Our Team

Our Development Board

We are supported by a Development Board who provide great guidance, ideas and support, as well as an additional link into the School of Health Sciences at City, University of London.

Our current board members are:

Blesson is a graduate of the My Home Life Professional Development and Support programme. He is currently the Director of Operations at Centurion Care, focussed on supporting people with learning disabilities.

Blesson came to the UK as a qualified nurse in India, moving into social care and eventually a registered manager.

Outside of work Blesson has held national leadership roles within his church.

Catherine works for a care home provider with national responsibility for many different areas, including quality, focused support for people who have dementia, new projects and change programmes.

Prior to working for Anchor, Catherine worked for business link as a regional leader, offering advice and support for small and medium sized businesses.

Ian has owned and managed Nursing Homes for approaching 40 years. He chaired the Registered Nursing Home Association for more than a decade, before it merged with the National Care Association in early 2023. Ian continues to represent the small and medium size care companies with different stakeholders in the health and care system. One of his roles was being the provider voice on the DHSC team implementing the Care Act 2014.

Ian’s previous career was in Information Technology, where he worked for a computer manufacturer during the 1970’s and 80’s. He continues to maintain his interest in IT, managing a number of DHSC grants for the care sector.

Matt is the Chief Operating Officer and is responsible for leading a large professional administration team within the School of Health and Psychological Sciences (SHPS). He currently Chairs the My Home Life England Board.

Working with colleagues across City, University of London, Matt provides high-level management support for the effective operation of programmes and the associated student experience in the School. Matt is a member of the School Executive and Senior Management Team and supports the Dean with the strategic development of the School.

Matt has held senior roles in a wide variety of higher education departments, with experience of working for a Students’ Union, Registrar’s department, national complaints ombudsman and several Schools at City.

Martin has over 35 years experience of working in social care (and health); working in a variety of settings and different organisations, but predominantly in local government. Martin’s career began as a Care Assistant and he worked in Supported Accommodation before becoming a qualified Social Worker (CQSW and Approved Social Worker ASW) and manager, initially working in child protection / neighbourhood team and mental health services.

Martin has been an Executive Director for over 16 years in several Local Authorities, with a range of responsibilities, predominantly Adult Social Care, but also Community Development and Safety, Housing (strategy and direct delivery)and Public Health etc.

Martin was also the national ADASS Personalisation Lead for a number of years.

Nick’s first involvement with MHL came when the Henry Smith Charity awarded My Home Life a five-year strategic grant in 2014. Nick has been the Director of the Henry Smith Charity (a grant making trust) since September 2012, having served as a Trustee of the Charity since 2007.

Prior to joining Smith’s full time, Nick’s career was in the commercial manufacturing sector. He held various general management positions in the specialist paper industry and most recently ran his own manufacturing business supplying the events and leisure industries.

Oliver has more than 30 years of experience in the NHS, having joined as a Management Trainee in 1992. Prior to retirement in 2023, Oliver was part of NHS England’s Intensive Support Team and worked with organisations facing the most challenging governance and quality failures.

Prior to this, Oliver was the Chief Officer of Nottingham West CCG and worked as Commissioning and Strategy Directors in PCTs in Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. In his earlier career he worked in the Acute hospital sector in Nottinghamshire and the Northwest.

My Home Life England Team

Tom Owen

Director

Tom has been working with older people in care homes for 35 years as a researcher, campaigner and practitioner. He is the co-founder of My Home Life and Director of My Home Life England.

Steph Thompson

Deputy Director

Steph has over 35 years of experience working in health and social care as a provider and a commissioner. She has a specific focus on collaboration and connections, including new programmes and developments, particularly in the North of England.

Pamela Holmes

Facilitator

Pamela has many years of experience championing the rights of older peoples as a nurse and campaigner. She is a facilitator of our leadership support and professional development programmes, working directly alongside care leaders.

Richard Hardman

Programme Manager (North)

Richard has over thirty years’ experience in social care as a Home Manager, Operations Director and Governance Lead. He’s passionate about collaborating with staff teams, the people they support and the wider community to create services that enrich, empower and enable.

Dr Bethany Morgan Brett

Research Fellow

Bethany’s role includes developing the research strategy, generating research income and delivering research projects which contribute to and are informed by the priorities of the care sector.

Amy Simpkins

Comms & Marketing Lead

Amy leads on our internal and external marketing and communications.

Rebecca McMinn

Programme Administrator

Rebecca provides administration and finance support to the My Home Life England team

Our Associates

Our programmes are delivered by a network of highly experienced associates and the My Home Life England core team.

Coach, trainer and facilitator, with expertise in wellbeing and leadership, and over 15 years’ experience in supporting the health and social care sectors.

Once a nurse, now an associate, facilitator and coach with six years’ experience of working with care home and home care managers.

Consultant in digital transformation in social care. He delves into the possibilities for tech to drive integration and on how people adapt to digital ways of working.

Consultant, counsellor and MHL facilitator since 2013, specialising in dementia, ageing, mental health and support of caregivers and professionals.

Leadership Coach for social care and health, with 25 years management experience across adult social care including supporting care home managers.

30 years in social care with a focus on regulation and working with care homes on how to evidence improvement.

Facilitator, coach counsellor with over seven years experience of working with care homes.

Chartered psychologist with 25+ years developing leadership and organisations for and through challenging times. Coach, facilitator and writer – particularly passionate about enabling 21st-century leadership for social impact and public good.

Facilitator, coach and action learning specialist, working with leaders to improve health and social care.

Associate and facilitator with a keen interest in frontline care staff, including developing and evaluating initiatives to improve well-being at work.

Former Operations Director of a nursing home. Keen to support providers in their use of technology to claw back time to spend with people living in homes.

Coach, trainer, facilitator, with expertise in leadership and behavioural change, resilience & joy and diversity & belonging, supporting leaders across countries and sectors, including health care.

Executive coach, facilitator and management development trainer, with over 20 years’ experience supporting leaders and managers in the public and private sector.

Experienced facilitator with a long career in the social care sector and supporting care homes. Has a passion for dementia care, plus lived experience as a family carer.

Volunteering Opportunities

Are you interested in helping to support quality of life in care settings? We’re on the look out for volunteers!

We carry out a broad range of activities and welcome the support of volunteers – including with communications, events, projects and more!

If you’re interested in exploring what opportunities we have to offer, please get in touch with us at: mhl@city.ac.uk