My name is Daniel Cleough, and I’m delighted to be joining Caring and Leading Group as your new Group Operations Director. I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself and tell you a little about my background.

I’ve worked in health and social care for almost 30 years – something I still find slightly frightening to say out loud! I began my career in the NHS, qualifying as a Registered General Nurse in 2000 and initially working in A&E and Acute Emergency Medicine.

A few years later, I was given the opportunity to develop a specialist community respiratory service for people living with COPD. What was intended to be a six-month pilot became a hugely successful service and, in an evolved form, continues today. It was during this time that I discovered my passion for leadership and for finding ways to make services better for the people who depend on them.

Since leaving the NHS, I’ve been fortunate to work across a wide range of organisations, from some of the UK’s largest care providers to smaller independent services and charities. I’ve held roles including Home Manager, Regional Operations Manager, Head of Quality and Governance, Operations Director and CEO.

Much of my career has involved supporting services through challenging periods. I’ve helped turn around homes facing serious regulatory concerns, improved CQC and Care Inspectorate ratings, strengthened governance and quality systems, developed teams and helped services become financially sustainable.

But for me, good leadership has never simply been about targets, ratings or finances. Care is about people. It’s about our residents feeling safe, valued and genuinely cared for, and ensuring our colleagues feel supported, listened to and proud of the work they do.

That is what excites me most about joining Caring and Leading Group.

I’m really looking forward to getting out into our homes, meeting our residents, managers and colleagues, listening to your experiences and understanding what we already do well and where we can become even better.

Together, I want us to build services we are truly proud of and make Caring and Leading Group the Home of Choice in every community we have the privilege to serve.

I look forward to meeting you all.