Severn Vale Home Care Founder Stuart Callister’s New Role as Championing Social Care Ambassador
As many of the people who work with Severn Vale Home Care will know, we are a family-run local home care team led by our Founding Director, Stuart Callister. Stuart is passionate about giving back to our community, celebrating excellence in care, and demonstrating the huge importance of driving forward quality standards.
In his latest endeavours to contribute to the development of the social care space, Stuart has become an ambassador for the charity Championing Social Care, in addition to his roles as ambassador for Dementia UK and board member for the Care Innovation Summit.
Championing Social Care is a fantastic charity that spotlights the value that social care brings. It delivers a range of programmes and events to raise funds, acknowledge achievements, and support the sector’s ongoing advancement.
The Background and Work of Championing Social Care
Having officially become an independent charity in 2024, previously an incubator organisation supported by the CareTech Foundation, Championing Social Care began in 2018 with the inaugural Care Sector Fundraising Ball. It went on to deliver new programmes throughout the pandemic, advocating for the invaluable work of care professionals and emphasising the contributions the workforce of 1.6 million was making.
As a volunteer-led charity, Championing Social Care is overseen by a group of ambassadors who are considered leading figures within the health and social care environment, a team Stuart has been delighted to join and lend his support, expertise and thought leadership to.
The team of Founder Patrons and an organising committee manage the charity’s strategic objectives, with a focus on volunteer leadership. Committee members are selected from the group of ambassadors to ensure there is a broad range of voices, perspectives, and input.
Rather than acting as a charitable body that represents or speaks for the care sector or care professionals, Championing Social Care delivers initiatives, stories and campaigns to work towards better public appreciation, respect and understanding of the complexities surrounding care and the vital need for social care in our society.
Stuart reflects that, as a director of an exceptional team of home care professionals, becoming a Championing Social Care ambassador is a privilege. He considers the voluntary role an opportunity to continue building better recognition of the importance of high-quality care and ensuring that the achievements and compassion care professionals represent are given a voice.
Championing Social Care’s Exciting Calendar of Events
Each year, Championing Social Care hosts varied events and programmes to raise publicity, awareness, and much-needed funds. These endeavours include the recent C.A.R.E.S. Master Class, a new event that shared understandings of best practice care standards between sector experts and leading care operators. Other scheduled events are summarised as follows.
Care Sector’s Got Talent
This wonderful occasion welcomes care professionals from across the sector to come together to share their passions and talents, from music to dance and comedy, and recognise the extraordinary diversity of skills that exist within the social care workforce.
Care Home Open Week
The Open Week is an annual week-long event that focuses on connecting communities, with tools and resources care providers can use to share stories about how they support care recipients and reframe misconceptions about what care might look and feel like.
The Care Sector Fundraising Ball
The Ball, now with its fifth event scheduled for September, raised a staggering £200,000 last year and £1.5 million since its inception. Funds are distributed to charities that offer support for those in need in the social care space, including Marie Curie and the Care Workers Charity, in 2024.
Care Sector’s Christmas Lunch
A festive and fun-filled occasion, the Christmas Lunch brings guests from the sector together to mark their achievements and accomplishments throughout the year. It also raises funds for charitable organisations, large and small, that provide crucial support for the care sector. In 2024, the Lunch welcomed over 250 guests and raised funds for Barnardo’s.
As one of the new ambassadors to represent Championing Social Care and join its efforts to raise the profile of the social care sector, Stuart will undoubtedly be happy to share more details about these and other events.
He will also be supporting the National Care Careers Conference, Who Cares Wins!, which will take place next spring. This event showcases the career pathways available to younger adults considering the care profession with an interactive conference and exhibition.
The Championing Social Care team welcomes exhibitors, funding partners, employers and educational establishments to register their interest in attending, with highlights of the 2024 conference available to watch via the charity’s website.
The Correlations Between Championing Social Care and the Severn Vale Ethos
Severn Vale Home Care is a forward-thinking home care provider built on family values, steered by Stuart’s passion for community, companionship, and care. Making a positive impact is one of our core principles.
We’ve seen how high-quality, family-feel care is a proven, successful home care model, and we have been delighted to achieve numerous awards and accolades, including Most Supportive Personal and Complex Care Specialists 2024, presented at the GHP Social Care Awards 2024.
Championing Social Care ambassadors work to actively promote social care, augment the sector’s visibility, challenge outdated misconceptions and shift stereotypes about the rewarding and respected nature of care careers.
Their role is also to amplify stories that show the positive impacts social care makes, celebrating successes and ensuring inspiring outcomes, innovations and endeavours are properly publicised.
Stuart’s decision to volunteer as a Championing Social Care ambassador was just the latest in his efforts to guide the sector forward in a positive and sustainable way, recognising how the work of the charity aligns with our own focus on innovation, career opportunities and personalised at-home care support.
He has long spoken about the importance of networking and collaboration, connecting with other care leaders and sharing ideas and experiences. The whole of the Severn Vale Home Care team is proud of Stuart’s long-standing voluntary work and his contributions to this and other charitable organisations as a visible, proactive advocate for the sector. Contact us to find out how Severn Vale Home Care can support your home care needs.
