Provence House

As Chairman of the company, Chris graduated in 2015 with a degree (not bad for a 56-year-old at the time!) in Dementia Studies from Bradford University, the leading light in research and training into the physical and psychological effects of the debilitating and progressive condition.

To be candid, he did not of course do this degree to improve his CV, but because he saw it as his duty and responsibility to understand issues facing many of his residents, their loved ones and his staff every single day.

With more than 20 years of experience in the care sector as a commercial mortgage broker, the time came in 2005 to move across into owning and operating care homes himself. The rest is history!

Anthony is a very safe pair of hands for the role of Managing Director at Lavender Fields. He has gained enormous experience in all aspects of care to augment his previous career in Healthcare Information Technology. He gained a university degree in Business Computing, before taking up positions at two of the leading technology companies, EMIS, followed by Accenture, both of whom specialise in healthcare technology. With several years of industry experience under his belt, he decided to join the family business in 2006. In his position as IT Director, he was able to bring the very latest technology to both the care side of the business and of course the accounting side. However, wishing to gain extensive knowledge of all sides of the business, he embarked on a journey of numerous care courses, including delivery of care relating to dementia, including Dementia Care Mapping with his fellow Directors a few years ago.

Anthony is enormously busy at the care village as we move closer towards the care home opening day early in early 2024, and recently commented, “To finally see this long-held vision coming to fruition really is a dream come true. To be at the helm of our family company, putting into practice the vision my father had a decade ago makes me prouder than words could possibly say.”

Leanne Hatch has been with us for over fifteen years, starting as a care assistant, before moving to senior carer, then to head of shift, assistant manager, and then eventually manager of one of our care homes. Care is very closely monitored these days by numerous regulatory bodies, as of course, it should be. In the last few years, however, a new British Standard (BS8606) has been created by an independent regulator of great importance within the sector. At the time of writing, they have performed over 2,000 inspections under that standard, at care homes up and down the country. Out of all these inspections, very few certificates have ever been awarded. Not only was Leanne’s former home the first to receive the award, but it was also the first to retain it at their next inspection and the one after that!

More than this though, I am confident that anyone who comes into contact with her – however regularly, and in whatever capacity – will be left with that warm glow of knowing that she will always ensure that people here are looked after. I trust her completely and have awarded her the prize role of running Lavender Fields care operations of what is personally my flagship location. I cannot speak more highly than this. Her standards are impeccable, and she has already made great strides in overseeing the close care we’ve offered for the last twelve months. I am supremely confident that Leanne is the best choice to take us forward in relation to all the care we offer here and am equally confident that everybody else will feel the same way.