Caroline Barker
Legal Director
London
caroline.barker@brownejacobson.com
+44 (0)330 045 1596
Caroline specialises in regulatory healthcare law, acting for a range of health and social care providers including care homes, domiciliary care agencies, children’s homes, and residential special schools.
Caroline has almost 21 years’ experience advising providers of health and social care, advising them on their regulatory obligations and rights and helping them to navigate the world of being regulated by CQC and Ofsted.
Work includes: helping providers compile robust factual accuracy comments to draft inspection reports; challenge enforcement action such as Notices of Proposals to refuse, cancel, suspend or vary registration and the resulting Notices of Decisions, alongside appeals to the First-Tier Tribunal; warning notices; letters of intent, Notices to Restrict Accommodation; as well as managing requests for information from the regulators; advising in relation to inquests and local authority safeguarding investigations, advising clients in respect of Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, and Safeguarding Adults Reviews and undertaking regulatory due diligence for corporate clients.
Caroline regularly writes thought leadership pieces regarding sector issues and speaks at sector events and webinars.
Career progression
Caroline qualified into the healthcare regulatory team of an international law firm, before moving to a niche health and social care practice for the majority of career, only acting for providers of health and social care and those who advice such providers and therefore developing a deep understanding of the regulatory, operational and commercial considerations of running these businesses.
Previous articles include
- Responding to CQC Registration Action, HCR Law, July 2026.
- Children’s and Wellbeing Bill; Key changes for providers, HCR Law, March 2026.
- CQC inspection activity is on the rise, HCR Law, October 2025.
- What Ofsted restriction notices mean for children’s homes, HCR Law, October 2025.
Speaking engagements include
- Care Roadshows, 'Preparing for Third-Party Harassment Laws: What Care Providers Need to Know' – May 2026.
- Norfolk Care Association Presentation on CQC Inspections and Enforcement, January 2026.
- Norfolk Care Association Presentation on The Care Act 2014, August 2025.
Expertise
Experience
CQC cancellation challenge for home care agency
Representing a home care agency who had been served a notice to cancel its registration by its regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Submitted successful representations including arguments of service under the wrong legislation and proportionality ensuring business continuity and value.
Successful representations against CQC NOP to cancel care home registration
Submitting robust representations to a CQC Notice of Proposal (NOP) to cancel a care home’s registration, highlighting evidential failings and improvements resulting in NOP not being adopted.
Advising on DBS referral duty
Providing advice to a social care provider regarding whether it was under a legal duty to refer an ex-employee to the Disclosure and Barring Service ensuring that their regulatory duties were met.
Home care agency: Report following service user death
Preparing an investigative report for a home care agency for submission to the local authority following the death of a service user in their care addressing alleged failures in care, along with improvements made.
Resisting Ofsted registration cancellation for children's home group
Advising a children’s home group in respect of OFSTED enforcement action to cancel a home’s registration.
Care / children's home acquisition reports
Carrying out regulatory due diligence, prepared advice reports and further information requests for care homes and children homes acquisitions.
Individual Management Report for Serious Case Review following child death
Support robust drafting of an Individual Management Report for a client involved in a Serious Case Review following the death of a child in their care.
Care home provider: Challenging CQC Notice of Decision
Advising a care home provider who was subject to a Notice of Decision to remove one of its homes from its registration.