National Care Forum Annual General Meeting

Today as NCF Chairman I presided over its 8th AGM. Since it's formation in 2003 the NCF has grown steadily and it now has over 70 not-for-profit and voluntary sector organisations in membership. Together the members represent an annual turnover of some £1.5 billion, employ some 75,000 staff and provide care and support services to well over 100,000 people throughout the country. The NCF is now established as the most respected and most effective national association representing care and support providers.

I would strongly recommend any readers of this blog, who have an interest in the wider perspective of the national social care sector, to make a point of looking through the weekly update from the NCF published on line and available through the Somerset Care Group intranet. Go to the intranet home page, select "Information and Support", then "Regular Bulletins", then "NCF Updates". There you will find the most up to date information on the fast changing world of social care and you can readily ensure that your professional understanding of all that is going on is up to date.



The AGM took place at the magnificent brand new care village, developed by the St Monica Trust, on the site of the old Sandford Station, near Banwell in North Somerset. The 17 acre village comprises a large dementia care home, a nursing home, an assisted living apartment complex and a large number of retirement houses and apartments for sale. Designed by KWL Architects, built by D R Jones Construction and project managed by the Andrew Wilson Partnership, all of whom we use on our own major care home projects, the village is without doubt amongst the very best of it's kind in the world. The St Monica Trust and their professional design team are rightly extremely proud of the scheme and were pleased to show the NCF members round the complex. The deserve our congratulations on an outstanding development. If you get an opportunity to visit Sandford Station - don't hesitate. It is truly impressive.

Location:Sandford, N Somerset