Jonathan Freeman, newly-appointed interim CEO, set out ambitious plans for the CareTech Foundation, the first corporate foundation in the UK care sector, to staff and partner organisations at CareTech’s annual awards event in London.

With more than 280,000 adults in England aged 18-65 reliant on social care, and a reported £2.1bn social care funding gap¹, the CareTech Foundation will play an important role in supporting the care sector and the communities in which it operates. Jonathan announced that the Foundation’s work will be focused on the following three key objectives and will support:

• disabled people and those with long-term health difficulties, including those with mental health conditions and complex physical and learning disabilities.
• skills development for the care sector, particularly for those from deprived and disadvantaged backgrounds, to enable them to pursue careers in the care sector.
• the CareTech family and the communities in which it operates. The Foundation will develop an ambitious CSR programme in partnership with CareTech, as well as supporting the family and friends of CareTech employees and their communities.

Charity sector leader Jonathan Freeman, former Managing Director of Mosaic, HRH The Prince of Wales’s mentoring charitable initiative, has been appointed as interim CEO, responsible for setting its strategic vision and driving forward the charity’s partnership network. He is joined by Foundation Manager Sara Smith who brings with her a wealth of experience from Business in the Community and The Prince’s Trust International.

The Foundation is supported by CareTech’s most senior leaders, with its trustees including CareTech’s Chief Executive Officer (Haroon Sheikh), Executive Chairman (Farouq Sheikh) and Finance Director (Michael Hill). Other trustees include leading disabilities rights campaigner Mike Adams OBE (CareTech Non-Executive Director) and staff member Jon Plummer (Overall National Winner of the CareTech Care Awards 2016). The Board will shortly announce the appointment of three external trustees to underline the independence of the Foundation.

CareTech PLC’s staff are central to the Foundation’s approach, ensuring a staff presence on the Board of Trustees as well as having a Staff Committee to make recommendations to the Board.

Jonathan Freeman, interim CEO of the CareTech Foundation, said: “It is a privilege to have been appointed to this exciting role, providing leadership to the first corporate foundation in the care sector in the UK. The Foundation has ambitious and clear-sighted objectives to deliver meaningful impact to communities in the UK and overseas about which the staff of CareTech PLC and its service users feel proud and strongly engaged, providing a unique contribution to the charitable marketplace consistent with CareTech PLC’s values and approach. I very much look forward to working with the impressive trustees to deliver real change in such an important area.”

[1] According to The Health Foundation – Click here