Home care head named UK's 'Most Outstanding Leader in Care'

Penrose Care’s managing director, Robert Stephenson-Padron, won the “Most Outstanding Leader in the Care Sector in the UK” award at the 2014 UK Over 50s Housing Awards ceremony held recently at the Westbury Hotel, London.

The ceremony, which was held jointly with the Global Over 50s Housing Healthcare Awards, recognises excellence in the health and social care industry across the globe.

Robert Stephenson-Padron said: “I am honoured to receive this prestigious award. Thank you to the Penrose Care team, especially our co-founder, Dr. Matthew Knight, who embarked with me in 2012 to build Penrose Care - the pioneer of ethics in home care in the UK.

“At the awards ceremony, I called on those who can, to pay their workers a Living Wage as Penrose Care does. The UK’s care sector has sadly become known for low standards and low pay – this needs to change.

"By paying care workers a Living Wage versus poverty wages, we will start to transform social care into a career of choice rather than a job for those without choice. Indeed, at Penrose Care, we have shown that to promote a caring workforce, the organisation must be caring." The Mayor of Camden, Lazzaro Pietragnoli, added: “Robert Stephenson-Padron has been committed not only to providing high quality standards of care for his customers but also to implement the best practices for his employees.

“In a fast growing sector, where too often the focus is on containing the cost of the service rather than improving its quality, Penrose Care is a testimony that a private company may be unilaterally committed to provide the London Living Wage to its employees, to offer them specific and formal training, to guarantee to them set hours and pay them for travelling time.

“Robert's decision to comply with Citizens UK's landmark Social Care Charter and with the Living Wage Foundation's guidelines is really commendable, especially since Penrose is one of the few companies in the sector to do so.

The award ceremony included a number of care firms from around the world including British residential care provider Barchester Healthcare, Nautical Lands Group of Canada, World Class Retirement Complex of the Philippines; health care investment firms Oaktree Capital and HCP; and other British companies including Lloyds Bank and Knight Frank estate agents.

Penrose Care is based in Belsize Village in Hampstead in the Borough of Camden, London.