The story of Kevin Hewlett, Director and Owner of Hale Place Care Solutions, reminds us that it’s never too late to find your passion and that sometimes, the most challenging beginnings can lead to the most rewarding journeys.
“I’ve got a colourful history, I lived on the streets and in squats for a short period and then luckily, I ended up getting a job in the bank where I did well.” This job, he says, put him back on the path, allowing him to continue his education and opening up opportunities he is very appreciative of.
Despite his success in the banking sector, including three promotions and a stint working in the City, Hewlett felt something was missing. “I realised financial life wasn’t for me,” he admits. This realisation led him back to university and then into the insurance industry. Yet, the same feeling persisted. “There was something not right and I have to have a passion for something,” he explains.
It was during this time that Hewlett discovered his true calling. “Whilst I was working in the insurance industry I used to go finish for the weekend and work night shifts at a care home on Friday night and Saturday night. Just as a care worker doing hands-on personal care,” he recalls. “And I realised this was something that, for some reason, I gravitated to.”
From that point forward, Hewlett knew his passion lay with people and helping people more than making money. “That was where my focus became at a very early stage. And that was around the age of 27,” he says. From that point, Kevin had the concept of Hale Place. “You need to find something that you have a passion for because the only way I believe I could improve was to have a passion behind it,” he advises. “And you have to have a love for life.”
Hewlett’s passion for care has not only shaped his career but also his approach to leadership. “As a leader, one of the big challenges was getting the right people around me. That’s the only way that I was ever going to achieve the objectives that I had for the care home from the outset,” he shares.
The Ideal Leader in the Care Sector
In the care sector, Kevin believes that leadership is about more than just managing people. It’s about inspiring them to continuously develop and improve. “First and foremost, being ethical, having good ethics and integrity is paramount,” he says. “My values are to ensure that my clients and my staff and the clients’ health and well-being is uplifted and they have meaningful lives.”
Hewlett’s approach to leadership is rooted in his belief in the power of personal development. “I think it’s about being a good coach,” he explains. “If you inspire people to continuously develop and improve, you’re gonna be surrounded by people that showcase your leadership.”
This focus on development extends to his staff at Hale Place. “I’ve been blessed with having good people around me,” he says. “I understood the value of training and development, so I went into that area of work as well, again whilst running the care home side by side with a training company.”
Hewlett’s commitment to development has led to a culture of continuous learning within his organisation. “We’ve probably got the highest percentage of employees with a Level 3 qualification within a care home within the country,” he shares. “And then I’ve got a lady now who’s come to us to ask to go to Level 4 and she’s starting in September.”
But it’s not just about qualifications. Hewlett believes in the importance of recognising potential and creating opportunities for his staff. “Occasionally we create jobs that don’t exist,” he says. “So if we see someone with great potential and we want to motivate and inspire, we’ll just create the senior position anyway and get an extra one in.”
Challenges in the Care Sector
Kevin is no stranger to the challenges that the care sector faces. “We know that financing and staffing have never been on a path of where they should be to provide quality care,” he explains. “You can’t do that without staff, which we’re short of anyway. But you can’t do that without money because in dementia care, that’s more of a one-to-one or one-to-two staff ratio.”
Despite these challenges, Hewlett remains committed to providing quality care for his clients. “We are privately funded. But when someone’s money runs out, we do not move them on, that’s inhumane,” he says. “If you move someone with dementia to another care home at a mid or late stage, that can be amazingly distressing.”
Hewlett’s approach to these challenges is truly rewarding, as demonstrated through the success of Hale Place. “We are regarded as one of the premier providers in the country for giving meaningful lives to people with dementia.”
Kevin Hewlett: A Legacy of Inspiration and Achievement
When it comes to a legacy, Kevin has a clear vision. “I would hope that I’ve made a positive difference to people’s lives and to all those staff that I could inspire and help develop.”
Hewlett takes pride in the fact that many of his staff have gone on to other careers within the care sector, attributing their success to the development and support they received at Hale Place. “We’ve developed people into nursing, the NHS, management positions, and other care homes,” he shares.
Looking back at the numerous awards his organisation has received, Hewlett sees them as a testament to the hard work and dedication of his team. “One of the most gratifying things is just looking down there and seeing how many people in my organisation have contributed to a list of 24 awards,” he says. “A lot of staff with these awards say that if they weren’t in an organisation that believed, supported, and developed them, they wouldn’t have achieved the things that they have.”
As he looks towards the future, Hewlett remains committed to making a difference in the care sector. His legacy, he hopes, will be one of inspiration, development, and meaningful change. “If that’s not inspirational, well, what is?”
