With more than 13 years’ experience in adult social care, Chamomile Care’s founder entered the sector following a significant and deliberate career change. Originally trained in electronics and communications engineering in the 1980s, he qualified to operate and maintain a ship's radio stations and served as a Radio Officer in the Merchant Navy.
After coming ashore, his career included technical roles maintaining bank dealing-room systems and office machinery, before progressing into a long-standing position with the Ministry of Defence. Over a 22-year period, he worked as both a civil servant and consultant, concluding his MoD career at RAF Brize Norton. This background fostered a strong understanding of governance, accountability, and the importance of clear operational standards.
Although an early ambition to pursue medical training could not be realised due to personal circumstances, a later opportunity to move into social care proved transformational. Since entering the sector, he has found adult social care to be both professionally and personally rewarding, supporting individuals with diverse needs while upholding dignity, safety, and independence.
Experience gained within the MoD has translated directly into care delivery, particularly in relation to quality assurance, compliance, and consistency. High standards are expected not only in the care provided to clients, but also in the training, professionalism, and support offered to Care Workers.
Chamomile Care was established in response to concerns about care quality observed elsewhere in the sector, with a clear commitment to doing things better. Alongside hands-on experience, the founder holds both Level 3 and Level 5 Diplomas in Health and Social Care, reinforcing a strong theoretical and regulatory foundation.
Training and workforce development remain central to the organisation’s ethos, reflecting a philosophy often attributed to Richard Branson: “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t.”
Today, 87% of Chamomile Care’s Care Workers are either undertaking or already hold a Level 3 qualification, 92% have been with the organisation for more than two years, and 25% for over four years, figures that significantly exceed sector averages. The organisation is also a proud Oxford Living Wage employer, reflecting its commitment to fair pay, staff wellbeing, and sustainable, high-quality home care across Oxfordshire.
