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Our Experts and Advisors

Experts

HC-One is proud to introduce its team of Kind Care Experts, who, as experts in their field, support and guide our homes across the UK in providing the kindest possible care to our Residents. 

Rachel Bradbury

Director Of Operational Change

Having started her career as a nurse more than 40 years ago, Rachel has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in the health and social care sector, after working in vital positions for both the NHS and private healthcare organisations. Since then, Rachel started a new journey by joining HC-One in May 2021, where she is proud to continue making a difference to people’s lives and supporting families by delivering the kindest possible care.

Rachel knew from an early age that she wanted to be a nurse, and throughout her career has delivered care with the utmost kindness, empathy, and compassion. She is passionate about helping older people live a very good life, which to her means good health, a positive outlook, and most importantly happiness. In her spare time, Rachel’s favourite thing is spending time with her family to create precious memories to last a lifetime.

Professor Graham Stokes

Director of Dementia and Specialist Service Innovation

As a specialist in dementia care since 1984, Graham was drawn to the care sector to support the most vulnerable adults of society. Graham has been instrumental to the continuous enhancement of care that HC-One provides for people living with dementia, he cites that kind care is considering the feelings of others, going beyond what is expected and being there for them when they need you.

Graham’s HC-One name badge says: ‘thinking differently’, because doing so has characterised much of his working life. During his career, Graham has been an NHS Consultant, held prestigious roles for leading care organisations, is an honorary visiting professor at the University of Bradford as well as being part of key inquiries and strategy groups. In his spare time, Graham’s favourite thing is a beloved collection of Arsenal and international football programmes which connect him to emotions and memories of matches both won and lost.

Gary Reed

Director of Property

Since joining the care sector more than 16 years ago, having worked with two other major care home groups before joining HC-One, Gary’s focus is to deliver world-class estate management services to our care homes across the UK. To Gary, kind care is considering the needs of the home before anything else, even in challenging situations, and he instils this into his team.

Gary is motivated by his desire to provide the safest possible environment for Residents, Colleagues and Visitors, ensuring that all HC-One care homes are compliant, functional and safe, that the business begins its journey to Net Carbon Zero, and that refurbishments and other projects are delivered through professional and sensitive project management.  His HC-One name badge says: ‘Loves to travel’, as Gary enjoys experiencing new places and cultures, as well as scuba diving, cooking and going for long walks with his family and dog, finishing off in a nice pub.

Richard Smith

Director of Design & Construction

Richard joined HC-One in March 2020, having worked in the construction industry since he left school more than 30 years ago. Having started out as a trainee quantity surveyor and developing skills in project management and senior development throughout his career, Richard later built his first care home in 1999 and has worked for care home providers ever since. Richard believes the care sector chose him, and his favourite thing is seeing a building come to life and become a home as Residents move in for the first time.

To Richard, kindness means to treat others how you wish to be treated and leave them with a laugh and a smile. He is passionate about helping older people live a very good life, enabling them to do what makes them happy with the people they care about.

Deborah Hulse-Raper

Head of Customer Care

With a wealth of experience in customer service, Deborah joined HC-One in 2015 as Head of Customer Care after spending most of her career in the banking and finance industry. Deborah chose to work for the care sector as her family had learned first-hand the remarkable difference a carer can make to someone, and she wanted to help other families and their loved ones along their journey. 

Since becoming a part of the kind care company, Deborah has promoted kindness in everything she does. She believes that no matter who you are, everyone can be kind and that being able to enjoy all the things today that you did yesterday plays a key part in living a good life. Deborah extends these values to her family life, too, as she loves spending quality time with her husband, children and her dog, Jasper.

Mark Meacham

Head of Catering and Housekeeping Support Services

Following 24 years in the British Army as a Chef, Mark decided to transition to the care sector to help make a difference to people’s lives every single day. As Head of Hotel Services, Mark is dedicated to encompassing quality, safety and diversity into all areas of hospitality at HC-One, of course taking inspiration from the different cultures and traditions he experienced on his travels around the world with the army. His name badge says: ‘Passionate about food’, as Mark believes that nobody should underestimate the power of food and the impact it can have.

Mark is passionate about ensuring Residents live a very good life at HC-One, by empowering them to grasp each day with both hands and believe it is never too late to achieve their dreams. In his spare time, Mark is a dedicated football fan and holds a season ticket for his local team, Cambridge United, but above all enjoys spending time with his family and friends.

Chris Bonner

Executive Chef and Nutrition and Hydration Lead

Chris’ passion for food and nutrition started from a young age and he has now worked in the catering industry for 25 years – a career that has taken him from a pub kitchen in his hometown, to travelling around the world for 15 years as a Chef in the Army. With this experience under his belt, Chris then moved to the care sector in 2012, as he wanted to give something back to the generations that paved the life he lives today. After five years at Helen McArdle Care, Chris became a part of the HC-One family in 2017 as the company’s first ever Development Chef and has since progressed to become Executive Chef and Nutrition and Hydration Lead.

In his role, Chris loves experimenting with food and creating new dishes, as he works with Colleagues across our homes to improve all aspects of food and culinary services for our Residents. Chris’ HC-One name badge says: ‘Good food, good mood’, a motto that he lives by in and out of work. He is passionate about offering the best possible food to those living in our homes, not only to ensure good nutrition and health but to see that one thing that excites him most about working for HC-One: Residents’ smiles.

Liz Whyte

COVID 19 and Quality Projects Lead

As a Registered Nurse with over 30 years’ experience in the care sector, Liz is passionate about the care and wellbeing of older people. She cites that kind care is treating every person with courtesy and respect, while taking into account all the things that matter to each individual. Since joining HC-One in 2011, Liz has played a vital role in the continuous improvement of the services and quality of care delivered by our care homes.
 
Having held numerous roles within the care industry, Liz has a diverse knowledge and skillset that enables her to deliver both improved quality of life for Residents and outstanding results for the company. Liz’s HC-One name badge says: ‘Mother to a princess and Granny to a prince’, because she is a devoted mother and proud grandmother.

Independent Advisors

HC-One is proud to introduce our Kind Care Independent Advisors and Board Members, who share a wealth of experience in health and social care having worked at the highest levels in local government, the Department of Health and NHS and in leading independent care sector providers.

Dame Ruth Carnall

Non-Executive Chair

Dame Ruth Carnall joined HC-One as Chair in September 2022, bringing with her over 40 years’ experience in healthcare at some of the highest levels of executive and strategic leadership.
 
A well-known leader in independent consultancy, with extensive Board experience, Dame Ruth has provided strategic advice to leaders in health and care at national, regional and local levels both in the UK and overseas. Her career includes seven years as Chief Executive of NHS London, where she oversaw a significant transformation programme, Non-Executive Director of the Cabinet Office Board and her current position as Vice Chair of healthcare think tank, The King’s Fund. She was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2011 for her achievements in healthcare.
 
In her role as Chair at HC-One, Dame Ruth will, with her fellow board members, guide and support the leadership team to ensure that HC-One delivers on its purpose as the kind care company and its mission to be the first choice to those it cares for, along with their families, Colleagues and commissioners.

Sir David Behan CBE

Senior Advisor

Sir David Behan originally joined HC-One in 2018 as a Non-Executive Director, subsequently becoming Chairman in November 2019, before becoming a Senior Advisor in November 2021.

His role includes working closely with the executive team to ensure HC-One delivers its ambition to be the ‘first-choice’ care provider for those in its care, their families, its Colleagues and commissioners. He is particularly focused on ensuring high standards of quality are delivered across the organisation. 
 
With over 40 years of experience in health and social care, Sir David’s career highlights include being the former Chief Executive of the Care Quality Commission, the regulator for health and care services in England, for six years; the Chief Inspector of its predecessor, the Commission for Social Care Inspection; and Director General for Social Care, Local Government and Care Partnerships at the Department of Health.   Sir David is also the current Chair of Health Education England, the body which provides national leadership and coordination for the education and training of the health and public health workforce in England. 
 
In 2004, Sir David was appointed the CBE for services to social care and was knighted for his services to health and care in the 2017 New Year’s Honours list.
 

Leadership

HC-One is proud to introduce some of our company leaders, who together form our Kind Care Leadership. Our leadership prides itself on its extensive experience and knowledge in the health and social care sector, with a shared commitment and passion to providing the kindest possible care to our Residents.

James Tugendhat

Chief Executive

James joined as Chief Executive in September 2020; he cites one of the key reasons for joining was HC-One’s commitment to being the Kind Care Company. He is working with the team to foster a culture that actively encourages simple kindness in everything we do, supporting those in our care to lead their best life and to deliver the company’s mission of being the ‘first choice’ for families, Colleagues and Commissioners in each of the communities HC-One serves.  
 
James has worked across a wide range of sectors, having started his career in consumer and financial services, before holding leadership roles in healthcare and the broader care sector. Most recently, he led the European and international division of US-based Bright Horizons. Prior to that, he spent a number of years with Bupa where he worked across several parts of the group, including leading Bupa’s NHS commissioning effort. He has also been President and CEO of Boston-based Health Dialog, a ground-breaking health analytics and disease management business acquired by Bupa. James is also Non-Executive Director of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and Non-Executive Chair of Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice.

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David Smith

Chief Financial Officer

David has been part of HC-One since the company’s inception in 2011; as Chief Financial Officer he has held a prominent role in all HC-One’s acquisitions and re-financings as well as being a key part in the company’s ever-increasing financial resilience.

David is a charted accountant with a degree in physics and over ten years’ experience in the care sector. He has a wealth of financial expertise from a number of senior finance positions and working for Price Waterhouse Cooper in the UK, United States and Middle East.

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Stephen Butterworth

Chief Operations Officer

Having started his career in manufacturing, Stephen transitioned to the care sector to become part of an industry that makes a real difference to people’s lives every single day. Stephen has taken the lead on many high-profile projects since joining HC-One in 2012 and believes that in order to deliver the kindest possible care, you must be considerate, genuine and friendly; qualities that he adopts in every decision he makes.
 
As Chief Operations Officer, Stephen supports all our homes and domiciliary care services, as well as leading our company vision to be the first choice for all colleagues, families, and commissioners. While being a dedicated football fan and Middlesbrough Football Club season ticket holder, Stephen is first and foremost a family man and is happiest when spending quality time with his loved ones.

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Anna Selby

Executive Director of Quality

Anna started her career as a Mental Health Nurse specialising in dementia and older people’s services. After ten years in clinical practice, Anna moved into operational management in the NHS where she helped lead community teams and establish and head up new mental health services. In 2014, she began a rewarding career in the social care sector, first as the Manager of a Retirement Village, before moving from operational leadership to heading up the covid taskforce and then into quality.
 
Having joined the HC-One family in 2022, Anna’s aim continues to be supporting people to live their best lives by always recognising that quality happens out there in our homes. Outside of work, Anna is a keen cook and enjoys spending time at her allotment, where she can wile away many an hour with a spade and a good audio book.

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Jake Rollin

Executive Director - Commercial

Jake started his career in social care in the late 1990s, moving from higher education to working with refugees and asylum seekers around the UK following the war in the Balkans. Having worked closely with housing, education and health community support services, Jake then moved into adult social care commissioning, first in a local authority and then in the NHS where he was responsible for the provision of all statutory adult care. Upon joining HC-One, Jake came with a wealth of experience and knowledge about the care sector, in addition to a determination to enhance how social care is commissioned and provided.
 
Jake firmly believes that kindness is crucial to ensuring our residents can live their best life and is a key principle in delivering person-centred quality care. Jake proudly promotes these values every day in his work at HC-One, both internally and with our external commissioning partners and policy makers, as we strive to be the first-choice provider of care for commissioners and users of social care. Outside of work, Jake loves spending time with his friends and family. He is also a keen football fan and can often be found supporting his local team, Barnsley Football Club.

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John Handley

Chief People Officer


With a wealth of experience across the healthcare, IT and childcare sectors, John has a track record of delivering sustainable personal and organisational change for companies across the globe. John joined HC-One in May 2021, because his values match those of HC-One, which involves ensuring that the people who work and live in our homes can be their best self and live their best life, in an environment rooted in kindness.
 
When asked what kindness means to him, John explained it is simply being present when people need your support, and always being thoughtful and compassionate. John believes the key to a good life is family, good psychological and physical health and having a real purpose in life, doing what you enjoy which for John, amongst many other things, is following one of his passions, Liverpool F.C. 

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Tracey Tomlins

Managing Director – East and West Midlands

Tracey has always been passionate about the care industry. She started her career in the sector as a Care Assistant 37 years ago and progressed to a number of senior positions, before joining HC-One as an Area Director in 2017 and more recently the Managing Director for our homes in the East and West Midlands in 2021. As part of the kind care company, Tracey prides herself on her kind, caring and compassionate nature; she has dedicated her life to her job and sees it as a gift to be working with older people.

Tracey believes that a good life stems from health, happiness and simply making time to do the things you enjoy, which is something she extends to Residents, Relatives and Colleagues in our homes. Outside of work, Tracey’s favourite pastime is going on family holidays to Tenerife, as she has been visiting the island for 29 years and hopes to retire there one day.

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Bernard Mawoyo

Managing Director - London and South East

Bernard’s career in healthcare began as a Registered Nurse, working for the NHS before moving into the private healthcare sector where he developed a passion for adult social care and gained a specialist degree in the field. He later progressed to Regional Director for a care group, before joining HC-One in 2023 where he is dedicated to driving a positive workplace culture and advocating excellence throughout his team to ultimately make a difference to our Residents and their loved ones at HC-One.
 
As Managing Director at HC-One, making a difference to people’s lives is a rewarding experience for Bernard and he believes that listening and learning to Residents and their families is fundamental to delivering high quality and innovative care. Meanwhile outside of work, Bernard enjoys spending quality time with his family and exploring his passion for music.

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Rachael Junge

Managing Director - Lincolnshire, Sheffield and North West England

Rachael has worked in the care sector from a young age and is passionate about helping older people to live a very good life. After completing work experience at Secondary school, Rachael felt a natural calling to help people and she therefore started her career as a care assistant, working her way up both the academic and  career ladder before joining the HC-One family in 2018.
 
As Managing Director, Rachael leads our homes in Lincolnshire, Sheffield and North West England to achieve the best possible outcomes for Residents and their loved ones, by regulating compliance, empowering her team and building performance within each home. Kindness is at the heart of every decision Rachael makes, which has helped to build the foundation of her management technique. She believes that even the smallest acts of kindness can make the biggest difference and supports Residents and her team to follow their dreams in any way she can.

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Nicola Bales

Managing Director - Yorkshire and North East England

Nicola joined HC-One in April 2021 bringing with her a wealth of experience in the care sector. Having qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant in 2007, Nicola initially joined the care sector in a finance position, later working her way up to become Director of Finance for a care group, before being appointed as a Managing Director.
 
As part of the Kind Care Company, Nicola is dedicated to upholding our reputation as an inclusive care provider that delivers the kindest possible care to older people. To Nicola, kindness means always being friendly, sincere, and warm-hearted, while leaving a positive impact on others, which she strives to achieve for all our Residents. Nicola believes having a healthy and happy family is essential to living a good life which, for her, means spending time with her husband and sons usually doing football related activities.

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Maxine Smedley

Managing Director - Scotland and Wales

With vast experience in the healthcare sector, Maxine joined the HC-One team in 2022 to oversee the delivery of kind care in Scotland. Before being appointed as a Managing Director at HC-One, Maxine enjoyed a 25-year career in Boots, progressing from a dispenser to a pharmacist and later becoming Head of Scotland, where she gained significant expertise in operations and leadership.
 
As Managing Director, Maxine is passionate about making a difference in each of the communities we serve, by supporting our Residents to live their best lives. She believes kind care means treating others as you would like to be treated yourself, and trying to see the world through our Residents’ and their loved ones’ eyes. Outside of work, Maxine enjoys making memories with her family and exploring new places together. 

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