Our story

Since our launch in 2011, HC-One has been on a mission to be the first-choice care home for Residents and Colleagues in each of the communities we serve. We strive to make a real difference to the lives of older people throughout the UK, by providing the kindest possible care to our Residents.

We support and encourage our Colleagues to learn, lead, grow professionally and build their careers with us. Over the past ten years, we have continuously invested in this, including through our award-winning learning and development platform, apprenticeships and qualifications, and development programmes and initiatives.

We’ve also welcomed many subject matter experts and specialists from across the health and social care sector to our team. Our wealth of experience and expertise enables us to provide the very highest standards of care in a warm and welcoming environment for our Residents, Relatives and Colleagues.

Every single one of our Colleagues at HC-One contributes to the kind care provided to our Residents, and we are proud that, together, we form the Kind Care Company.

HC-One’s Journey

November 2011

HC-One was founded by Chai Patel, a successful doctor and health and social care entrepreneur

September 2012

Touchstone, HC-One’s award-winning learning and development platform, is launched

November 2012

Celebrated one year of providing the kindest possible care to Residents across the UK

October 2013

Kindness in Care Awards programme is launched, to recognise the efforts of the kindest Colleagues

September 2014

Colleague learning programme awarded ‘Best Learning and Development Initiative’ by CIPD

June 2016

Introduced the Nursing Assistant Programme, accredited by the Royal College of Nursing

September 2016

HC-One People Development Programmes are awarded Centre of Excellence status for the first time

December 2017

Appointed leading dementia care specialist, Professor Graham Stokes, as Director of Memory Care Services

October 2018

Ranked 49th in the annual Sunday Times Grant Thornton Top Track 250 league table

November 2018

Won the prestigious Care Home Group of the Year award at the National Care Awards

November 2018

Former Care Quality Commission (CQC) Chief Executive, Sir David Behan CBE, joins the Kind Care Board

February 2019

Won Best Endorsed Provider of Learning and Development at the Skills for Care Accolades

March 2019

Achieved award for the best care campaign at the annual NHS Flu Fighter Awards

September 2020

James Tugendhat joins the Kind Care Company as HC-One’s new Chief Executive Officer

2021

£54.5m upgrade and refurbishment programme launched for more than 200 care homes across the UK

2021

Opened three state-of-the-art, new build care homes in York, Telford, and Nottingham.

November 2021

Celebrated ten years of HC-One, the Kind Care Company, with over 300 care homes in its family

December 2021

Invested an additional £17m to support recruitment and pay and reward schemes

Our Kind Care Leadership

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.

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.

Stephen Butterworth

Executive Director - Operations

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 Executive Director for Operations, 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.

Mike McKessar

Executive Director – Commercial

Mike joined HC-One in August 2021 following a career that has seen him work across many different countries and cultures, specialising in the health and social care sector. To Mike, kindness means being open and giving the gift of time, by actively choosing to listen and engage. These values were part of the reason he joined the care sector, as he feels at home working with people who genuinely want to make a difference to their community.

Mike says a good life is ‘doing things you love doing with the people you love’ and for him, much of this quality time is spent exploring in the great outdoors. His HC-One name badge says: ‘Curious Kiwi Dad’, as it is a collection of the things he loves most: problem-solving, his home country, New Zealand, and his children.

John Handley

Executive Director – People

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.

Charlie Cutler

General Counsel

Charlie joined HC One in January 2022 with more than 15 years’ experience working in regulated industries, predominantly financial services and more recently in retirement living and affordable housing. Charlie chose to join HC One because she wanted to work with an organisation that has a clear purpose to continually improve the environment for all of our residents.

To Charlie, kindness means helping other people and making a real difference to the lives of both Residents and Colleagues in everything that we do at HC-One. Charlie believes in living your best life and loves spending time outdoors with her family.

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.

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.

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.

Maxine Smedley

Managing Director - Scotland

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.

Jackie McDonald

Interim Managing Director - Scotland

Jackie’s career in care started 28 years ago, as she worked part-time as a nurse while completing a bachelor’s degree in business administration. After graduating, Jackie secured a home manager position in a care home, before becoming a part of the Kind Care Company on HC-One’s inception in November 2011.

With a passion for kind care, Jackie joined the care sector because she wanted to help older people live a very good life throughout their older years. To Jackie, kindness means never walking past somebody without a smile and saying hello. This is something she has extended to Residents, Relatives and Colleagues across the country as, prior to becoming Interim Managing Director for Scotland, she also undertook several roles supporting HC-One homes in England and Wales. Jackie’s HC-One name badge says: ‘Scotland rugby fan’, as she has enjoyed many a match of rugby as a long-standing season ticket holder at the famous Murrayfield Stadium.

Rachel Bradbury

Director Of Operational Change and Interim Managing Director

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.