The Future of Homecare 25

Mario Abajo Menguez

Services Director, Helvetia Group

Mario is the Services Director for Helvetia Group in Spain. Under his responsibility, he manages a richly diverse portfolio of businesses going from nursing homes, domiciliary care services, hospitals and facility management.

Prior to this, Mario served as CEO of Clece Care Services for seven years. During this period he was able to get a detailed insight of the opportunities and challenges the homecare sector is facing in the UK. Additionally, he played an active role in the sector having been member of the board and vice chair of the Homecare Association.

Nuno Almeida

CEO, Nourish Care

Nuno Almeida is the CEO at Nourish Care, a market leader in digital health and care information and insights management. Nuno has a background in Data Science, a track record of building fast growth and sustainable businesses and an interest in ventures that deliver positive societal impact at large scale, and a permanent curiosity and drive to design scaleable digital transformation that leads to improvements to people’s experience of health and care.

Nuno is also a serving board member with the Care Software Providers Association (CASPA), chaired the Social Care Vision subgroup of the APPG for Adult Social Care and is a though leader in digital transformation in the health and care sectors across the globe.

Professor Carol Atkinson

Professor of Human Resource Management, Manchester Metropolitan University

Margaret Beels OBE

Director of Labour Market Enforcement, Department for Business & Trade

Margaret began her career in the Department of Energy, before moving to run the electricity market for England and Wales. She then joined British Gas and Centrica, managing various businesses and delivering major change programmes. She became Chair of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority in 2011, which, in 2016, became the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority.

In 2020 Margaret was awarded an OBE for services to modern slavery and labour exploitation.

In 2021, Margaret was appointed Director of Labour Market Enforcement, with statutory responsibility to prepare strategies to reduce labour exploitation. Recent strategies have included concern about labour exploitation in the adult social care sector.

Alison Bennett MP

Member of Parliament for Mid Sussex, Liberal Democrat Party

Alison is the Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Sussex, elected in July 2024 as the first Liberal Democrat to represent the constituency. Before entering politics, she built a successful career with British Airways, Legal and General, and E.ON, developing expertise in marketing, strategy, financial services, and business planning.

Her business background and passion for social impact led her to public service, where she became the first non-Conservative councillor in Hurstpierpoint in 2019 and later led the Liberal Democrats to become the largest group on Mid Sussex District Council.

Now the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Care and Carers, Alison draws on her private sector experience to champion pragmatic, people-focused policies that support those too often overlooked in our communities.

James Bullion CBE

Interim Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care and Integrated Care, CQC

James Bullion joined CQC as Interim Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care and Integrated Care in June 2023.

James was previously Executive Director of Adult Social Services at Norfolk County Council. He was also a member of the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board.

As president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) in 2020-21, James supported and advocated for people using care during the pandemic. He has also been the ADASS representative supporting the development of our new assessments of local authorities.

James has been working with the Department of Health and Social Care on their plans to ensure people can leave hospital when they are well enough to do so.

David Chalk

CEO, Windrush Care

David’s early career was in research, marketing and strategy, at the Henley Centre, WPP, Brann and the Future Foundation. As a director of Age Concern Enterprises, he developed financial services for older people, sparking a long-term interest in elderly care. Like many, David was driven to start Windrush Care by the poor experience of trying to find care for his own father.

Windrush Care, established in 2015, is focussed on the self-pay market in Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds.

David is a board member of the Gloucestershire Care Providers Association and previously on the Homecare Association board. He is also the current Sheriff of the City of London.

Daisy Cooney

Head of Policy, Practice, and Innovation, Homecare Association

Daisy Cooney is Head of Policy, Practice, and Innovation at the Homecare Association. Her policy team works across key policy areas for the homecare sector in the UK including regulation, financial sustainability and commissioning, integrated care, innovation and workforce development. Daisy has a particular interest in palliative and end of life care.

Her career, spanning senior policy roles at NHS England and DHSC, Age UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, and The Royal British Legion, has provided her with a deep understanding of the issues facing the social care sector.  

She has advised on the policy development of social care and health innovation, digital transformation, workforce strategies and improving patient pathways. She has a particular interest in palliative and end of life care.

Daisy’s career to date has given her unique insights into the workings of government and how best to influence decision-makers. She is passionate about raising the profile of social care and investment in it for now and the future.

Daisy holds a BSc in Social Policy from the London School of Economics.

Yasmin Couch

Care Professional, Home Instead, Broadstairs, Ramsgate & Margate

Yasmin Couch is Home Instead’s Care Professional of the Year 2025 and has worked in care from the age of 18. Her initial experience in a care home laid the foundations of her career but it was home care where she truly found her calling. The Care Pro from Home Instead Broadstairs, Ramsgate and Margate truly has transformed the lives of those she cares for including Shane, a stroke survivor who lost his mobility and speech. Her daily care played a key role in his recovery, helping him regain movement once again. Yasmin’s actions exemplify Home Instead’s values and the extraordinary impact one person can have on their community.

Anna Dabek

Partner, Anthony Collins Solicitors

Anna is a partner in the employment and pensions team. She supports a range of not-for-profit, charitable and commercial organisations providing complex and strategic advice to HR directors and senior executive teams. She has particular interest supporting health and social care sector.

Muhammad Damji

Managing Director, Caring Crew

Peter Davies

Regional Manager, GMB

Peter is a regional manager (senior organiser) for the third largest trade union in the UK, the GMB. They represent over half a million workers in the private, public and not for profit sectors. 

Peter led and helped to produce the GMB Ethical Home Care Commissioning Charter and lead for the North East, Yorkshire and Humber Region on care campaigns. 

By working with providers over the past four years Peter has seen that the way care is commissioned 'on the cheap' in the UK, under valuing the care as well as the carers themselves, is driven by Westminster choices and embedded through procurement in Council Town halls and, that’s where it must be changed.

Amrit Dhaliwal

CEO, Walfinch

Amrit Dhaliwal brings together his commitment to care with a focus on delivering enhanced quality of service for clients across the UK.  His care sector skills and experience as both a leader in care and as an award-winning businessman as CEO of Walfinch, support a growing network of franchised Walfinch home-based care offices across the UK.

Dr Anna Dixon MBE

Labour MP, Shipley constituency, West Yorkshire

Anna Dixon has over 25 years’ experience in health and social care. Roles include Director of Strategy and Chief Analyst at the Department of Health, Director of Policy at the King’s Fund and Chief Executive of the Centre for Ageing Better. Anna chaired the Archbishops’ Commission on Reimagining Care (June 2021-Jan 2023) and received an MBE for services to wellbeing in later life in 2021. Anna is the Labour Member of Parliament for Shipley constituency in West Yorkshire.

Kathryn Faulke

Homecare worker & author

Kathryn is an ex-NHS clinician, a mum of three, a writer and a care worker. A runner up in the Wasafiri International New Writing Prize and winner of the Mslexia Memoir of the Year, her first book, Every Kind of People, was published in 2024 and was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week and Listeners’ Choice for that year. It tells of the challenges, joy, and satisfaction that Kathryn found in care work when she first took it up as a profession. Kathryn is currently working on a writing project that explores the transformative experience of bringing nature into the lives of those living in nursing homes and continues to work in care in her native Norfolk.

Gary Fee

CEO, City & County Healthcare

Dr Trudie Fell

Founder & CEO, BelleVie

Matthew Fisher

Head of Integrated Community Partnerships, Lincolnshire Community Healthcare NHS Trust

Matthew’s role is to develop integrated neighbourhood working in the East of Lincolnshire. He leads East Lindsey Neighbourhood team, working alongside all areas of the health, care and support and community voluntary system to join up care to better meet the needs of the local population.

Matthew is a social worker and prior to this role was Principal Social Worker for Lincolnshire County Council. In addition to his local role he has a countywide focus on integrated working to support people with additional complex vulnerabilities.

 He has an interest in how we scale up neighbourhood working to deliver true neighbourhood health as our default approach to care.

Liam Fitzgerald

Senior Associate, Anthony Collins Solicitors

Karolina Gerlich

CEO, The Care Workers’ Charity

Karolina Gerlich, CEO of The Care Workers’ Charity, is a relentless advocate for the rights and well-being of care workers. With over 12 years of firsthand experience as a care worker and more than 8 years dedicated to advocacy, Karolina works tirelessly to ensure care workers are recognised as skilled professionals and receive the support they deserve. Her unwavering commitment to the sector was recently acknowledged with a Special Recognition Award at the WAGS 2024, highlighting her significant contributions to improving the lives of care workers. Karolina serves on multiple advisory boards and holds a position on the Leadership Board for the Impact Centre, continuing to drive positive change within the care sector and leaving a lasting impact on countless individuals.

Dr Caroline Green

Director of Research, Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford University

Rt Hon Damian Green

Chair, Social Care Foundation

Rt Hon Damian Green is the Chair of the Social Care Foundation, a think tank which aims to keep the topic of social care high on the political agenda. He was the MP for Ashford from 1997-2024. Under the Conservative Government he was First Secretary of State (Deputy Prime Minister), Minister for the Cabinet Office, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Minister of Policing, Criminal Justice and Victims and Minister for Immigration. He was Interim Chair of the Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport, and Chaired All-Party Groups on Adult Social Care and Longevity.

Vicky Haines

Managing Director, Kingsway Care

Vicky is an accomplished leader, with a background in Criminal Justice.  She moved across to the social care sector in 2021, as Director of Operations at Kingsway Care, then to Managing Director in 2022.  The multi-award-winning domiciliary care provider Kingsway Care is now a leading care provider in Brighton and Hove.

Vicky’s previous experience brought strong leadership abilities, with a real focus on people management, through the building and nurturing of relationships and the Kingsway Care team has been effective in challenging the public perception of home care.  

Miguel Herraiz

CEO, Clece Care Services

Hannah Holmes

Branch Manager, Be Caring, Sheffield

Hannah began her journey in care at the age of 18 as a support worker in the Sheffield area and in July 2024, she made the decision to join Be Caring. Be Caring’s unique and compassionate model of care immediately resonated with her, and she was drawn to their dedication to providing care that truly empowers and supports individuals.

As the service manager for Be Caring in Sheffield, Hannah's primary focus is ensuring that they consistently deliver care of the highest quality to their service users. Hannah is committed to maintaining the highest standards and fostering an environment where the team can make a real difference in the lives of those they support. Every decision she makes is driven by her belief in the value of care and her passion for improving the lives of others.

Professor Miriam Johnson

Professor of Palliative Medicine, Hull York Medical School

Miriam Johnson is Professor of Palliative Medicine at Hull York Medical School, Associate Director of the Wolfson Palliative Care Research Centre at the University of Hull, and Adjunct Professor at the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia and at the Manipal Academy for Higher Education, Karnataka, India. Her interests include palliative care service provision at the end-of-life, and is Co-Chief Investigator of an National Institute for Health and Care Research funded project exploring the experience, training and support needs of social homecare workers providing end-of-life care.

Martin Jones MBE

CEO, Home Instead

Martin is responsible for supporting over 255 franchised offices in the UK and Home Instead’s franchised offices in 13 international markets which, together, are enabling thousands of elderly people to live a more independent life, at home, with everything from companionship to specialised care.

Martin was awarded an MBE for services to older people in the 2023 New Year Honours List.

When Martin’s father became seriously ill, he experienced first-hand the practical and emotional challenges of finding quality care for an elderly loved one. With over 20-years of retail operations experience, he found himself repeatedly asking ‘why does this have to be so difficult?’

Shortly after, Martin joined Home Instead UK as Chief Operating Officer supporting 80 franchised offices with an annual turnover of £24 million.

Since then, Home Instead has helped tens of thousands of families through every imaginable situation, with homecare that is truly personal to them. And, through a combination of compassionate and operational excellence, Martin has led the business to become the UK’s number one homecare provider with an annual turnover of £300 million.

Martin’s non-executive and Trustee roles include: Chair of the Homecare Association; Chair of The Care Workers’ Charity; member of the Age UK Board. He is also Chair of Home Instead Charities (UK), part of Home Instead’s global charitable endeavours.

These roles have enabled Martin to build strong links to the Department of Health and Social Security, Skills for Care, and the International Longevity Centre, to name but a few, to champion the cause of home care and the important role it plays within the health & social care ecosystem, ensuring home care is seen as the default care norm.

Laura Jordan

Partner, Anthony Collins Solicitors

Laura Jordan is a partner in the Anthony Collins Social Care Team, specialising in corporate and commercial work. With 18 years of experience working both in-house and in advisory for social care providers, including a board role as Legal Director for a nationwide care provider, she has developed deep expertise in the health and social care sector.

Laura’s work spans company secretarial matters, data protection, regulatory and the complex legal challenges faced by organisations delivering and supporting care. This breadth of experience enables her to provide strategic and pragmatic advice to homecare providers, care associations, and both private and not-for-profit organisations.

Laura is committed to leaving a positive impact on society and those that she advises, as she works to help improve, enhance and protect social care providers, care home associations, as well as private and not for profit organisations.

Camille Leavold

Managing Director, Abbots Care

For nearly three decades, Camille Leavold, as the CEO of Abbots Care, has focused on improving client well-being, workforce development, and operational efficiency through technology. Her understanding of the sector's challenges and her dedication to innovative solutions have led Abbots Care to deliver quality personalised homecare services. The company has twice achieved an 'Outstanding' rating by CQC since 2019 under her leadership. Camille led on the development of the Abbots Care Wellbeing App, an innovation to empower, support, reward and celebrate the workforce. Her passion for technology extends beyond operational efficiency. It is about enhancing human connections and ensuring that care is compassionate and personalised.

Darren Leigh

Care Support Worker, Be Caring

Darren works as a care support worker at Be Caring. His journey in care began in 2002 as a driver, transporting carers from call-to-call. Inspired to make a difference, he trained as a carer and later progressed to team leader. Darren’s role involved conducting risk assessments, spot checks, and eventually coordinating 3,000 hours of care as an under-manager for a year. He says that the job has been the most mentally, physically, and emotionally demanding experience of his life, but he wouldn't change it for the world!

Sharon Lowrie

Chief Executive, BeCaring

Sharon is the Chief Executive of Be Caring, and oversaw the company’s transformation from CASA, a struggling organisation to a financially prudent employee-owned social enterprise.

Under her leadership Be Caring has has been able to reward and incentivise colleagues in recognition of the hard work.

Sharon was appointed in 2018 from Locala, where she had worked as their Director of Finance and Business Development since 2015.

Carolanne Mainland

Board Member for Scotland, Homecare Association

Hannah Morgan

CEO, CareBrain

Hannah Morgan is the CEO of CareBrain, an organisation that brings together care and digital experts to develop AI-powered solutions for the care sector. With over a decade of experience leading home care services, she previously served as COO and Registered Manager of a large national 5* Outstanding homecare provider. A champion of innovation in social care, Hannah is committed to ensuring AI enhances—not replaces—the human touch, tackling operational challenges while empowering those who deliver and receive care, and driving significant efficiencies for care providers.

Professor Jane Murphy

Professor of Nutrition and Deputy Dean for Research, Bournemouth University

Jane is Professor of Nutrition, Registered Nutritionist and Dietitian, and Deputy Dean for Research, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at Bournemouth University. Her primary research interests are committed to promoting healthy ageing through better food and nutrition in older people, leading studies working with collaborators in the UK and internationally including Uppsala University in Sweden.

Jane has funded projects to improve food and nutritional care for people with dementia receiving home care (TOMATO project (nuTritiOn and deMentia AT hOme), older people living in care homes (REFRESH trial) and older people from diverse ethnic communities across the country (TANGERINE study).

Andrew Needham

Chief Operating Officer (Care), Agincare

Following a career in retail, Andrew moved to the care sector nine years ago. This time has spanned not-for-profit, multinational, private equity and family-owned care businesses. Within those businesses Andrew has worked across homecare, live-in care, care homes, supported living and retirement living, as well as serving as a Homecare Association board member. 

Olive Pascha

Director

Olive is a London-based director and writer for theatre and film. Since 2016, she has directed across the UK, Russia, and India, developing new work. Alongside her creative practice, she has spent seven years as a part-time carer, an experience that deeply informs her storytelling. She is currently developing a play about domiciliary care with Arts Council support, seeking to elevate the beauty of the mundane and offer a nuanced portrayal of homecare. Her work is driven by a curiosity about human relationships, everyday life, and the ways we make sense of our worlds.

Jennifer Pearl

Expert by Experience, CQC

Jennifer believes that, if you have the right support, anything is possible. She believes in using the lived experience of disability in shaping services. When everything comes together she can literally fly a microlight or race at Silverstone.

Jennifer is on the National Co-Production Advisory Group (NCAG) of Think Local Act Personal, where at national and local level we co-produce services. She works as an Expert by Experience for the Care Quality Commission.

Jennifer is also an ambassador for Inclusion Barnet, a Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisation and a Project Advisor for Kent University on their research on Cost Benefit of Domiciliary Care.

Emma Pearson

Chief Executive Officer, Helping Hands

Emma Pearson is the Chief Executive Officer of Helping Hands.  Helping Hands is a leader in the private pay market in the UK, with demand driven by an ageing population, with more complex needs and rising consumer expectations, “helping people live well in the homes and communities they love”.

Sudha Regmi

Director of Data and AI, Nourish Care

Sudha is the Director of Data and AI at Nourish with 15 years of experience in this field. Prior to Nourish, she spent 7 years at an international consulting company, helping large and midsize companies across the world design their Data & AI strategy, and implementing them. Prior to that, Sudha’s worked in the healthcare sector in the US, where she built out innovative analytics and AI solutions to help design care management interventions and rigorously their impact. This experience shapes both her technical expertise and her person-focussed approach to AI strategy, with ‘Responsible AI’ forming central pillars of her approach to Data and AI. At Nourish, Sudha’s focus is scaling up existing Nourish’s existing Analytics & Insights based products, and building out AI-led products that deliver on the triple aim of improving care quality, delivering personalisation of care, and making care operations & delivery effective.

John Rennison

Owner & CEO, 1st Homecare

John’s first career was as a Chartered Accountant working in London, Madrid and Johannesburg. He then decided to move into the Care sector by buying 1st Homecare in 2012 so that he could make a real difference to people’s lives.

Since 2012 John has grown 1st Homecare which now has three offices and a Live-in service operating in Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. Most clients are self-funders but also include clients commissioned by four different Local Authorities.

John firmly believes in the need for good regulation so that all Providers perform to the same minimum standards and believes that a key role of the Association is to work closely with the CQC, the new Labour Government and its other agencies to this end.

His spare time is taken up with the demands of two school age children, tennis, cycling and hill walking.

Joe Robertson MP

Member of Parliament for Isle of Wight East, Conservative Party

Joe is the Member of Parliament for Isle of Wight East, first elected in July 2024. He began his career as a family law solicitor, before joining the charity Dementia UK as an in-house advisor where he worked with the NHS, local authorities and other health and care providers to support and increase the number of Admiral Nursing services across the UK. In 2021 he was elected to the Isle of Wight Council where he served on the Policy and Scrutiny Committee for Adult Social Care and Public Health.

Martin Ross

Care at Home Director, Care South

Martin started his career in the sector as a volunteer, progressing through roles including care worker, registered manager, care business manager and director. He is passionate about people and our common values, and is experienced in delivering innovation through public sector partnerships, integrated working, and technology.

Martin was a finalist in the Laing Buisson and HSJ Partnerships awards and in the second term as a non-executive board member for the Homecare Association.

As the Care at Home Director for Care South, a not for profit charity, Martin is proud to work alongside colleagues and partners, providing wonderful homecare services across Dorset and Somerset.

Emma Scholes

Director of Marketing, Caremark Limited

As Director of Marketing at Caremark Limited, Emma has developed the company’s identity into a consumer-focussed, modern and appealing brand.  With a strong and invaluable background in franchising, Emma equipped the franchise network with tools and knowledge to undertake successful local marketing plans, subsequently contributing to Caremark’s excellent growth over the past two years.

Emma’s passion for branding and integrated marketing campaigns have been pivotal in Caremark’s market presence and brand recognition as well as ensuring excellent foundations that positions the company for future success.

Stella Shaw

Director & Registered Manager, StellarCare NW Ltd

A registered nurse since 2000, Stella specialised in cardiology before transitioning into education. As a senior lecturer, she pioneered simulated technology in nursing training. In 2018, she founded StellarCare NW, a nurse-led domiciliary care agency, now delivering over 1,500 care hours weekly. Passionate about enhancing home care, she champions a nurse-led approach, blending roles to improve quality and reduce hospital admissions. Stella secured a Sponsorship Licence to address recruitment challenges and serves on several industry boards, including Championing Social Care and Partners in Care.

Lewis Sheldrake

Senior Advisor for Digital Transformation, Partners in Care and Health

Lewis is Senior Advisor for Digital Transformation at Partners in Care and Health—a joint programme from the Local Government Association and ADASS. He leads national work supporting councils to adopt digital innovation in adult social care, with a focus on emerging technologies. With 15 years’ experience spanning commissioning, policy, and frontline services, Lewis is passionate about the potential of AI to transform care into a more proactive, personalised, and preventative offer. He was the 2023 winner of the Local Government Challenge and is currently completing an MSc in Digital Health Leadership at Imperial College London, alongside recent studies in AI policy and ethics at Harvard.

Caroline Southgate

Managing Director, Doris Jones Ltd

Jon Stone

Director of Corporate Services, Homecare Association

Deborah Sturdy CBE

Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, DHSC

Professor Deborah Sturdy (Deb) was appointed the first Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care (CN ASC) in 2021. In this role, she provides expert guidance to ministers and policy colleagues, ensuring informed decision-making based on practical experience.

With over 40 years in nursing, Deb has held various roles in management, research, policy, and practice across social care and the NHS. She has authored numerous publications and presented at national and international conferences.

Deb holds four Visiting Chairs in Nursing at Manchester Metropolitan University, Buckinghamshire New University, Coventry University, and the University of Salford.

Tom Symondson

CEO, Ageing Australia

Tom Symondson is a respected voice for aged care, serving as the inaugural Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ageing Australia, the national peak body representing the majority of organisations providing aged care and housing for older Australians.

Since 2022, Tom has led Ageing Australia’s mission to champion a high-performing, trusted and sustainable aged care sector that empowers older Australians to age with dignity, care and respect.

With over 20 years of experience spanning aged care, public health, and local government sectors in both Australia and the UK, Tom has been at the forefront of policy reform, driving meaningful advocacy and shaping strategy to improve care outcomes for over 1.5 million older Australians.

In early 2024, Tom was appointed to represent Ageing Australia and its members on the National Aged Care Advisory Council. The Council was established in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, and council members provide expert advice to government on key matters relating to the aged care sector.

Tom’s previous roles include CEO of the Victorian Healthcare Association and senior policy positions in one of the United Kingdom’s largest local councils. Tom has also served on a range of government boards and taskforces, including the Australian Government’s Aged Care Taskforce and as a Board Director of one of the largest superannuation funds in Australia, Aware Super.

Tom’s leadership is defined by his unwavering commitment to advocacy, collaboration and ensuring older Australians receive the care and support they deserve.

Professor Marta Szebehely

Professor Emeritus of Social Work, Stockholm University

Rose Thomas-Willis

Deputy Director - Fair Pay Agreements for Adult Social Care, Department of Health and Social Care

Dr Jane Townson OBE

Chief Executive, Homecare Association

Jane Townson is CEO of the Homecare Association. She has extensive experience in the social care, health, housing and technology sectors. Chair of the Board of Kraydel; formerly CEO Somerset Care Group; and Chairman YourLife (JV with McCarthy & Stone). Jane’s first career was in international leadership roles in research and development in ICI, AstraZeneca and Syngenta, where she was Global Head of Bioscience Research. She then established her own business providing consultancy and training on the link between lifestyle factors and public health, working with private individuals and public sector organisations.

: janetownsonphilpott
: @drjanetownson

Stephen Trowbridge MBE

Managing Director , First City Nursing Services

With extensive experience in social care leadership and system transformation, Stephen has focused on enhancing community care models and improving patient flow through innovation and technology. As Managing Director of First City Nursing Services he has led the organisation to achieve and maintain CQC ‘Outstanding’ ratings while managing community care services on behalf of Swindon Borough Council and the Isle of Wight Council. Stephen's work ensures that 75% of individuals are discharged within 24 hours, with 99% within 48 hours, supporting hospital capacity. A strong advocate for AI and digital integration in social care, he sits on multiple regional boards, including the Swindon Integrated Care Alliance (ICA), driving forward-thinking, person-centred service design.

Dr Florin Vadean

Senior Research Fellow, University of Kent

Dr Florin Vadean is Senior Research Fellow at the Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU), University of Kent. He has a PhD in economics and has led or co-led studies on geographic differences in social care needs, the relationship between wages and labour supply in Adult Social Care, as well as the impact of social care services and staff employment conditions on care outcomes. Currently he is part of the management teams of the NIHR Adult Social Care Policy Research Unit and the NIHR Workforce Research Partnership in Social Care, and social care co-lead of the Health Foundation funded REAL Supply Research Unit.

Melanie Weatherley MBE

CEO, Walnut Care

Melanie co-founded Walnut Care in 2002, now one of the largest domiciliary care providers in Lincolnshire, employing over 200 care professionals and providing 600,000 care visits annually.

A passionate advocate for the provision of home and community care, Melanie has been the Chair of Lincolnshire Care Association (LinCA) since 2016. LinCA represents a range of care providers, working with them to improve standards of care.

Melanie is also Co-Chair of the Care Association Alliance – a national body bringing together representatives of care associations to engage with the wider health and care system.

In 2020, Melanie received an MBE for her services to social care, honoured for helping set up the Care Home Trusted Assessor Scheme. In a national first, Melanie also led a scheme to train care workers to become nurse associates.

Tim Wilson

Managing Director, Assist Care Group

Tim Wilson is a fearless campaigner for workers’ rights and quality in the care sector. A homecare provider since 2009, he purchased a franchise from his father, later taking it independent and expanding through acquisition. With a background in media and technology, he has worked for two of the 'global five' tech firms. Tim is an expert by experience for a Local Authority, focusing on labour abuses. He actively challenges HMRC, UKVI, and CQC on enforcement of existing legislation, advocating for compliance, ethical recruitment, and meaningful regulatory oversight to level the playing field and drive lasting change in the sector.

Katie Wordley

Chief Operating Officer, Eleanor Healthcare Group Ltd

Katie has worked in the social care sector for over 13 years and is currently part of the senior team at Eleanor Healthcare Group Ltd. Her experience spans care management, operational leadership, and supporting teams to deliver high-quality, person-centred services. Katie plays a key role in maintaining compliance, improving service delivery, and supporting staff development across both care homes and home care settings. She has a strong understanding of the regulatory landscape and is focused on practical, sustainable improvements that make a difference to those receiving care.