Our experts and advisors

HC-One is proud to introduce its team of kind care experts and advisors who support and guide our homes across England, Scotland and Wales to help our residents have the best possible quality of life at every stage of their care journey.

Aileen Beatty

Head of Dementia Care

Aileen leads our dementia care strategy, ensuring residents living with dementia receive compassionate support that puts people first. She works closely with care teams to implement best practices, create dementia-friendly environments, and provide specialist training. Aileen is passionate about empowering her team of five Dementia Care Managers, who support our homes across the country. Together, they provide practical, hands-on guidance to help our teams deliver care that truly understands the individual and makes a difference in residents’ daily lives.

Kelly Smith

Head of Nursing Care

Kelly is dedicated to ensuring every resident receiving nursing care at HC-One experiences comfort, dignity, and clinical excellence. Working alongside our nursing teams, she provides expert guidance on best practices, clinical guidance, and professional development. Kelly is committed to supporting nurses and care colleagues at every stage of their careers, helping them grow their skills while ensuring residents receive the highest standards of compassionate, evidence-based care. 

Mark Meacham

Head of Catering

Mark believes that mealtimes should be moments of enjoyment, comfort, and connection. Mark and his team work closely with chefs and catering teams across our homes to create menus that cater to residents’ individual preferences and dietary needs. With a strong focus on nutrition, taste, and variety, the team ensures that every meal served in our homes is fresh, tasty and nourishing —helping residents feel at home, whatever their dietary requirements. In addition to overseeing catering, Mark also leads on housekeeping and wellbeing, helping to create warm, welcoming environments for everyone living in our homes. 

Deborah Hulse-Raper

Head of Customer Care

Deborah leads our Careline team, who are responsible for ensuring that families feel supported, informed, and reassured right from the very start of their journey with HC-One. From the first enquiry to day-to-day care queries, the Careline team are dedicated to listening, responding, and providing the kindness and professionalism that make a real difference to families and professionals in their search for a care home. Whether offering guidance on choosing the right care or being a friendly voice at the end of the phone, she is committed to making sure every family feels valued and supported.

Buffy Sparks

Head of Operational Learning and Development

Buffy is passionate about nurturing talent and supporting HC-One colleagues to develop their skills and confidence. She leads our training and development programmes, ensuring every Care Assistant, Nurse, and team member has access to the learning opportunities they need to excel in their career and to make a real difference in our homes. Through a culture of continuous learning, Buffy helps colleagues grow their expertise so they can provide high quality care—today and in the future. 

Katy Jenks

Head of Specialist Services

Katy plays a vital role in shaping specialist care at HC-One, developing services that support people with complex and evolving needs, including those living with advanced dementia. A Registered Mental Health Nurse, she has been instrumental in the development of HC-One’s Specialist Dementia Care Communities (SDCCs) and works closely with teams to ensure residents receive compassionate care in environments that fully understands and supports them. 

Louise Carverhill

Head of Resident Safety

Louise leads our approach to safeguarding, ensuring that every person living, working in and visiting our homes is protected from harm. She supports homes with essential safeguarding training, helping teams identify and respond to any risks in a safe and timely manner. Through regular resident event reviews and proactive safeguarding initiatives, Louise works to create a culture where resident safety and safeguarding is embedded in everyday care—empowering colleagues to act with confidence and vigilance to protect those in our communities.

Vickie Longstaff

Head of Infection, Prevention and Control

Vickie plays a key role in protecting the health and wellbeing of residents and colleagues across our homes. She works closely with health professionals and care teams to prevent and manage infections and outbreaks, support vaccination programmes, and uphold the highest infection prevention standards. Through proactive guidance and ongoing training, Vickie ensures that our homes remain safe, resilient, and well-prepared to support people living with us. 

Becca Porteous

Head of Internal Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement

Becca is the organisational lead for quality improvement, supporting and enabling our homes to continuously improve and evidence the quality of care and experience of our residents through internationally recognised methodology. Becca and her team work closely with our homes to regularly assess the quality of care being delivered. Using robust internal frameworks and key quality indicators, they provide a clear assessment of care standards, ensuring our homes continually meet and exceed expectations. Through ongoing internal reviews and support, Becca works with teams to identify strengths, address areas for improvement, and maintain the highest levels of care for residents and their families. 

 

Supporting experts

In addition to our subject matter experts, we are guided by independent advisors and a wider team of specialists who bring additional expertise to HC-One. Together, they ensure we are always improving and innovating across our family of care homes to provide the very best care for our residents.

Ready to find out more about care at HC-One? Find a care home near you.