Care CEO Success Stories Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of the Care CEO Success Stories Podcast, host Adam James of Springup PR, interviews Adam Hutchison, CEO of Belmont Healthcare   which operates  five care homes across the South East and provides   community care services in the West Midlands.

Adam began his journey into social care 12 years ago when he worked in a 25-bed care home operated by his father.   

Predominantly based in Kent, Sussex, Belmont Healthcare  has made a number of new acquisitions over the last few years.

A trustee of the Care Workers Charit, Adam discusses his vision on “the continuity of the care journey” including:

•     The “lack of understanding from the general public” about care homes with families often “falling into crisis” when an elderly relative begins to need extra help.

•     What families need to know, who to approach for help and support, and why Adam believes that staying at home for as long a possible is the best option. 

•     Why care homes are slowly moving into a more private hospital space.

•     The help Belmont Healthcare provides with the transition from someone’s own home to a care home and then to return home if possible.

•     The advantages of building relationships between providers, carers and families.

•     How care can help unblock hospital beds by helping people return home if possible.

•     Creating more cohesion, better connections and outcomes for individuals has become a vision for Adam.

•     The development of a care home in north Kent which added a dementia wing, a hospital discharge wing and plans to put 55 retirement homes on site supporting home care.

•     How a trip to Holland inspired Adam to model an approach on one providing intermediate care for anyone needing rehabilitation after a hospital admission, to and subsequently returning home.

•     Creating assisted living apartments within the next two years catering for single clients and couples, with support for any care needs.

•     The importance of good relationships with local hospitals, enabling them to discharge patients who are medically fit and to free up their beds with “75% of our occupied beds coming from either a hospital discharge or referral .”

•     Bringing care seekers and care givers together, to enable the search for the right care to be easier, with continuity of care a priority.

•     How care providers and care homes work better in regional clusters in regions allowing them to “become well known and trusted in your area,” and sometimes being “big is not always the best.”

•     The importance of relatives “knowing of our values, and feeling happy passing on the responsibility of caring for their loved ones to us.”

•     The challenges of “releasing staff into the community with your brand,” and recruiting experts in that field to manage that side of the business.

•     The importance of knowing what you are good at and what you are not good at, then seeking advice from others in those cases. 

In this episode of the Care CEO Success Stories Podcast, Adam James of Springup PR talks with Johan Jardevall, CEO of Person Centred Software (PCS), a digital care management platform.

With more than 25 years of experience in software, Johan has worked with consultancies, systems integrators, and technology vendors in roles ranging from transformation consultancy, design and development management. Johan has a strong track record of achieving rapid growth.

Johan previously worked for global digital consultancy Valtech in the UK where he founded and grew the agency to become recognised within the NMA  top 100 UK digital agencies in just two years.

In this episode, Johan discusses how digital care platforms will change from 2025 and beyond including:

•    How PCS  has helped care providers move from paper-based systems to artificial intelligence as a way of benefiting people in care. 

•    The massive changes to data handling during the Covid pandemic - and how data is now collected and stored.

•    How PCS built an algorithm that could, with high accuracy, predict if someone is likely to have a fall within the next week or so, which then enables the care staff to act upon such alerts .

•    The legal processed that enable PCS to utilise algorithms and the data so that PCS  can bring such features out to the wider market.

•    How using algorithms can identify residents at risk of urinary tract infections, food intake and weight loss and using algorithms to set benchmarks for care providers between their different care homes. 

•    Building standards around data so other software providers can create similar systems  .

•    The ways care staff can be alerted automatically to a risk to a resident by using a handheld device while caring for residents. They can automatically share updates on handovers with colleagues

•    The nine different products PCS provides, including medication management, and wellness and activities.

•    Storing data in a meaningful way with 13.5million keynotes handled through the medication management system.

•    How it is “crucial” that highly-important confidential data is handled and stored securely and the importance of user friendly and uncomplicated systems.

•    How CQC inspections can be managed easier by reducing time managers spend preparing records and reports.

•    The benefit for activities co-ordinators through access to better tools to care for their residents and limiting time spent on administration. 

•   The impending digital social care records transition  which expires in March 2025.

In this episode of the Care CEO Success Stories podcast, Adam James from Springup PR talks to Robert Kilgour, founder in 1988 of Four Seasons Healthcare, who later founder of Renaissance Care in 2004. Renaissance Care operates 17 care home in Scotland.

Robert shares his insights on building successful care teams for multi-home care operators, highlighting the importance of effective senior management, financial and operational systems, and the use of technology.

He emphasises the need to invest in senior management ahead of acquisitions and the benefits of flexible working arrangements.

Robert also reflects on his journey in the care sector, the lessons learned, and the significance of valuing and supporting staff. He concludes with advice on avoiding common mistakes and the importance of learning from them including:

• Robert’s journey from property investment, political think tanks to social care and his drive to reform  and improve the sector
• How your care provider can build successful care teams for multi-home operators.
• The importance of senior management, financial systems, and technology in creating a successful environment.
• How Robert created and retains a 12% annual staff attrition rate with only 1-2% agency staff use.
• Robert’s passion for people and property and how this helps him within the care sector.
• The essential nature of having a great senior management team in place before thinking about acquisitions.
• The importance of operational and financial management systems as well as “leveraging technology to improve care quality and efficiency,”.
• Robert’s Cluster Expansion Strategy, what is it, how it works and how you can utilise it with your care provider.
• Utilising this strategy to expand in clusters thereby minimising outliers and creating strong foundations for growth.
• The benefits of having maintenance and staff banks in close proximity.
• Building a strong company culture through valuing staff beyond pay and fostering a supportive and rewarding environment for staff.
• How flexible working arrangements, introduced in April 2022, contribute to low staff attrition rates.

In this episode of the Care CEO Success Stories podcast, Adam James of Springup PR speaks with Kevin Humphrys, CEO of the Oakland Care Group, which includes Oakland Courts and Oakland Grange in West Sussex. 

Kevin is also the director of the West Sussex Partners in Care.

Kevin discusses the importance of leading by example, particularly in creating and sustaining a positive culture within care teams.

He shares his journey into social care, emphasising how diverse experiences have shaped his leadership style.

Kevin also highlights the significance of being approachable, actively participating in daily activities, and the value of transparent and empathetic communication.

He underscores the importance of mistakes as learning opportunities and emphasises consistent internal communication to foster a strong organisational culture

• Kevin emphasises the importance of leading by example to create a positive culture within care teams

•   His path to becoming a CEO was winding, with experiences in recruitment, banking, and car hire before social care

• How Kevin's experience in various areas of social care has shaped his leadership style.

•   Kevin highlights the need for leaders to be “approachable, participate in daily activities, and show genuine care for residents and staff”.

•   Mistakes are seen as opportunities for learning and improvement; transparency and accountability are crucial.

• Effective communication methods include Teams, emails, intranet, and text messages to keep staff informed and engaged.

• The use of an app called “Vivup” allows for celebrating achievements and encouraging positive behaviour.

•   Kevin emphasises the importance of “being present in the homes,” and spending at least one full day each week in each home.

•   “A culture that values compassion, understanding, and time fosters a positive environment for both staff and residents”.

This episode of the Care CEO Success Stories podcast features Karen Miller, CEO of Broughton House Veterans Care Village in Salford which specialises in care for service men and women and their families.

Having served as an Army officer for ten years, Karen spent the next 15 years in the acute independent care sector, managing hospitals and diagnostic centres across the UK and the Middle East.

After brief “retirement” at her Snowdonia smallholding Karen began speaking at Broughton House on a voluntary basis before becoming CEO in 2020.

In conversation with host Adam James of Springup PR, Karen discusses the challenges faced by charity care providers, including a lack of funding, outdated facilities, and the impact of COVID-19.

Throughout the episode Karen shares her expertise and leading analysis on how you can become more commercially viable while providing high quality care including:

•   The challenges of deciding to build a new purpose-built facility with a shortfall in funding which was impacted by the onset of COVID.

•   Entering the “chaotic” situation of COVID, reduced numbers of residents and a departed home manager and how “the best laid plans had not come to fruition.”

•   The company had “run out of money” and how a they secured a small amount of working capital form the local authority to turn the situation around.

•   How a further loan was required to stave off the challenges and undertaking a transformation of the operating model and a “radical rethink was required to weather the storm,” and turn things around.

•   Setting clear costs for delivering care at Broughton House and the fees needed to cover these costs.

•   Managing the risks for residents where the charity is responsible for care costs by looking at individual care costs over time.

•   How as a charity they felt a need to “help at any cost,” which had become “unsustainable,” and the changes that were required to survive and continue to be able to care for as many people as possible.

•   Having difficult conversations with the board about new parameters and guidelines for admissions including not taking on new veterans funded by the charity and distinguishing between those who need support and can self-fund.

•   How the “camaraderie” of veterans allowed a smooth transition to a mixed funding model because “those who could afford to pay the full fee were putting money in to allow those who couldn't to share this amazing home."

•   Emphasising the need for new operating models, risk management strategies, and a self-paying model for the care home, as well as the importance of staff recruitment and retention.

•   Providing training for all staff, even long-serving team members, on processes, procedures and policies.

•   Offering competitive salaries, and enhancing the living wage to provide a motivating work environment.

•   Emphasising the need for new operating models, risk management strategies, and a self-paying model for the care home, as well as the importance of staff recruitment and retention.

•   How the changes implemented have enabled the home to continue their vital work with veterans and provide high-level care.

This episode of the Care CEO Success Stories podcast features Samir Patel, owner of Oaklands Rest Home and head of operations at two-care home provider Manucourt.

Samir is also Executive Board Member of Hampshire Care Association.

In conversation with Adam James of Springup PR, Samir shares his knowledge on the importance of building and maintaining strong ties between care providers and local authorities.

Focusing on developing strong relationships which are mutually beneficial, Samir draws on his years of experience to explain how your care home provider can forge stronger ties with the local authority including:

•     How mutual respect and understanding as crucial for meaningful outcomes in negotiations.

•     Samir shares how respect and a professional attitude of understanding one another's problems is really important and trying to build those relationships.

•     How membership with the Hampshire Care Association, representing 40-50 care providers, facilitates collective action and communication with local authorities.

•     Working together to schedule regular face to face meetings among the group according to what works for each provider and holding honest conversations.

•     The power of working collectively with the association, representing about 4,050 care providers in the county of Hampshire, and local authorities and how this has grown CQC ratings across the area.

•     Samir reflects on challenges posed by financial constraints and fee negotiations, advocating for open and constructive dialogue and the importance of data.

•     Despite political differences, Samir underlines the importance of maintaining focus on improving the quality of care by improving the sense of collectiveness and working together to help push the case and “leaving political flags at the door.”

•     Samir shares his insights into the challenge of managing different types of people but that “change and challenge can also be a good thing and an opportunity.”

•     “Inviting people into the home to help them understand the reality of what’s happening on the floor,” can help show people what challenges are faced by the care sector.

•     Samir shares his insights on collective action during the pandemic and the need for ongoing communication and partnership.

•     He talks about the Covid pandemic period and how the sector coped with “rapid change” and the strong need for the whole health patient care team to work as a unit.

•     Samir advocates for certainty in financial planning, urging early and transparent discussions to provide stability for care providers.

This episode of the Care CEO Success Stories podcast features Charles Cross, CEO Of Anglian Care and Ashley Care home care agencies, as well as the co-founder of Emma.ai.

Charles explains why he chose to take on the challenge of turning around Ashley Care which was rated inadequate by the CQC and how he turned it around by going undercover to assess the issues first hand.

Charles explains how through consultations and digitalising the existing paper-based system he was able to transform the company.

In this episode, Charles outlines the processes he undertook to enact change within the company as well as the future of AI within the care sector and how it can be utilised to improve care including:

•   How to introduce a digital system to better capture care records, plans, audits and other documentation to address issues.

•   How Charles went undercover under the guise of a consultancy firm to assess issues within the new acquisition firsthand.

•   Utilising short meetings with staff across the company to better understand underlying problems and gathering feedback on areas for improvement which gave a “refreshing” insight into the company.

•   Implementing pay rises for care staff, who are “at the heart of everything,” as well as increasing mileage rates, and providing more flexibility for shifts in changes geared towards improving working conditions.

•   Working with the existing team to explain “we’re not looking to change everything, but we want to go back to square one and find out what’s working for you and what isn’t,” and how this attitude got staff on board with changes.

•   Restructuring roles and responsibilities to address issues caused by decline in size and addressing motivation of remaining staff which is, “pivotal to the morale of the company to the engagement of your staff.”

•   Educating and consulting with care staff on the benefits of upcoming digitalisation changes to gain support and how Charles urged the team to “stick with him” on changes that are designed to improve care and morale.

•   Looking into offering additional training and development opportunities such as NVQ courses to care staff to improve morale, care standards and staff retention.

•   Providing jackets and protective masks to care staff based on feedback from employee surveys because Charles believes that “staff need to know that their concerns are being taken on board and changes implemented."

•   Providing 24/7 support to care teams through Emma.ai to retrieve information and alleviate pressure on managers.

•   Continuing collaboration with the care sector and prioritising their feedback to develop Emma.ai's capabilities.

•   Charles explains how he “doesn’t believe there is a place for AI devised care plans which dilute the data,” as Charles believes should be “person centred” and devised by people with first hand knowledge of individuals.

•   How Charles “firmly believes that AI is the only answer to the crisis faced by the care sector,” and how it can be utilised to improve care.

In this episode of the Care CEO Success Stories podcast, host Adam James of Springup PR speaks to Lucy Corner, Managing Director of Cornerstone Care Solutions.

Lucy, a dual registered nurse with a background in the NHS, unravels the nuances of reviving care homes on the brink of failure through her extensive background in nursing and her proficiency in transforming struggling homes

Lucy provides invaluable insights for care providers seeking operational and financial success including:

•     Lucy’s journey from managing nursing homes to establishing Cornerstone Care Solutions as well as how she found that she had, “a skill for the financial side and quite enjoyed the strategy of looking at failing homes.”

•     The scenarios that often precede a care home's decline, emphasising the impact of high turnover among managers and staff and how it is often down to “issues with the culture and lots of whistleblowing staff, lots of incidents, accidents, problems.”

•     Insights into red flags to watch for, including financial indicators like “late payment of wages” and quality red flags such as residents losing weight and developing pressure sores.

•     Providers are urged to proactively monitor financial and quality indicators. Lucy recommends, having a second oversight of the service with an operations manager or a quality monitoring team.

•     How external consultants can play a crucial role. Lucy emphasises, “We can do quarterly, six monthly or even monthly reviews of a service to let people know how they measure and whether they're improving, staying the same or getting worse.”

•     Lucy stresses the paramount importance of prioritising quality care, and how “people need to know what's going on in their care homes.”

•     With changing inspection methods, Lucy advocates a “robust documentation of improvement plans,” and evidence showcasing “continuous enhancements.” She explains how, with the new methodology with CQC, there'll be a portal that you can upload this evidence.

 

This episode of the Care CEO Success Story podcast features Zoe Fry OBE, founding director of The Outstanding Society, who discusses her journey in social care, from a care assistant at age 13, becoming a nurse, and eventually purchasing and operating her own home, Valerie Manor, in West Sussex.

Zoe created a culture focused on high standards of care, empowering staff, and making them feel valued. This led to happy staff, happy residents, and glowing CQC ratings.

Zoe outlines her success in being very hands-on as a manager and owner, leading by example, fostering teamwork and support amongst staff, recognising and playing to people's strengths, and investing in staff wellbeing and training.

In this episode, Zoe shares her top tips and strategies on how she built and sold her CQC-rated “outstanding” home and now shares advice with other care providers including:

•    “Empowering staff to come up with suggestions and improvements” because happy staff means happy residents.

•    How Zoe’s vision was to provide a high standard of care that would be good enough for her own relatives.

•    The importance of providing support and training while playing to you teams strengths and “providing the support for them and the tools to do their job very well”.

•    How Zoe looked to create roles that played to the strengths of her team.

•    Gaining managerial skills through working in the NHS and embracing new areas for learning in finance and HR with help from peers.

•    Leading from the front and how Zoe would never ask anyone to do something she wasn’t prepared to do herself.

•    Knowing your team's needs, adapting support accordingly, making staff feel valued and promoting peer support and teamwork.

•    Why Zoe sold her home to another provider committed to maintaining its culture.

·         The formation of the Outstanding Society, which aims to support the driving up of quality across the whole of England, and how it helps other care providers through sharing their expertise.

This episode of the Care CEO Success Stories podcast features Tom Hartley, managing director of Carterwood, which represents 85% of the top 20 UK care providers in their efforts to grow their business through market and data analysis.

On the episode we discuss the outlook for care providers in 2024 - with some operators trading well while others are struggling with squeezed margins and the key factors behind this polarisation being exposure to self-pay residents, staff recruitment success, and location.

Tom outlines how his analysis shows occupancy should stabilise in 2024 but a change in government and regulations could pose unique challenges for the sector.

Tom also explains a number of growth avenues for care providers including NHS partnerships, machine learning and artificial intelligence and how best you can harness these opportunities.

Throughout the episode Tom shares his expertise and leading analysis on how you can position your care provider for success in a changing sector including:

•   How Tom sees a “polarisation” in the sector with some operators thriving and others struggling.

•   The key reasons behind this split in the market and how they will affect different providers.

•   How trading conditions “will continue to be very difficult” but could be “very rewarding” for those in the right part of the market with exposure to private paying clients.

•   The impact on fee rates and how Tom expects these to stabilise.

•   The impact of new regulation frameworks and a possible change in government.

•   Whether social care should be seen as a priority for an incumbent government and the impact of revisiting care funding reforms.

•   The importance of “exploring closer links with the NHS” and how Tom would advise all providers to explore this avenue.

•   Tom shares how “half of care providers are still operating with pen and paper systems” and how digitalising systems can offer avenues for both efficiency and growth.

•   The lasting impacts of COVID and how care homes can use digital care planning going forward.

•   The benefits for care providers of utilising data and how this has been something the care sector has “not fully embraced”.

•   Being efficient with how your staff’s time is best used and getting the maximum benefit for resident care and the operational side of the business.

•   The potential opportunities for a three-star care offering that isn’t defined as luxury in a world of rising development and building costs.

•   The opportunities presented by AI and how these could be harnessed for the benefit of your care provider