CEO’s Statement

For the year ended 30 September 2023

Uncertain,
turbulent,
challenging?
Yes!

Hard work,
draining,
testing?
Yes!

Rewarding,
impactful,
inspiring?
Yes!

Reflecting on the first five years of the Foundation, I am struck by how much has been achieved. As our Chair of Trustees sets out in this statement, to have been able to deliver quite as much of the early ambitions set for us by our first group of trustees is gratifying – and not a little surprising for those of us who have been with the Foundation for all of its journey to date.

The African proverb has it that ‘to go fast, go alone but to go far, go together’. This rings so very true for the Foundation. The Foundation’s success is entirely down to the efforts of all those who have served as trustees since we were first established, all of those who have worked for the Foundation, our incredible partners and the countless others who have supported our efforts. And, of course, these successes come from the vision of our founders at CareTech Ltd in establishing the Foundation in the first place, the company’s incredible generosity throughout and the myriad staff members of the company who have lent their support and encouragement to our efforts.

As immensely proud as I am of the Foundation’s achievements, I know that our original mission and the issues that triggered its establishment are, sadly, as relevant as ever. The UK social care sector remains under-resourced, under-valued and misunderstood. Care professionals, similarly, remain under-appreciated and insufficiently supported and developed. And the issues facing those living in care remain as worrying as ever, if not more so. So, five years in, the importance of the Foundation’s work remains undiminished.

At its best, the social care sector and its people are phenomenal. Whilst it is easy to get downcast about the woes of the sector, the Foundation and its people are relentlessly positive. With our refreshed strategic plan in place, we look forward to delivering increased scale and impact across our work in the exciting next phase of our development.

Jonathan Freeman MBE
Chief Executive Officer