Watch the interview here

Molly: Hello and welcome back to our series of ‘Meet the Speaker’, where we'll be interviewing members of our speaker lineup for Care Show Birmingham 2026, coming up in October. It's a chance to get to know the experts behind all the real insights, experience and guidance that they'll be presenting at the upcoming show. 

I'm Molly, and today I'm joined by Steve, one of our incredible speakers for this year's event. So… first things first, please go ahead and introduce yourself. 

 

Steve: Hi, I'm Steve Gardner-Collins and I'm Regional Marketing Manager for the Order of St John Care Trust. My region at the moment is our south homes and our private collection homes, so it's a dual role. 

Molly: Perfect, thank you. Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in the care sector? 

 

Steve: I started in hospitality many years ago and, like any career journey, you never know where it's going to take you. My professional background was in managing hotel rooms, occupancy, advertising and marketing, and being part of the transition from print into the online world. 

I was also involved in the shift in how people bought hotel rooms. Back in the day, we moved into the voucher market and that took the sector by storm. It meant we had to become quite strategic in how we sold our rooms, a bit like an airline, fitting people in at different prices. 

Then COVID hit and the sector took a break. During that time, I rethought my career. Coming back into hospitality after lockdown, I realised I needed a change. After doing some research, I came across a regional role that suited my transferable skill set and that began my journey into care. 

I started looking at care home rooms and how you go about advertising and marketing them, while also thinking about sustainability, growth and leadership within that role. 

 

Molly: Fantastic - so you've had that out-of-sector experience that you've now brought into care.  

What is the focus of your panel session at this year's conference and why is it such an important topic at the moment? 

 

Steve: Our panel topic is focused on the future. What does the future of care look like? 

I first posed this question about a year ago, looking ahead to 2030 and realising that, with 2026 approaching, there are only four years to go. Originally, 2030 felt like a long-term strategic vision. When I asked the question, people immediately talked about technology and AI. We know some homes have already adopted different technologies and AI experiences, so we're starting to see the sector prepare for 2030. 

The question is whether the sector is actually prepared for 2030, and what that might look like. Then, looking a further ten years ahead, what does 2040 look like? How does the sector deliver that future while still focusing on its core purpose, which is caring for people? 

It's a fascinating topic. The session is designed to set the scene for that conversation. We won't be able to answer the question definitively in a single session, but hopefully we'll plant the seed of thought, gather people's opinions, explore the conversation as it evolves and continue revisiting it so we don't lose sight of it going forward. 

Molly: I think it's going to be quite an engaging session and you'll probably get a lot of follow-up questions from it. 

Steve: I think that's what makes it interesting. It's a Q&A from the start because everybody will have a different opinion. Whenever we think about the future, we all have our own view of what it might look like. 

The real question is what that means in the context of our jobs and the people we care for. What do we want care to look like? Is it care at home for longer? Is it more care within care homes? How much technology do we adopt? What do we hold onto? 

We don't want to lose sight of the things we already do well. The challenge is how we move forward, embrace change and technology, while retaining the best parts of what we already do. 

 

Molly: Absolutely. It's very forward-facing, which is brilliant.  

What's one thing you hope attendees will take away from your session? 

 

Steve: I hope attendees leave with a sense of optimism. When we think about the future, there will always be highs and lows, but optimism allows us to believe that good things can come from it. 

I also hope they leave thinking about the possibilities. It's not just about one vision. The future creates opportunities for growth, opportunities for people to evolve in their careers and opportunities for training and development. 

For me, it's about the optimism of a bright future and the possibilities that future could bring, both for people working in care and for the people we support. How can enhanced experiences improve lives? How can new ideas and innovations make things better? 

Those are the possibilities I hope people take away with them. 

 

Molly: Absolutely. It's not one to miss then.  

Have there been any recent developments or research in social care policy that you find particularly exciting? 

 

Steve: I think the introduction of the modern service framework, particularly around frailty and dementia, is really interesting. 

The word "modern" naturally points us towards the here and now, and towards the future. It links very well to this discussion around 2030 and 2040. When you combine that with themes around frailty and dementia, it creates an interesting opportunity to think about where care is heading. 

I'm always interested in how things develop. When frameworks place an emphasis on prevention, early intervention and community-based care, it raises important questions. What does community look like in 2030? 

Over the years we've seen communities become more disconnected. The idea of the "big society" is perhaps something we need to revisit. Do we know our neighbours? How connected are we to the people living around us? Families are spread all over the world and we rely heavily on technology to stay connected through Teams, Zoom, WhatsApp and social media. 

Our connections aren't always face-to-face anymore. Care, however, is about being together, looking after somebody and physically being there. Technology absolutely has a place because without it we would lose connection altogether, but care always brings us back to people. 

As we look to the future, how do we embrace technology while recognising that dementia will continue to grow, more people will live longer and society will face increasing pressures? That's why I keep a close eye on these frameworks and the conversations surrounding them. 

 

Molly: What's one misconception about social care that you often encounter in your role, and how do you go about addressing it? 

 

Steve: One of the biggest misconceptions is that social care is free. 

People often associate social care with local authorities, social workers and public services, so they assume that support is provided free at the point of use. The reality is that, depending on your circumstances, much of social care is paid for. 

Services only become publicly funded once certain financial thresholds have been reached. Until then, many aspects of care are privately funded. 

There are also misconceptions about what is included when someone moves into a care home. People often imagine it's like an all-inclusive hotel, but that's not always the case. Depending on the home and the contract, there may still be additional costs for things such as hairdressing, physiotherapy and other day-to-day services. 

Looking ahead to 2030 and 2040, this conversation becomes even more important. More people will be living longer and care will inevitably become more expensive. The question becomes who pays for those services in the future and how we continue to support people in a sustainable way. 

The misconception is that social care is free. The reality is that, in many cases, it isn't. 

 

Molly: I'd say that's a conversation around managing expectations, but also continuing to adapt services to changing expectations.  

What do you enjoy most about working in the care sector? 

 

Steve: I love the fact that every day is different. 

We're all human and our days are shaped by our moods, our circumstances and the world around us. We are constantly connected to news, weather and events happening all over the world. All of those things influence us. 

What I enjoy most about care is that it's fundamentally human. Even in a quiet care home, the wider world still has an impact. The atmosphere changes depending on what's happening around us. A sunny day lifts people's spirits. A grey day can create a completely different mood. 

Because the work is so people-focused, every day feels different. What I thought I was going to be doing today isn't necessarily what I've ended up doing. Not because priorities have changed, but because interesting opportunities and conversations have emerged throughout the day. 

You never know what the next email, text message or Teams notification is going to bring. A colleague might ask for a quick conversation about something you hadn't even considered that morning, and suddenly you're exploring a completely new idea. 

That's what I enjoy most. I never know what the next five minutes will look like. 

 

Molly: Outside of work, how do you like to unwind and recharge? What's your favourite hobby at the moment? 

 

Steve: I'm actually a yoga teacher. I originally found yoga while working in hospitality because both hospitality and care are twenty-four-hour operations. You never really switch off. There is always something happening. 

Yoga started as a way for me to unwind. It then expanded into a wider interest in health and fitness. I teach yoga now, which gives me an hour where I'm completely focused on something different. I don't think about work at all during that time. 

Alongside that, I use the gym as a way to recharge. I enjoy classes such as Body Balance, Body Pump and spin classes. It all started through yoga but gradually opened up a whole world of wellbeing activities. 

As a family, we also use the gym together. It's a great way for all of us to unwind and burn off energy. We're also National Trust members and love spending time outdoors. We enjoy exploring, whether that's indoor or outdoor activities, and we make the most of themed events and family activities throughout the year. 

I also love travelling and teaching yoga abroad. I've taught in places such as India and Spain, which has been a fantastic experience. 

So really it's yoga, fitness, travelling, family time and being outdoors. That's how I recharge. 

 

Molly: What a wonderful collection of passions. 

Well, that's all of my questions for today, so thank you for answering them.  

As Steve mentioned, the panel session he'll be running, ‘Future Fit: What Should Care Look Like in 2030 and Are We Ready for It?’, will be on day two of the show, Thursday 8 October, in the Keynote Theatre starting at 11:45am. 

He'll be joined by Nadra Ahmed, Karolina Gerlich, Vic Rayner and Martin Jones. 

Thank you so much for your time today, Steve, and I hope you're looking forward to Care Show as much as we are. 

 

Steve: Thank you. I am!