Welcome
Leading with kindness
A special welcome to HC-One’s future Leaders
At HC-One, leadership is about more than managing teams – it’s about inspiring compassionate care, empowering positive change, and creating homes where residents, families, and colleagues can truly thrive. Whether you’re stepping into your first leadership role or bringing years of experience, what unites all our leaders is a shared commitment to kindness – in how we care, how we lead, and how we grow.
Leading with kindness
A special welcome to
HC-One’s future Leaders
A special welcome to
HC-One’s future Leaders
At HC-One, leadership is about more than managing teams – it’s about inspiring compassionate care, empowering positive change, and creating homes where residents, families, and colleagues can truly thrive. Whether you’re stepping into your first leadership role or bringing years of experience, what unites all our leaders is a shared commitment to kindness – in how we care, how we lead, and how we grow.
The kind care company
Leading Teams, Shaping Care
As one of the UK’s leading care home providers, kindness is at the heart of everything we do. Our purpose is simple but powerful: to care about what matters most to the people living with us, and support them to lead their best life. It’s what guides our decisions, shapes our environments, and drives the way we work.
We aim to be the first-choice care home for residents, families, colleagues, commissioners, and the communities we serve. Our Purpose in Action framework helps bring that vision to life – built around three core pillars: People, Quality, and Performance. These aren’t just strategic themes; they’re the foundations of how we deliver better care, build stronger teams, and make a lasting difference every day.
Group Review Score
Rated by residents, families and visitors, our carehome.co.uk score reflects the quality and kindness delivered across our homes.
Kindness the HC-One way
Kindness the
HC-One way
Caring with kindness is how we show up for the people living in HC-One care homes, and each other. It enables us to support people to lead their best lives even as their circumstances and conditions change.
Our leaders and teams create a culture of kindness in every one of our homes by coaching, developing and supporting the qualities needed to provide the kindest possible care.
Curious
Compassionate
Creative
Courageous
Counted on
Caring about each other at
HC-One
At HC-One, kindness is at the heart of how we care for residents and support one another. The 5Cs—our core qualities—are the foundation of the kind, person-centred culture we foster in every home.
These qualities also anchor our approach to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), shaping how we behave, lead, and make decisions. They help ensure everyone can be kind, belong, and thrive—from colleagues to residents.
For our leaders, this means more than role-modelling the 5Cs—it means setting the standard. Leaders are expected to actively embed kindness and inclusion into everyday practice, creating cultures where all voices are heard, differences are valued, and every colleague and resident can thrive.
Kindness the
HC-one way
Caring with kindness is how we show up for the people living in HC-One care homes, and each other. It enables us to support people to lead their best lives even as their circumstances and conditions change.
Our leaders and teams create a culture of kindness in every one of our homes by coaching, developing and supporting the qualities needed to provide the kindest possible care.
Curious
Compassionate
Creative
Courageous
Counted on
Caring with kindness
Caring with kindness
At HC-One’s family of residential, nursing and dementia care homes across England, Scotland and Wales, ‘kindness’ is more than a word.
It’s a belief that caring for people means caring about what matters most to someone, taking time to get to know each person individually so they can have the best quality of life.
It is a place where our actions and choices are guided by a heartfelt desire to support people to make the most of each moment, every day.
Your leadership journey
Leading the HC-One way
At HC-One, we believe great care starts with great leadership. That’s why we’ve built our leadership model—Leading the HC-One Way—in partnership with our colleagues, leaders, and external partners, including our regulators. It reflects what great leadership looks, sounds, and feels like in practice.
There are five key themes at the heart of this approach:
Building Connections
Enabling Others
Setting the Standard
Being at Your Best
Growing Knowledge and Expertise
We value meaningful relationships. That means listening well, communicating clearly, and treating each person as an individual—with respect, curiosity, and kindness.
We create an environment where everyone can thrive. We encourage decision-making, celebrate diversity, and build trust so teams feel confident and empowered to do their best work.
Our leaders bring our purpose to life. They give clarity, set direction, and help teams aim high—providing regular, honest feedback and celebrating achievements along the way.
We believe leadership starts with self-awareness. That means being open to feedback, prioritising wellbeing, and role-modelling resilience, flexibility, and courage.
Finally, we value leaders who know their stuff—those who understand and use the tools, systems, and processes that help their teams succeed.
If you join us, you won’t just be stepping into a role—you’ll be part of a culture that supports, grows, and empowers you to lead with purpose and kindness.
Developing our leaders
Great leadership underpins the kindest care. At HC-One, we know leading isn’t easy — but you won’t be doing it alone. Our Leading the HC-One Way model sets clear expectations and gives you the tools, confidence and support to grow as a leader while making a lasting impact.
You’ll have regular, two-way conversations with your manager to reflect on your impact, receive feedback, and build a personal development plan that keeps you moving forward.
Developing our leaders
Great leadership underpins the kindest care. At HC-One, we know leading isn’t easy — but you won’t be doing it alone. Our Leading the HC-One Way model sets clear expectations and gives you the tools, confidence and support to grow as a leader while making a lasting impact.
You’ll have regular, two-way conversations with your manager to reflect on your impact, receive feedback, and build a personal development plan that keeps you moving forward.
Be part of our journey
At HC-One, we’re making big strides to improve care for residents and families, and to create homes where teams feel proud to work and grow.
Leading the way in dementia care
We’ve introduced our Specialist Dementia Care Communities (SDCCs) across England and Scotland – therapeutic, purpose-designed environments that support individuals living with complex dementia needs. Each SDCC is staffed by a dedicated team of specialists and guided by a holistic, person-centred approach to care.
Investing in our kind, caring environments
We’ve committed £93 million to refurbish over 200 care homes – the UK’s largest care home upgrade programme. This investment is about more than bricks and mortar. It’s about creating spaces that feel like home, support wellbeing, and enable our teams to deliver the best possible care.
Digital innovation that makes a difference
We’re embedding smarter, safer systems like Radar Healthcare into our homes – helping teams reduce paperwork, improve visibility, and stay focused on what matters most: time with residents. It’s technology designed to support people, not replace them.
Flex Force: Empowering Care with Flexibility
HC-One’s Flex Force gives colleagues control over their hours and shifts – across multiple homes – while ensuring permanent contracts and reliable pay. For leaders, this means attracting and retaining top talent, boosting workforce agility, reducing agency costs, and delivering consistent, high-quality care. All backed by robust training and a culture that puts people first. Flex Force isn’t just flexibility – it’s a competitive edge.
HC-One Boosts Pay and Conditions with Major Investment
At HC-One, we believe great care starts with great people – and that includes how we support and reward our teams. As a prospective leader joining our community, it’s important to know that we’re committed to fair pay and meaningful support. In 2025 alone, we’re investing over £20 million to ensure nearly 90% of our colleagues earn the Real Living Wage or more, with all eligible to reach that level within two years. This builds on over £110 million invested in pay since 2021. We’ve also enhanced our sick pay offer – because providing care starts with taking care of each other. If you choose to grow your leadership journey with HC-One, you’ll be part of a culture that prioritises its people, values commitment, and continuously invests in those who care for others.
Care Matters
The launch of the Care Matters Podcast is a strategic step forward in strengthening our internal culture and commercial performance. Designed to engage and unite colleagues across every level of HC-One, this platform gives voice to the stories, challenges, and ideas shaping our care homes today. For leaders, it’s not just about connection – it’s a tool to support and inspire. By spotlighting key themes such as leadership, care delivery, and the resident experience, Care Matters reinforces our shared goals around quality, retention, and occupancy growth. Through honest dialogue and shared learning, it complements the support we offer to help leaders build strong, thriving homes – where compassion drives performance and our values are reflected in every placement.
Caring with kindness at HC-One
Kind Care Leadership
A message from James Tugendhat
Chief Executive
“At HC-One, we’re on a journey of continuous change — which is what makes this such an exciting time to join us.
We’re building a culture where kindness isn’t just a value, it’s the way we lead. That means supporting our colleagues to grow, helping residents feel truly at home, and embracing new ways of working with confidence.
What we look for in our leaders is simple: people who inspire and develop others, who never lose sight of the quality of care, and who see opportunity in change and innovation.
If you share that vision — to create homes where residents thrive and colleagues feel proud of the difference they make — then HC-One can be the place where you build a long and meaningful career.”
A Message from Stephen Butterworth
“My journey started in manufacturing, but I wanted a career where the impact was real, every single day. That’s why I moved into care — and why I’ve stayed with HC-One since 2012.
What I’ve learned is that the kindest care doesn’t come from processes alone. It comes from leaders who are genuine, approachable, and committed to making homes feel like just that — homes.
At HC-One, we value leaders who create strong, supportive teams, who put care quality at the heart of everything, and who approach change with positivity.
For me, this work is deeply personal. As a father, and a lifelong football fan who knows the value of belonging, I understand the power of feeling ‘at home’. That’s what we want every resident and colleague to experience.
If that matters to you too, then you’ll find both purpose and opportunity here with us.”
A message from Anna Selby
“My career began as a Mental Health Nurse, and later in NHS leadership and social care. Those experiences taught me something I’ve carried with me ever since: quality care transforms lives.
I joined HC-One in 2022 because I believe in creating homes where every resident can live their best life, and where every colleague feels proud of the role they play.
We’re looking for leaders who bring teams together, who nurture talent, and who champion care quality in every decision. Leaders who are curious, open to learning, and confident in using new tools and approaches to keep improving.
If you’re passionate about leading with compassion and raising standards, you’ll find HC-One a place where you can make a real and lasting difference.
That belief is what drives me every day — and if it resonates with you, I’d love for you to join us on this journey.”
A message from James Tugendhat
“At HC-One, we’re on a journey of continuous change — which is what makes this such an exciting time to join us.
We’re building a culture where kindness isn’t just a value, it’s the way we lead. That means supporting our colleagues to grow, helping residents feel truly at home, and embracing new ways of working with confidence.
What we look for in our leaders is simple: people who inspire and develop others, who never lose sight of the quality of care, and who see opportunity in change and innovation.
If you share that vision — to create homes where residents thrive and colleagues feel proud of the difference they make — then HC-One can be the place where you build a long and meaningful career.”
A message from Stephen Butterworth
“My journey started in manufacturing, but I wanted a career where the impact was real, every single day. That’s why I moved into care — and why I’ve stayed with HC-One since 2012.
What I’ve learned is that the kindest care doesn’t come from processes alone. It comes from leaders who are genuine, approachable, and committed to making homes feel like just that — homes.
At HC-One, we value leaders who create strong, supportive teams, who put care quality at the heart of everything, and who approach change with positivity.
For me, this work is deeply personal. As a father, and a lifelong football fan who knows the value of belonging, I understand the power of feeling ‘at home’. That’s what we want every resident and colleague to experience.
If that matters to you too, then you’ll find both purpose and opportunity here with us.”
A message from Anna Selby
“My career began as a Mental Health Nurse, and later in NHS leadership and social care. Those experiences taught me something I’ve carried with me ever since: quality care transforms lives.
I joined HC-One in 2022 because I believe in creating homes where every resident can live their best life, and where every colleague feels proud of the role they play.
We’re looking for leaders who bring teams together, who nurture talent, and who champion care quality in every decision. Leaders who are curious, open to learning, and confident in using new tools and approaches to keep improving.
If you’re passionate about leading with compassion and raising standards, you’ll find HC-One a place where you can make a real and lasting difference.
That belief is what drives me every day — and if it resonates with you, I’d love for you to join us on this journey.”
Any questions? Let’s talk!
We hope you’ve enjoyed exploring what life as a leader at HC-One could look like.
If you’d like to find out more or talk about the next steps, please reach out to your contact from the HC-One recruitment team — they’ll be happy to support you.
Or simply email us at careers@hc-one.co.uk — we’re always here to help.
