Hythe View

Claire is the Director of The Willow Community and the Registered Manager of Hythe View Nursing Home. The Willow Community is a collaborative partnership between Hythe View Nursing Home and Betsy Clara Nursing Home, both specialising in complex and specialist nursing placements.

Claire began her career in health and social care in 2009 and has since developed extensive experience across a range of senior, operational and specialist roles. These include Registered Manager, Quality Assurance Manager, Area Manager for South Essex, Trusted Assessor and Discharge Lead, working across Kent and Essex hospitals. This experience provided Claire with a comprehensive understanding of service delivery, quality governance, financial sustainability and system-wide working across health and social care.

Claire has held registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) since 2017 and has successfully led services through inspections, improving, achieving and sustaining regulatory compliance across all key areas.

Claire is also trained as an Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Link Practitioner, providing a direct link between the services she leads and NHS IPC governance frameworks. This role supports best practice in infection prevention, strengthens clinical oversight and ensures alignment with national guidance to protect residents, staff and visiting professionals. Claire has also co chaired the Skills for Care, Registered Manager Network.

Currently, Claire is undertaking a Master’s Degree in Strategic Management and Leadership in Healthcare with plans to complete a further Master’s Degree in Adult Social Care, alongside a Doctorate in Strategic Management and Leadership in Healthcare. She is deeply committed to continuous professional development and evidence-based leadership.

Above all, Claire champions a culture of kindness, support and collaboration, ensuring teams feel valued and empowered to deliver safe, compassionate and high quality care to every individual and family they support.

Karen Curtis is the Deputy Manager and Clinical Lead at Hythe View, bringing extensive experience in nursing and residential care. Since joining the team, she has played a key role in maintaining high clinical standards and ensuring that residents receive safe, effective and compassionate care.

With a strong clinical background, Karen oversees care planning, medication management and clinical governance within the home. She works closely with the wider team to ensure best practice is embedded in everyday care delivery, supporting continuous improvement and compliance with regulatory standards.

Karen is passionate about person-centred care and believes that clinical excellence should always be delivered with warmth and empathy. She is committed to supporting residents’ well-being holistically, ensuring their physical, emotional and social needs are met.

As Deputy Manager, Karen also supports staff development, mentoring nurses and carers to build confidence and competence in their roles. Her calm, approachable leadership style helps foster a positive working environment where high standards and kindness go hand in hand.

Dan is the Resident Experience Support Manager at Hythe View, having joined the company in April 2022. He brings with him over a decade of experience in the travel industry, where he worked as a cabin crew member and later as a Commercial Manager for a tour operator. These roles allowed him to travel extensively while developing strong organisational, customer service and leadership skills.

Today, Dan is much happier keeping his feet firmly on the ground. As a proud dad to two boys and a dog, family life is at the heart of everything he does.

Care has long been part of Dan’s story. As a child, he often accompanied his grandmother to the care home where she worked, witnessing firsthand the importance of kindness and compassion in later life care. Later, when his mother trained as a nurse, his respect for the profession deepened further. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dan worked as a carer himself, gaining a true appreciation for both the challenges and the immense rewards of supporting residents and families during uncertain times.

These experiences confirmed his passion for the sector, and he is proud to play a key role at Hythe View, helping to create a positive, supportive and engaging environment for residents and their families.