Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting Crystal Care in Birkenhead, and what an inspiring visit it was. Crystal Care is a leading independent health and social care provider, delivering high-quality, person-centred support across a wide range of settings, including domiciliary care, residential care homes, and day centres. Their services are built around clinical excellence, compassionate leadership, and meaningful partnerships with local authorities and the NHS.

At the heart of their model is a strong belief in nursing-led care, supported by an experienced and passionate team. Dr Louise May, a dedicated and inspiring leader with a PhD and decades of experience in the sector, spoke powerfully about how nursing is central to everything they do. Her commitment to integrating nursing values into social care was evident throughout our conversation.

Crystal Care’s team brings together professionals from a variety of backgrounds, including nursing, recruitment, and care coordination. This multidisciplinary expertise enables them to fully understand and respond to the needs of the individuals and services they support, tailoring care with a strong emphasis on safety, dignity, and independence.

Their nurses and care coordinators take an active role in supervising staff and embedding continuous professional development (CPD) into daily practice. Staff are supported to learn, grow, and reflect, ensuring that care is always delivered to the highest standards.

A standout example of their innovative approach is their commitment to nutrition and daily living skills. By following the Barbara Freeman model, they support staff in developing cookery skills, ensuring that the people they care for enjoy nutritious, home-prepared meals that enhance wellbeing.

They also embrace state-of-the-art clinical technology, such as Whzan observation kits, to monitor the health of those they support. This enables early detection of clinical deterioration, helping to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and ensuring timely escalation to NHS services when needed, while supporting individuals to remain in their preferred place of care whenever possible.

Crystal Care is also shaping the future of the workforce by welcoming student nurses on placement into social care environments, such as local day centres. This provides invaluable real-world experience and helps bridge the gap between health and social care education.

Through strong partnerships with local authorities and the NHS, Crystal Care continues to deliver responsive, skilled, and compassionate care, whether that’s in someone’s home, a care home, or a community setting.

Dr Louise May and her team at Crystal Care are a beacon of innovation and excellence in our sector. Thank you for the warm welcome and for the outstanding work you do to champion truly person-centred care.