New hires at Balhousie Care Group signal “exciting chapter”

The award-winning Balhousie Care Group has promised an “exciting chapter” in its growth with the announcement of several key appointments.

The Perth-based care provider, with 25 care homes across the north, east and central Scotland, has created three new roles among its most recent hires: Hospitality Services Manager, Head of Property Services, and Brand & Communications Manager.

David Blackwood joins as Hospitality Services Manager from Meallmore, where he was Group Catering Manager. His extensive hospitality experience also includes BaxterStorey, where he was Group Manager, and Alliance Hotels as Chef Manager. A leading figure in care home catering policy, David co-chaired a group with the Care Inspectorate which created resources and best practice guidance for people working in and receiving care services in Scotland. He is currently Scottish Secretary of the National Association of Care Catering.

As part of his new role, David said he planned to combine his care home and commercial experience with “a raft of initiatives which will take Balhousie Care Group’s catering to an even higher level,” including a re-launch of food offerings with a focus on fresh, quality recipes.

Alison Bennett, Balhousie Care’s new Head of Property Services, was an Account Manager at Mitie where she headed up facilities management for clients such as the Scottish Government, Scottish Police and Fire, BSkyB and Lloyds Banking Group. Alison’s focus has been on developing the branding of the group’s properties and ensuring they are of the highest standard. She oversees a £3m refurbishment programme of homes, which will increase to a £5m spend in 2019/20. The programme will run until 2021, and will also include new builds.

In another new role, Gillian Drummond has been appointed as Brand and Communications Manager. An award-winning public relations consultant and former journalist, Gillian has been delivering outsourced PR for Balhousie Care Group for several years. She joins from marketing agency Volpa. Gillian said: “I’m thrilled to be part of the next stage in Balhousie Care Group’s growth, to shout about the excellent practices which make it an undisputed leader in its field, and to help strengthen the Balhousie Care brand.”

Sarah Gordon has been appointed as Balhousie Care Group’s new Operations Manager. Sarah comes with a wealth of experience in the NHS, private healthcare and the Third Sector. She was formerly Operations Manager with Renaissance Care and Head of Operations for the north east for Sense Scotland.

In other new hires, Amanda Sword, also formerly with Renaissance Care, is the new General Manager at Balhousie Coupar Angus. She was previously Home Manager at Beech Manor Care Home in Blairgowrie. Claire Alexander has been appointed as manager for Balhousie Lisden. She was previously home manager at HC One in Dundee.

Balhousie Care Group’s Head of Operations Claire Docherty said: “These new appointments prove Balhousie Care Group’s commitment to attract high-calibre staff and provide an excellent platform for them to develop. They also signal an exciting new chapter for us as we continue to be the trusted voice in the industry to deliver quality, innovative care.”