Outstanding rated Hale Place, in Tonbridge, is one of England’s most decorated care homes, having racked up 21 awards and 36 finalist nominations. Owner, Kevin Hewlett, reveals what makes Hale Place so special

Led by Kevin Hewlett and his family, Hale Place has built a reputation as one of the country’s leading dementia care homes. The home has amassed 21 awards, including Care Home of the Year, at the National Care Awards in 2022, and has been visited by the BBC, ITV, Department of Health and Social Care and the NHS as a centre of excellence.

Hewlett, a National Care Awards Lifetime Achievement Awards winner, registered his first bed 35 years ago, after having previously worked in finance.

“I knew I needed to do something meaningful with my life,” he told us.

“My mother-in-law had a care home, where I worked nights to get a feel for whether I wanted to go into this or not. I did that for six months and when this building came up for sale, I thought, let’s try it.”

Starting off as a small family home, with just three residents on local authority contracts, was tough, with Hewlett having to take on other jobs to stay above water, including running his own care home cleaning business, working for a national care association as a director of a charitable training centre and finally running his own social care training centre for 12 years, with his wife, Mandy.

“Mum adores it. She has been here three years. I wouldn’t move her. They are always doing something. Taking them out. They have singers come in the garden. It’s lovely. They keep us well informed. They are constantly innovating and changing things which is great.”

“That was a good grounding and gave me money to survive and insight into other care homes so I could observe and see what was good about them,” Hewlett said.

The care home business became a labour of love for Hewlett as he struggled to make a profit for more than a decade.

“Local authority fee levels could not support a quality service where peoples’ lives could be enhanced, we strived to be the best we could be and having operated with council contracts for 12 years, we decided to go fully private in 2000 so we could achieve our primary objectives; happy lives for everyone,” Hewlett said.

The effect on his business was immediately transformative. “The fees doubled overnight and I had no problem filling the home,” Hewlett said. “I had wonderful staff and we were able to improve their working conditions and provide a quality of life for residents that exceeded peoples’ expectations.”

The home has never looked back and it soon began to garner awards and build a local and national reputation for excellence. “The reputation of Hale Place has been flourishing within the local community and in the wider business world for many years, but renewed attention and recognition helps to embed trust and credibility among our customers, potential residents and suppliers,” Hewlett told us.

So, what makes Hale Place so special? “What sets us apart, is keeping people active,” Hewlett explained. “Activity is one of the most important things with dementia. Providing stimulation and keeping people engaged in activities that make them laugh and smile is key to a happy life. We have had people come here and burst into tears and say ‘I didn’t know a care home like yours existed’.”

The home shares a jam-packed monthly activities schedule on its website so that family members can see what their loved ones are getting up to.

“We use a wide range of diversionary activities when responding to the individual needs of a person,” Hewlett continued. “Activities may include walking the dog, petting our animals, music, dance, café and pub visits, boat trips or just shopping in the village.

“We’re all about what we can do to keep people active and engaged with the local community, encouraging people to enjoy life outside the home.”

Hale Place hosts weekly barbecues for residents and their family members and residents enjoy Kingfisher Trust boat trips on the River Medway throughout the summer where, again, family members can join their loved one.

“We had a resident who had been reclusive for five years, whose brother was very worried about them when they moved in and stated that she wouldn’t participate in anything,” Hewlett told us.

“On day four, I sent them a picture of her on the River Medway steering a boat!” It’s not just residents who are well looked after with trips out and about, however, as staff members are also shown appreciation with expenses paid trips to awards events, Royal Ascot and nights out in London.

“We do our best to give back to them a little bit of what they deserve, including an annual loyalty bonus of up to £1,000,” Hewlett said.

Keeping residents safe while living fulfilled lives is another key priority of the home.

“My son Dudley (operations manager) has introduced technology, throughout our operation, over the past three years, mainly concentrating on the safety and supportive technology,” Hewlett said. “Upgrades and developments have included bed leaving alarms on the mattresses, motion sensor alarms near stairs, alarmed cameras covering driveways, emar, digital care planning and HR, making Hale Place one of the most tech savy providers around.” Hewlett noted.

During Covid, Hewlett’s other son, Barney (properties manager), landscaped the gardens to further reduce the risk of falls, widened paths, built lodges and replaced fences to improve safety.

“There are risks in everything, which is why we consult the resident’s families about acceptable risk and how we can make them as safe as we possibly can, while they enjoy a fulfilled life with our ongoing support,” Hewlett shared.

“You can’t prevent all falls, but, even after 35 years, we continuously update and upgrade the whole environment. If we see someone new, who has particular issues that concern us, we seek to minimise risks for that person.”

It’s this ethos of continuously innovating, adapting and improving that has made Hale Place one of England’s most decorated and lauded care homes.

“Winning these awards has provided a morale boost to the family members and all employees, both past and present, who have contributed to the success of the business,” Kevin concluded. “It serves as a source of inspiration and motivation to continue working hard and striving for excellence for all the people we support. Together, we will continue to strive to exceed the expectations of all our service users, we will focus on keeping people safe and ensuring a happy life for all who work in our service and all that have been entrusted into our care.”