New appointments to UKHCA's Board

United Kingdom Homecare Association is delighted to announce three non-executive directors were elected to join UKHCA's able and committed Board at our recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 10 October 2017.

The new Board members are:

- David Chalk of Windrush Care Ltd, Gloucestershire

- Lynn James of Carebridge Staffing Ltd, Kent

- Gavin Stedman-Bryce, Beyond Homecare, East Lothian

Lesley Megarity was re-elected unopposed as Board member for Northern Ireland. Gavin Stedman-Bryce will represent UKHCA's members in Scotland.

Members of UKHCA's Board also said farewell to Mike Padgham, who had served as the Association's chair for eleven years and as a board member for thirteen years. Mike's departure was marked at UKHCA's England conference and in Homecarer magazine (note 3).

A resolution to give UKHCA's Board discretion to appoint an independent chair was passed unanimously at the AGM.

Trevor Brocklebank, of Home Instead Senior Care, was appointed chair at the board meeting following the AGM, and will lead the board of directors while they explore the options to exercise their new discretion and any subsequent appointment. Trevor has previously served as the Association's treasurer and vice-chair.

Non-executive directors departing from the Board were Val McNab of Border Caring Services, Selkirk, who served for a total of seven years and Claude Suppiah, of ANA Nursing, Edgware, who served for three years.

UKHCA's new chair, Trevor Brocklebank, said:

"UKHCA's Board extends our thanks to Mike, Val and Claude for their immense contribution to the Association's work and wishes them well for the future. We are indebted particularly to Mike for his leadership in the sector for over a decade.

"Our new board members join at a turbulent time for most of the homecare sector. Good homecare makes a significant difference to people's lives and needs to be commissioned responsibility and delivered well.

"We urgently need state-funded adult social care to be put on a sustainable footing and stability in a market that has been rocked by financial pressures and uncertainty. Government should also incentivise people to plan for the costs of their future care needs through the tax system.

"I look forward to working with our newly constituted board and the executive team to deliver a strong message that homecare is in a critical situation but there is a real opportunity to improve the contribution it makes, supporting some of the most vulnerable people in society to live independently at home."

In addition, following UKHCA's board meeting on 11 October 2017:

- Jane Townson, of Somerset Care, has agreed to become UKHCA's vice chair;

- Dominique Kent of The Good Care Group and Richard Walker of Optimo Care Group were re-elected as Honorary Secretary and Treasurer of the Association respectively;

- Mike Potts was re-co-opted as Board advisor for health; and

- UKHCA Ambassadors Yvonne Apsitis and Lynda Gardner were reconfirmed in their roles.

The new non-executive directors commented on their election:

David Chalk said:

"I am delighted to have been elected to the UKHCA Board. As a relatively new business, I have found membership of UKHCA invaluable in getting established and hope to be able to use my position to help UKHCA further support providers, raising the profile of homecare and the status of careworkers. At our first board meeting we covered a range of issues and initiatives that will clearly benefit members going forward; it is a privilege to be part of the process."

Lynn James said:

"I am honoured and excited to be appointed to the Board of UKHCA. The board is made up of truly talented and committed professionals and I am looking forward to working with them all and the team at UKHCA, led so brilliantly by CEO Bridget Warr. I am committed to doing all I can to assist members and UKHCA at such a challenging time for the homecare sector."

Gavin Stedman-Bryce said:

"It's a great privilege to join the UKHCA board of directors. While relatively new to the care sector, I have spent over 20 years working in global public health, health promotion; and advocacy and policy evaluation. As representative for Scotland, I plan to help increase UKHCA membership to ensure that our sector remains informed and engaged, in both the UK and Scottish Government policy debates."

The whole of UKHCA warmly welcomes the appointments and looks forward to working with the newly-constituted board, and all those associated with it, in the future.

Ends.

Notes for Editors

1. United Kingdom Homecare Association (UKHCA) is the professional association for more than 2,000 domiciliary care providers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. UKHCA's mission, as a member-led professional association, is to promote high quality, sustainable care services so that people can continue to live at home and in their local community.

2. UKHCA's board members are elected to the Association for a three- year period, on a phased pattern over three years. Current board members are listed at www.ukhca.co.uk/UKHCAboard.aspx.

3. Outgoing UKHCA Chair Mike Padgham was interviewed at UKHCA's England Conference. The full interview is at: www.ukhca.co.uk/images/Mike%20Padgham%20Interview.mp4 Mike's speech from the conference, as featured in September's Homecarer magazine, is at: www.ukhca.co.uk/pdfs/Mike%20Padgham%20Homecarer%20article.pdf

4. For further information please contact:

Michelle Gederon, Press Officer
United Kingdom Homecare Association Ltd
Sutton Business Centre, Restmor Way, Wallington, SM6 7AH

Telephone: 020 8661 8165
Mobile: 07393 012 113
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.ukhca.co.uk

Registered in England, No. 3083104.