Board Scrutineer, who was investigating ‘Organisational abuse and organisational culture’. Her paper, along with other research and reports of significant safeguarding incidents, was discussed at the event organised by SCIE.
The roundtable event was attended by representatives from CQC, senior social workers, adult safeguarding board leaders, researchers, and leaders with experience in social care management, quality and safeguarding. We were all invited to the event to share our views and ideas, driving forward improvements in this significant area of work.
It was interesting and energising to work with like-minded people. The event reaffirmed the need for my work as an independent consultant, driving change, to enable people to live well and to prevent safeguarding issues.
21/01/2026
Confidence to do the right thing
New Business Launch
It is exciting to launch my new business, VI The Care Consultant. After many years of full-time employment, I took the step into the unknown and uncertainty of self-employment, working in a bespoke way, directly with people, where I can make the biggest difference.
Working as a care consultant is a natural step for me, as I can share a wealth of knowledge and experience in social care, with the added benefit of a strong academic background that brings together understanding of care services, dementia care, management and education.
05/01/26
Community Kindness
Kindness Tree
Creating a decorated tree for Crowle Church was a lovely experience. I decided to decorate my tree with messages of kindness. There were lots of beautiful trees in the Church for the tree festival, far more colourful and creative than mine, but I was told people stopped to read my messages, so hopefully I shared a little kindness at Christmas.
25/12/25
A logo is worth a thousand words
The VI logo story
My husband designed the business logo using my initials. The letter 'V' and the heart are connected to illustrate how I care about others and put my heart into what I do. The colour green represents how I have grown through my career, and my belief in organic business growth. The letter 'I' is formal in structure and purple, standing out boldly to represent legislation, regulations and research, which underpin my work.
10/11/25
