AUGUST 2026 (ISSUE 130) AN ITP MEDIA GROUP PUBLICATION IN ASSOCIATION WITH Meet the inspiring individuals leading the way for care in 2026 00_CHP SPINE_AUGUST_FINAL.indd 228/07/2026 19:32&$7(5,1* (48,30(17 )25 +($/7+&$5( 3UHRUGHU\RXU IUHHFRS\WRGD\20 In this issue August 2026 carehomeprofessional.com • Issue 130 14 IN ASSOCIATION WITH Provider viewpoint 14 Rob Martin, CEO of Signature Care Homes, on the group’s ambitious new projects Power List 20 Find out who made Care Home Professional’s Power List, sponsored by Radar Healthcare Roundtable 36 Highlights of our talking tech roundtable discussion, in association with PCS Specials 36 AUGUST 2026 / CAREHOMEPROFESSIONAL.COM / 3 20 3-4_CHP_Contents_AUGUST_13951264.indd 329/07/2026 18:40“The emotional side is the priority” The importance of hiring the right people for care Page 42 “We must go further and faster to deliver” The urgent need for reform in the sector Page 46 Regulars In this issue 4 / CAREHOMEPROFESSIONAL.COM / AUGUST 2026 42 48 Special report 7 New research on the need for thousands of additional care home beds over the next decade Headlines 8 Care homes news roundup Connery’s column 13 Jayne Connery, director of Care Campaign for the Vulnerable, on the power of technology Events 42 An overview of the Leaders in Care Conference 2026, which took place in July Inside Westminster 46 MPs Sojan Joseph and Alison Bennett give their verdicts on Andy Burnham’s premiership Movers and shakers 48 Myriad Group acquires Scottish care provider Parklands Care Homes Leadership lessons 50 Kevin Hewlett MBE, CEO of Hale Place Solutions, on his learnings from 38 years in the sector 46 3-4_CHP_Contents_AUGUST_13951264.indd 429/07/2026 18:40The Leaders in Care Awards will return in 2026 The ceremony pays tribute to the dedication, innovation, and sheer excellence demonstrated by leaders in the field, ranging from caregivers and managers to companies and suppliers. Contact us SponsorshipEditorial Michael Murray Commercial Manager michael.murray@itp.com Stephen Hall Editor stephen.hall@itp.com Tuesday 6th October Forest of Arden Hotel & Country Club Birmingham, CV7 7HR SPONSORED BY ntact onsor hael Mu mmerc chael The Leaders in Care will return in 2026 Tht ib t t de from c and suppli Tuesday s 6th O t of Arden gham, C NSForeword ITP Media (UK) LTD 140 Old Street, London, EC1V 9BJ Tel: +44 (0)20 3176 4228 Editorial Editorial Director Andrew Seymour andrew.seymour@itp.com Editor Stephen Hall stephen.hall@itp.com Tel: +44 (0)20 31765457 Commercial Publisher Michael Murray michael.murray @itp.com Tel: +44 (0)20 3176 4235 Design Senior Designer Ogo Ikeogu ogo.ikeogu@itp.com Production & Distribution Senior Production & Distribution Manager Balasubramanian P balasubramanian.p@itp.com ITP Media Group CEO Ali Akawi CFO Toby Jay Managing Director Martin Chambers Deputy Managing Director Holly Sands ITP Media UK Managing Director Lee Cashman Circulation & Subscription Tel: +44 (0)20 3176 4228 subscriptions@itp.com Web www.carehomeprofessional.com www.itp.com The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exception is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review. Last month, World Cup fever swept across the country. As pubs fi lled up, and work sweepstakes were won and lost, care homes were also caught up in the excitement of the big occasion. Care Home Open Week kicked things off with a World Cup football theme. The event encouraged facilities to host accessible, inclusive, and multi-generational sporting events for residents, families, and locals of all ages and abilities. As part of the celebrations, residents at Signature at Hendon Hall welcomed guests for a special screening event celebrating England’s 1966 victory. The historic former hotel, located in the London borough of Barnet, housed the legendary Three Lions squad during the tournament. Among those who shared their memories at the screening was resident Edward Cohen, who attended the 1966 World Cup fi nal at Wembley after receiving a ticket through family connections. Joining in the celebrations was Signature CEO Rob Martin, who I speak to on page 14. He tells me about the group’s new luxury projects, running the company behind the country’s most expensive care home, and the group’s starring role in The Apprentice fi nal. Whilst not quite on the scale of the World Cup, we recently hosted our own marquee event, bringing together a group of stars at the top of their games. The Leaders in Care Conference 2026 hosted sector experts such as Professor Martin Green OBE, Nadra Ahmed CBE, and easyResidences’ Vinay Patel, for a day packed with insight and cooperation. Read the report on page 42. As one attendee put it: “Days like this remind me why I do what I do, and how much appetite there is across our sector for genuine, collaborative change.” The day served as proof that, like a well-oiled football squad, the care sector is full of talent, teamwork, and heart. Let’s celebrate it with the same level of enthusiasm as a famous World Cup win. From the editor It’s coming (care) home Stephen Hall Editor 6 / CAREHOMEPROFESSIONAL.COM / AUGUST 2026 Published by and copyright 2026 ITP Media (UK) Ltd, incorporated and registered in the United Kingdom under company number 10982417.The international real estate advisor Savills has identified a requirement for around 139,000 additional care home beds over the next decade, equivalent to approximately 30% of existing supply. To meet this demand, annual delivery rates would need to more than double from recent levels. According to the research, net supply growth has been limited over the past five years, as whilst over 30,000 new care home beds were delivered between 2020 and 2025, this was almost entirely offset by approximately 29,000 beds being decommissioned in the same period. As a result, the market is entering a period of increasing supply-demand imbalance, with demand growth outpacing net new supply and occupancy now exceeding pre-Covid levels. The current development pipeline provides a positive near- term base, with around 20,000 beds either under construction or with detailed planning consent. However, Savills says further scale will be required to close the emerging supply gap. Development remains concentrated in areas where fundamentals are most supportive. Southern England accounted for more than one third of care home completions between 2020 and 2025 and represents around 40% of the current pipeline, demonstrating the stronger viability of schemes in more affluent private-pay markets. However, this also highlights the significant need in lower- fee and more local authority-reliant regions, where demand is high but development economics are more challenging. Savills says market conditions are becoming more supportive for future development. General building cost inflation has moderated to around 3.8% annually as of early 2026, down from a peak of 15.5% in June 2022, while debt appetite has strengthened and both traditional banks and alternative lenders are increasingly active in the sector. At the same time, private weekly fees have grown faster than inflation over the past five years, supporting operator margins and improving development viability despite a structurally higher cost base. The strength of the UK’s private-pay market has been a key factor in attracting international capital to the sector in recent years. Tom Atherton, strategy and market intelligence manager, Savills, says, “The UK care home market is entering a period where quality, rather than simply quantity, will become increasingly important. Residents are entering care later in life, with higher acuity needs and greater expectations around the environment in which they live.” Demographic deficit AUGUST 2026 / CAREHOMEPROFESSIONAL.COM / 7 Supply and demand New research shows that the UK care home development market is entering a new phase of demand-led growth8 / CAREHOMEPROFESSIONAL.COM / AUGUST 2026 In the headlines Essential news for care home professionals Sanctuary buys five YHG retirement communities Salvation Army transitions entire portfolio to alternative providers The Salvation Army has transitioned its portfolio of 11 residential care homes to alternative owners and operators. Seven of the homes have continued trading and have been successfully transferred to care operators that share The Salvation Army’s values and ethos. Four homes have closed, with some sites earmarked for redevelopment to provide modern care facilities. The trading homes have been transferred to five care operators across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The closed homes are being transitioned individually to private purchasers. In June 2025, The Salvation Army announced its intention to transition away from the provision of residential care for older people in order to grow its community-based support model, with Savills instructed to identify new owners for the homes. Savills worked with The Salvation Army to develop a bespoke selection framework to ensure prospective operators aligned with its values, mission, and ethos. This approach prioritised providers with both strong operational capability and a long- term commitment to the organisation’s spiritual and cultural standards, safeguarding its mission-led care and heritage, according to Savills. Craig Woollam, head of healthcare at Savills, says, “We have been pleased to help The Salvation Army transition these homes, enabling it to focus on its community-based support model. The process has ensured the continuation of care provision for residents and staff. “A key achievement was the transfer of additional homes to alternative care providers that had originally been earmarked for closure. The extremely high level of interest received demonstrates the continued attractiveness of the UK care market, which has gone from strength to strength over the past 18 months.” Sanctuary has completed the transfer of five retirement communities from Your Housing Group (YHG). The transfer follows a period of detailed due diligence and consultation with YHG residents and colleagues, which received positive feedback. The five communities are now part of Sanctuary Supported Living (SSL), strengthening the organisation’s offer of housing, care and support services for older people. SSL currently delivers support, care, housing management and assistive technology across more than 770 services in England. The newly transferred communities provide nearly 600 homes, further strengthening Sanctuary’s position in the older persons’ housing market. Sanctuary is one of the UK’s largest housing associations, owning and managing around 125,000 homes. YHG is a registered social housing provider managing more than 29,000 properties across the North West, Yorkshire and the Midlands. Craig Moule, group chief executive at Sanctuary, said: “This transfer is an important step in strengthening our retirement living services and reflects our continued focus on providing safe, high-quality homes for older people.” 8 - 12_CHP_News_August_13954956.indd 829/07/2026 18:38AUGUST 2026 / CAREHOMEPROFESSIONAL.COM / 9 Loveday & Co transfers Esher site to Hallmark Loveday & Co has agreed the transition of business operations at Esher to Hallmark Luxury Care Homes for an undisclosed sum. A Loveday spokesperson said residents will continue to receive uninterrupted high standards of care throughout the transition period between the two organisations, with continuity of service and resident wellbeing remaining ‘top priorities’ for both providers. All existing staff employed at the Esher site will continue in their roles as part of the transition to Hallmark, ‘helping maintain continuity for residents and preserving the expertise of the current team while also benefiting from ongoing investment in development that further strengthens their expertise,’ according to the spokesperson. Hallmark Esher Residences consists of a 37-bed Grade-II listed home alongside a new, state-of-the- art 20-bed property, and further extends Hallmark’s residential, nursing, and dementia care presence. Laurence Geller CBE, chairman of Loveday, commented: “We are immensely proud of what has been created at Esher and the exceptional team who brought our vision to life. “This strategic transition reflects Loveday’s evolving long-term growth strategy, and we are pleased to see the residence move forward under Hallmark’s stewardship.” Proposals for a new £44m care home in Kent have taken a step forward, with the first images of the new development now released. Medway Council has submitted plans for the new three-storey 80-bedroom facility on a section of the Innovation Park Medway in Chatham. The site would be split into a dementia nursing facility on the ground floor and respite and discharge-to-assess facility on the first floor, with 40 beds earmarked for each. The new facility would also house seven one-bed and four two-bed self-contained units for older people who need additional support. Plans were first proposed last year on the site that had originally been earmarked for a wider £60m development to transform Innovation Park Medway into a destination that would attract big tech firms like Netflix to set up there. The plans for the ‘tech park’ were paused in May 2023, following ‘insufficient interest’ in the project. £33 million had already been spent on the project which originally promised 60,000 sq m of commercial space and up to 3,000 high-value jobs. In March 2025, Medway Council changed direction and opted to put forward a plan that would see the new care home built on the southern section of the site. Approval for this plan came in November last year. The feasibility report showed plans to expand the footprint of the care home to cover 50% of the southern site and there is a possibility the rest will be used for complementary services related to care home residents. 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