On Wednesday, senior managers at the Connaught Care Collection spent a day working in frontline roles at each of the group’s six care homes across the country. Part of a twice-yearly initiative called ‘A Day in the Life Of’, this scheme aims to give the leadership team a better understanding of the daily challenges and pressures of working in a home.
Taking on various positions in catering, hospitality, events, maintenance, administration, and care, they were able to learn directly from the local teams and receive honest feedback about how the local teams can be better supported by management.
The scheme was arranged to coincide with Care Home Open Week 2025 – a national campaign aiming to connect care homes with their communities and challenge misconceptions about the sector. In this spirit, the managers hope ‘A Day in the Life Of’ will not only shine a light on the exceptional work being done in the homes, but also help foster greater public trust and appreciation for the care sector as a whole.
Connaught Care’s CEO Andrew Winstanley offers his thoughts:
“We are committed to building a company where leadership is hands-on, responsive, and grounded in the practical realities of running a home. Many of us have worked in the sector for decades, however when you’re away from the frontlines it can be easy to forget how challenging the work can be. That’s why it’s so crucial to have a regular hands-on reminder of the incredible work our homes do to care for their residents”.
Keen to take part in the project himself, this week Andrew took on a maintenance role at Willowbrook View care home in Swindon; whilst COO Amanda Smith has also been supporting the care team there. Each of Connaught Care’s five other homes also welcomed different members of the management team to shadow their staff.
Laurence Feather, (Connaught’s new Head of People) joined the care team at Henbrook House in St Neots, whilst Emma Clake (Head of Sales & Marketing) worked in catering at The Chase in nearby Huntingdon. Over at Portsdown View in Bedhampton, Andrew Wrensch (Group Training & Development Manager) assisted the events and activities team.
Meanwhile, Iain Gordon (Finance Director) supported hospitality and reception services at Meadowbrook in Bishop’s Stortford, and at Waterhaven Place in Chichester Lynn Howie (Operations Support) and Michelle Bladen (Regional Operations & Quality Director) contributed through maintenance and care roles respectively.
Amanda Smith, Chief Operating Officer, shares her thoughts:
“This experience is not about symbolic gestures. It’s about truly understanding the pace, pressures and joys of life in our homes. If we want to design the best systems and working environments possible, we must build them from the inside out. The day is also a chance to connect with the people who live and work at the homes. Meaningful connections and time spent truly listening help shape not only better care environments, but also stronger, more united teams.”
Laurence Feather, Head of People, adds:
“Working directly with our extraordinary care team at Henbrook House in St Neots has been, in equal measure, a pleasure, eye-opening, and energising. I have so much respect for the physical and emotional resilience this work requires – and seeing how hard our team works makes me even more driven to make Connaught THE place where people want to come, stay, and grow their careers.”
This commitment to improving employee wellbeing and overall quality-of-life in the homes is a central plank of Connaught Care’s corporate strategy. The group has introduced a range of initiatives to support staff, including healthy habit rewards through YuLife, confidential counselling via Health Assured, annual health checks with Bluecrest Wellness, and tax-saving salary sacrifice schemes in partnership with Mintago. Together, these benefits are designed to reduce stress, boost retention, and create a workplace where people feel genuinely valued.
Andrew Winstanley again:
“We’ve always believed that it takes a village to deliver great care. That’s why offering the best support we can to the homes – so in turn they can offer the best care possible for residents – is so crucial. This project is about reminding ourselves of that and strengthening the bonds between our team members, our residents, and our communities. The experience is something we’ll carry with us long after the day is over.”
The initiative will conclude with a reflection and feedback session at the end of Care Home Open Week, with insights shared across the business to shape future improvements in training, resourcing, and team culture.
