At Richardson Care we use the ‘Mum test’ as an informal but powerful guiding principle to ensure compassion, dignity, and quality in everything we do.

The ‘Mum test’ simply means: Deliver care in the way you would want it to be delivered to your own mum (or someone you love). It’s a way of keeping care personal, empathetic, and grounded in humanity rather than bureaucracy. The phrase helps staff to reframe their actions and decisions from the perspective of emotional and moral responsibility, not just compliance with standards or policies.

Richardson Care remains an independent family business and the concept of ‘family’ is woven deeply into the culture of the organisation, shaping everything from the physical environment and staff roles to how care and rehabilitation are delivered. This family-centred ethos underpins not just a warm atmosphere, but a meaningful approach to specialist residential care and rehabilitation. It goes hand-in-hand with employing the Mum test in everything we do.

But this is more than a guiding principal, it is reality.

Jean, the Grandmother of owner and director, Laura Richardson-Cheater, is a service user at Richardson Care. She recently celebrated her 92^nd birthday, and Laura is proud of the care that Jean receives along with all other service users.

Laura says: “If you run a residential care facility, then you should be prepared to admit one of your family members should they need specialist care. We also looked after my uncle until he died a couple of years ago. In his case, we’d moved him from another home as we felt the care there was inadequate. It was the best decision we made.”

Laura continues: “Richardson Care was established by my parents in 1989 and ever since then we have stayed true to the values of person-centred care in a family environment. My Grandma receives the same quality of care as all other service users.”

How the Mum test applies in residential care

In residential and rehab settings where people live full-time and depend on staff for daily support, the Mum test encourages a mindset shift from task-based care to person-centred care. It asks care workers, managers, and clinicians to consider:

• Would I be happy if my mum lived here?
• Would I trust these staff to care for her?
• Would I feel confident that she was respected, safe, and content?

If the answer is ‘no’, something needs to change.

This test applies to every aspect of our service users’ lives — from how meals are served, how staff speak to service users, and how privacy is respected, to the cleanliness of the environment and how decisions are made about each individual’s care.

If the answer to the above questions is ‘yes’, it doesn’t necessarily follow that everything should stay the same. Situations are dynamic. People’s needs are complex and unstable. Consistent care is important, but so is re-evaluating individual needs and acting accordingly, so the best outcome can be achieved.

Why it matters

The Mum test creates an emotional accountability that complements professional standards. It bridges the gap between policy and empathy, helping staff make decisions that prioritise kindness, dignity, and respect. At Richardson Care, where service users have complex needs due to acquired brain injury or learning disabilities, this mindset is especially important. It ensures that care remains human, not just clinical — that every individual is treated as someone’s loved one, not just a service user.

Impact on care quality

Applying the Mum test helps build trust with families, improves morale among staff, and supports better outcomes for residents. It creates a culture where staff take pride in their work, go the extra mile, and view care as a shared responsibility — much like how a family looks after one another.

In essence, the Mum test is a simple phrase that captures the heart of excellent residential care: treat everyone with the same love, respect and compassion you would want for your own family.