Paul Edwards, Co-Manager of Compton View, brings a wealth of experience from the pharmaceutical and research sectors to his current role in the care industry.
With a degree in organic chemistry, a PhD in chemistry, and an MBA, Edwards’ career began in pharmaceuticals, where he spent two decades working on drug discovery and development. He explains, "I transitioned from organic to medicinal chemistry and worked on discovering new drugs and medicines," during his tenure at Pfizer UK, most notably contributing to projects related to HIV treatments.
His journey took him across Europe, including a pivotal role in Germany, where he headed a team focused on discovering new medicines for type 2 diabetes. Later, he returned to the UK to work with various universities and biotech companies, helping to spin out innovative projects, including diagnostic tools for epilepsy and treatments for melanoma.
In 2017, Edwards shifted gears, leveraging his scientific and managerial expertise to enter the care sector. His first venture was Blue Sunrise Care in Yeovil, followed by the acquisition of Gables Residential Home in 2020.
"I wanted to diversify into a new area," he says, noting how his background in research and process optimisation has influenced his approach to running care homes. "I've tried to change things in how we work to make our jobs better," Edwards adds, highlighting his commitment to innovation within an industry he believes is often underfunded and understaffed.
For this year alone, Compton View have been nominated for a number of professional award with a total of ten wins, including Care Home Team of the Year Bristol 2024 and Best Residential Care Home Bristol 2024, and five highly commends.
Maximising Efficiency and Maintaining Quality in Care Homes
In running a care home, particularly in an underfunded sector, efficiency is crucial. One significant way to achieve this is through optimising back-office operations, which can result in better care for residents. For example, one care home managed to reduce food expenditure by a third through a thoughtful approach to purchasing, while maintaining high-quality meals.
This was done by normalising food products—comparing items like tins of beans or loaves of bread across multiple supermarkets, rather than relying on a single source. By mixing and matching to find the best prices, the home was able to free up significant resources. These savings were then redirected to more valuable areas, such as hiring additional staff or introducing new forms of entertainment and care for residents.
Beyond food, the same cost-efficient mindset was applied to other areas, such as stock control and medication management. By ensuring that the right equipment was always available, staff were able to work more smoothly, creating a better environment both for themselves and for the residents.
This efficient, hands-on leadership, along with the ability to connect with staff on a personal level, helped build trust and a sense of loyalty. As a result, the staff turnover rate in the care home remained impressively low—under 5%—in an industry where turnover typically exceeds 20-30%.
Additionally, the smaller, more personal nature of these homes allowed for better resident-staff relationships, a critical factor in maintaining high levels of care, something that is often lost in larger operations.
Preserving a Legacy of Care
In reflecting on the challenges facing small care operators, Paul shares a candid thought about the uncertainty of passing on a business built with care and commitment. "I’ve never thought of my legacy," he admits.
Edwards emphasised the importance of finding the right buyer, someone who will honour the legacy of care that has been established. "You can say that you want to sell to someone who has an interest in the residents," he explained. He recalled being reassured by the vendors from whom they bought the care home, who expressed a similar sentiment. "That’s what we were told—that they wanted to sell to someone with an interest in the residents, which obviously we had, otherwise, we wouldn’t have won the awards we have."
Still, he acknowledged that the process of handing over a care home involves more than just transferring ownership. "I would love to say that we would have someone that could take on what we’ve done, the ideas that we have, and develop them," Edwards reflected. He recognises the limitations inherent in any individual’s vision. "Every individual has a limit to what they can do and envision. That’s why you need other people coming into the genetic pool to shake things up and bring in new ideas, because you get an order and you get less inventive maybe."
For Edwards, the key to a successful transition lies in ensuring continuity in the quality of care, not just focusing on financial outcomes. "I think the important thing is not the money you make from selling the care home and retiring. It’s keeping the way the current residents—and future residents—are looked after."
As he thoughtfully concluded, "That’s the legacy. It’s the care that we put into the people on a pastoral level, as well as the medical, that continues."
