Davina has been involved in the care home sector for over twenty years.
First publishing the A-Z Care Homes Guide from 1997 to its cessation in 2013, the A-Z Care Homes Guide was the only national care home directory in the UK, which covered all registered care homes. This led on to the creation of carehome.co.uk in 2005 which gradually converted the entries in the A-Z Care Home Guide to online publishing. carehome.co.uk currently receives over 17 million visitors per year and has nearly 200,000 care home reviews.
As director of carehome.co.uk, Davina was responsible for the success of both the Guide and the website. She is known throughout the sector, by both care home groups and independently owned care homes, for promoting good care and is a tireless advocate for the industry. As a passionate campaigner within the sector, Davina is a leading advocate for highlighting the laudable work provided by care homes and the dedication of those working within the sector.
In 2009, Davina was approached to become a founder Trustee of the Care Workers Charity, the charity for professional care workers. The CWC is the safety net for the vulnerable care workers who, through no fault of their own, find themselves in a crisis. Davina threw herself into this role with the enthusiasm she brings to every challenge she has been presented with.
Davina was voted Care Personality of the Year in 2013 at the National Care Awards.
She is a powerful voice for the sector, having spoken on radio and TV including The One Show and BBC News 24 on a whole range of issues in the care sector such as surveillance cameras in care homes and whether care workers should wear uniforms. She has also been regularly quoted in the nationals in articles on social care.
Davina has stepped down from her role as director of carehome.co.uk and is now acting as a consultant within the care home sector.
“I am in because… it is crucial that we support and celebrate care workers who care for the most vulnerable in our society and yet, sadly, tend to be unsung heroes, particularly during this challenging time when they are on the frontline of the pandemic risking their own health to help others.”
