How I built an outstanding care home - and you can too
Care CEO Success Stories Podcast
Release Date: 04/12/2024
How and when to centralise your care home operations team
Care CEO Success Stories Podcast
In this episode of the Care CEO Success Stories podcast, host Adam James of Springup PR talks with Dr. Bikram Choudary, Managing Director of , who operate five care homes across South Wales. His journey into the care sector is rooted in his family, as his parents established the first purpose-built care home in the Rhondda Valleys, which remains part of the Silvercrest group today. While his family built the foundation, Dr. Choudary forged a career as a GP with a specialist interest in cardiology, having studied medicine and trained in cardiac surgery before returning to South Wales. He...
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How I Mentor And Recruit And Retain Care Home Managers
Care CEO Success Stories Podcast
In this episode of the Care CEO Success Stories podcast, host Adam James of Springup PR talks with , co-founder of three nursing and dementia care homes, a journey he began in 2001. His career in the care sector spans over 24 years, and is currently in the process of building a fourth care home. Harry's unique approach to his business is centred on the belief that a successful care home is built on a foundation of compassionate, well-trained staff, and that a strong internal culture is the key to longevity and reputation. He prioritises quality of care above all else, seeing profit as a...
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What I’ve Learned About Recruitment And Retention From 26 years In Care
Care CEO Success Stories Podcast
Amar Marjara is the CEO of , a family-run care group operating five care homes in and around Peterborough. His journey in care began in 1999 when he stepped into the business founded by his mother, Sumeet Marjara, a former NHS nurse and one of the early pioneers of private elderly care. Inspired by her ethos and commitment, Amar has carried that legacy forward, evolving the company while staying true to its values. Under Amar’s leadership, Peterborough Care has achieved exceptional staff retention, with his shortest-serving manager having been with the company for ten years, and many...
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Why culture is everything for a care home provider
Care CEO Success Stories Podcast
In this episode of the Care CEO Success Stories podcast, Adam James of Springup PR talks with Claire Rintoul, CEO of — a Sheffield-based charity running nine care homes and two care centres. Claire brings over four years of leadership at Sheffcare having previously led several charitable organisations. Sheffcare supports around 1,000 people annually, delivering care for older adults in Sheffield. Before entering adult social care, Claire worked in the broader charity world.Stepping into social care, she encountered a “hierarchical and closed” culture — one she set out to...
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How I Continue To Grow An Established Care Home Provider
Care CEO Success Stories Podcast
In this episode of the Care CEO Success Stories podcast, Adam James of Springup PR speaks to Joanne Balmer, CEO of , who was recognised nationally when she was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2021 for her services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Having started her journey in the care sector at the age of 16, Joanne has dedicated her career to improving the lives of residents and care professionals alike. Over the past five and a half years, she has led the transformation of Oakland Care from a group of three homes to a thriving organisation with ten homes and plans for three more....
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How I Build Care Teams That Deliver Outstanding Care
Care CEO Success Stories Podcast
In this episode of Care CEO Success Stories Podcast, Adam James of Springup PR interviews Geoffrey Cox, founder of , a family-run nursing home provider based in the southwest of England. Since founding the company in 2001, Geoffrey has overseen the development and management of four nursing homes—three of which have earned an “Outstanding” rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Originally a solicitor, Geoffrey transitioned into the care sector after 25 years in law and the sale of his legal practice. His early experience in the industry was marked by...
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How care homes can prevent hospital admissions
Care CEO Success Stories Podcast
In this episode of Care CEO Success Stories Podcast, Adam James of Springup PR speaks with Nichola Stefanou, Chief Executive Officer of (HMT), a charitable organisation that operates six care homes across the UK. Her professional journey began as a clinician, specifically a podiatrist, and has worked in the NHS, acute hospitals, housing with integrated clinical services, and care home management while remaining clinically registered to maintain a connection to frontline healthcare. Since joining HMT, Nichola has led a significant transformation of the organisation, aligning its mission with a...
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How I overcome challenges of running 7 care homes in one county!
Care CEO Success Stories Podcast
In this episode of the Care CEO Success Stories Podcast, Adam James of Springup PR speaks with David Poxton, Director of , a family-run group of care homes operating seven homes in Derbyshire. Representing the third generation of leadership in the business, David grew up in and around the homes, helping out during school holidays and learning the ropes in a hands-on environment and transitioned to full-time involvement in 2002. Under David’s leadership, Ashmere Derbyshire has prioritised quality, continuity, and personal connection in care. His decision to keep all homes within...
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I launched my first care home 3 months before Covid! And launched 3 more soon after!
Care CEO Success Stories Podcast
In this episode of Care CEO Success Stories Podcast, Adam James of Springup PR talks with Haris Khan, founder and CEO of which operates four care homes across the South and South West of England. His journey into care began in 2019, just three months before Covid-19 struck. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, he expanded from one to four homes within four years. Khan spent over a decade in banking, working both in Canada and London, gaining valuable experience but left the industry in 2015. His transition to entrepreneurship involved property development before...
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What is the “household model” of care? And why your care provider should implement it!
Care CEO Success Stories Podcast
In this episode of Care CEO Success Stories Podcast, Adam James of Springup PR with Helen Jones, CEO of , a care home provider "household model" of care. Originally from Australia, Helen began her career in 1998 after transitioning from a background in international rescue and national roadside assistance. Helen has held leadership positions with private providers, church and charitable groups, and community-owned organisations, overseeing 100 nursing homes, 20-30 retirement villages, and 55,000 home care clients. Drawing from her research and international travel,...
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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.