Warwickshire leader awarded OBE for services to care home residents

We are delighted to announce that our valued partner, Ed Russell of WCS Care has been awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for his outstanding services to care home residents. Ed was the first to implement our CLB acoustic monitoring technology in a UK care home, leading to significant improvements in resident safety and well-being. His success has inspired wider adoption of the technology, supported by NHS grants, enhancing care for thousands of residents nationwide.

An Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to care home residents

Ed’s care journey began in 1992 when he started as a carer at WCS Care, a registered charity that operates 13 care homes across Warwickshire. He has dedicated over 30 years of his working life to the improvement of the health, wellbeing and quality of life of residents living in residential care homes.

Having worked in most positions and gained experience of every role in a care home, Ed progressed through management to become WCS Care’s Chief Executive in 2020. Ed has persuaded providers across the sector of the need for change, driving innovation and positive transformation in the provision of care across the country and impacting the lives of thousands of people living in care homes today and in the future.

Ed said, “Wow! This is so amazing that work inside the UK’s care homes is being recognised in this way. I still remember my first day working as a carer, and now being able to challenge the UK and wider care sector is a privilege, looking differently at how we do things. Innovations like circadian rhythm lighting and acoustic night-time monitoring are but two of a long list of sustainable improvements which will make care homes of the future better for us all.

“I feel very honoured to receive this award as a representative of the so many amazing carers who strive every day to give the best life possible to care home residents.”

Adrian Levett, Chair of the WCS Care Board of Trustees said; “This is so well deserved. Ed often reflects to me that life is about opportunity – what you do with the time you have – the space between the dates at the start and end of life. Ed should be very proud of this honour. He has created and taken opportunities to positively impact the lives of so many care home residents, both now and for generations to come. Congratulations Ed.”

The inspiration

In 2012, Ed visited De Hogeweyk, a leading dementia village in the Netherlands. This visit was a turning point. What he saw there convinced him that dementia care in the UK needed to change, and he has transformed WCS Care’s approach to care. Ed has also gone on to share this experience with providers across the UK and overseas, influencing the adoption of technology and new ways of working.

One significant innovation Ed has championed is night-time acoustic monitoring. After witnessing the benefits of the system in the Netherlands, Ed was the first person to install and use this technology in a UK care home. Within a year he successfully evidenced a reduction in night-time falls and better sleep for residents, as well as improved dignity and privacy at night. Having shared these results with other care home operators and policymakers, more companies are adopting this technology, and the NHS Digital Transformation Fund is providing grants for its installation, helping to improve night-time care for thousands of care home residents across the country.

In 2019 Ed delivered his vision of a UK version of the De Hogeweyk model, opening Woodside Care Village in Warwick. Featuring 12 small households for five to seven residents, the village has its own shop, café, launderette, hair salon and cinema. Residents are encouraged to get outside, whatever the weather, and live a life that feels familiar by doing everyday things like popping to the shop to choose a meal and preparing it in the household kitchen or contributing to their home’s cleaning.

Ed’s creation of the only UK care home-based ‘Innovation Hub,’ now based at Woodside Care Village, exemplifies his forward-thinking approach. This hub showcases the testing and sharing of new ideas in a safe environment, attracting national and international visitors to understand the building’s design principles, use of technology and the experience of the people who live and work there.

Ed has used these developments to convince others that care can be done differently. He continues to challenge WCS and other providers to do better. With the residents’ experience and the carers’ role at the heart of everything he does, he remains a catalyst for positive change in residential care.

Beyond his technical innovations, Ed is known for being generous with his time and expertise, mentoring others in the sector and sharing best practices internationally. His inclusive leadership style and genuine commitment to resident care have earned him respect from colleagues and peers alike.

Ed was born, and lives on, his family’s farm in Harbury, Warwickshire. When he isn’t working he can be found helping out on the farm, watching the cricket (his knees don’t let him play anymore) or enjoying his passion for classic cars.

From all of us here at Adaptive Care, we’d like to raise a toast to Ed and celebrate his remarkable and truly well-deserved achievement!

To find out more about WCS Care, visit www.wcs-care.co.uk

Disclaimer: Some text and images are copyrighted and belong to WCS Care.