Who we are – meet our management team
New care enquiries: 01305443115
Group Chairman – Derek Luckhurst FIoD, C Dir, Minst D, NCMA
Derek founded Agincare in 1993 following the success of his four care homes in Dorset, and remains heavily involved in all aspects of the day-to-day management and development of the Group.
He is a successful entrepreneur and brings his significant commercial and contract law experience and knowledge into the Senior Management team. Derek is also a Chartered Director and Fellow with the Institute of Directors.
Responsibility
Leading and managing the Board to implement the vision, mission and values across the Group, whilst meeting individual targets for each company.
Derek is also the shareholder across all companies and drives the local Castletown Regeneration Project and other associated local business interests.
Chief Executive Officer – Raina Summerson FIoD, MA, DipSW/DipHE
Raina is a qualified social worker, with a Masters in Mental Health Services. She has worked in social care since 1989, both privately and in the Local Authority/NHS environment.
Prior to joining Agincare in 2004, Raina was a (formerly CSCI) Regulatory Inspector with five years’ experience of registering and inspecting care homes and domiciliary care agencies.
Raina is closely involved with the Homecare Association and other national bodies in respect of lobbying for the social care sector. She was a Non-Exec Board Member of the Homecare Association for three years and is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors.
Responsibility
Raina is responsible for the overall implementation of strategy, management of external business relationships, robustness of operational management structures and future development and delivery of agreed expansion and diversification plans. She is the Nominated Individual for CQC registration and leads Agincare’s corporate regulatory relationships.
Raina is also Chair of the Portland Economic Vision Board, leading on a 15-year economic plan for the area, an Invest in Dorset Ambassador and is part of the Borough of Poole Community Leadership group.
Chief Operating Officer – Sarah Leskinen-Keel BA Hons
Sarah has many years of senior leadership experience in the charitable sector, concentrating mainly on urban regeneration, including projects to improve people’s health.
In addition to being an alumna of the Cranfield Business School, she has particular experience in change management, organisational development and customer-focussed service design and delivery.
Before joining Agincare Sarah was Chief Executive of a major regeneration programme in Bristol.
Responsibility
Chief Operating Officer responsible for all aspects of operations for Agincare Group Ltd, reporting to the Group CEO.
Sarah leads, develops and manages the individual companies’ Operations Directors to deliver agreed strategy and targets across the business. She sets and monitors the performance of key result areas through ongoing review and appraisal.
Financial Director – Stephen Heaps
Stephen has enjoyed a long and diverse career; first as an investment analyst for some of the world’s leading financial services groups and then as Chief Financial Officer for a series of high growth businesses, across a variety of industry sectors.
He has significant international experience and has worked for a number of sizable family businesses.
Before joining Agincare in April 2023, Stephen worked as the CFO of a large care home supply business
Responsibility
Reporting to the Group CEO as part of the Agincare Holdings Ltd senior team, Stephen is responsible for the strategic and operational functions of the Finance team.
Group Legal and Commercial Director – Jennifer Eldred
Jennifer is a solicitor with more than twenty years of international commercial experience working in regulated industries including defence and healthcare.
Her experience includes strategy and growth management for developing and mature businesses.
Before joining Agincare, Jennifer was Head of Legal for healthcare company in the Middle East.
Jennifer also serves as a non-executive director for the internationally recognised b-side arts organisation in Portland, Dorset.
Responsibility
Reporting to the Group CEO as part of the Agincare Holdings Ltd senior team, Jennifer oversees the Commercial team including Legal, Contracts, Procurement and Facilities.
Chief Operating Officer, Agincare Group – Dan Steadman, MSc, FCIM
Dan has many years of director level leadership experience in social care and policing, built on the foundation of his early military career as a commissioned officer in the Royal Air Force. He has particular experience in strategic change management, cultural change and programme management.
Before joining Agincare as Operations Director in February 2017, Dan was Chief Executive in two UK county police forces, national secretary to the Association of Police and Crime Chief Executives and Programme Director of a number of substantial change management programmes.
Since becoming Managing Director in August 2017 he has led the exciting service development and growth in our live-in care services, with the breadth and quality of our partnerships with the NHS and local authorities being nationally recognised as excellent.
Responsibility
As a Chief Operating Officer alongside Sarah Leskinen-Keel, Dan is responsible for all aspects of the delivery and development of Agincare Group Services and each of the four regional companies that cover all of England. Dan is line manager for the Live-in Care Managing Director, Sam Mayes.
AHH Managing Director – Laura Coupe
Laura joined Agincare in February 2023 as Operations Director for Agincare Homes Holdings and progressed to the role of Managing Director in July 2023.
Laura has extensive clinical and senior management experience from her previous careers in both the NHS and social care sector. She started her career as a nurse and then as a matron in the NHS, before moving into General Management and then Directorship rules in Urgency Care, Surgery and Theatres.
She was also Project Manager for the delivery of hospital targets and for the build of a new-build hospital.
Her further career in social care saw Laura become an Operations Director managing areas across the country with leading care home groups, as well as commercial roles commissioning new homes and developing new businesses.
Responsibility
Laura oversees all of Agincare Homes Holdings daily operations, supported by the wider regional teams, and leads on agreed strategies and targets across the business.
Laura reports directly to the group CEO.
Director of Head Office Services – Adam Luckhurst
Adam has been employed by Agincare since 2008.
He started his career in the health and social care sector as a Domestic Care Assistant in a care home specialising in mental health, where he gained his NVQ3.
Since then Adam has worked in a variety of Senior Manager and Director roles, gaining experience and knowledge managing teams and services within domiciliary and live-in care services.
Prior to working within the care sector, Adam worked within the housing market, which gave him a particular experience in leadership, customer service, sales and marketing.
Responsibility
Adam leads and ensures the achievement of objectives and targets for Head Office services in Agincare.
As one of the Chairman and Founder’s sons, Adam is involved in various aspects of the business, developing his knowledge and experience as a future significant shareholder.
AUK Managing Director – Luke Holmes
Luke has worked in Health & Social Care for 15 years and has experience working with young people and older adults.
He has many years’ experience in senior leadership positions within the Social Care sector and was working as a business development consultant prior to joining Agincare in 2015.
Luke is passionate about learning and development and is also a non-executive director of a national training provider.
Responsibility
Luke is responsible for the national delivery and development of Domiciliary Care, Extra Care and Prison Services across Agincare’s UK’s portfolio.
He reports to the Group Chief Operating Officer.
Managing Director, Live-in Care Services – Sam Mayes, Chartered MCIPD
Sam has many years of senior level leadership experience in social care, policing, learning and development and financial services. She has particular experience in strategic change management, cultural change and people development.
Before joining Agincare as the live-in care Operations Support Manager, Sam worked in policing, moving through roles leading the Governance unit, Learning and Development Unit then later within Territorial Policing. She led fundamental changes to learning and development across the organisation.
Since becoming Operations Director in February 2020, she has safely led the team through the challenges of service delivery across multiple locations during a worldwide pandemic, has built on successful partnerships with the NHS and local authorities whilst maintaining a strong focus on quality and leadership development. Sam now brings her skills to the role of Managing Director of Live-in Care.
Responsibility
Sam is responsible for Agincare Live-in Management Services and each of the four regional companies that cover all of England. Sam reports to the Chief Operating Officer of Agincare Group and is line manager for the four Regional Operations Managers and the Operations Support Team.
Managing Director, Agincare Enable – Sarnjeet Banwait
Sarnjeet joined Agincare with over 20 years of experience in the health and social care sector. Sarnjeet brings vast skill and experience in senior management roles, leading and developing within organisations including national charities and large private sector companies after starting her career in support worker, service and area manager roles. Sarnjeet believes passionately in working in partnerships to deliver the best outcomes for those that Agincare Enable supports.
Responsibility
Sarnjeet is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the delivery and ongoing strategic development of Agincare Enable’s specialist services, as well as the launch of new service provision across the country. Agincare Enable delivers supported living for working age adults, who may have a learning disability, autistic spectrum condition, and physical disability, particularly where these presents in a complex way. Services include day support, community outreach, respite and supported living.
Managing Director, Training Now – Tara Roudiani BA Hons
Tara has a wealth of educational management experience at senior, strategic level across apprenticeship provision in independent training providers, large FE colleges, local authority adult and community education provision, as well as running her own successful educational management consultancy.
A qualified teacher of post-16 education, in her first teaching position she taught English, maths and life skills to adults with learning disabilities as well as working nights in a residential setting where a number of them lived semi-independently.
This puts her in the unique position of understanding the needs of people working in the care industry alongside being a passionate, driven and committed educator.
Responsibility
Tara is responsible for the overall delivery of all externally funded training and apprenticeships as well as the delivery of short courses, internally and externally to support people to progress at and into work.
Tara reports the COO of Agincare Group Ltd and leads the training and delivery team with a relentless focus on the quality of the education people received and excellence in learning.
Commercial Director – Julie Dowson
Julie has over 20 years of senior management experience in the private health and social care sectors, focusing mainly on designing, developing and implementing commercial strategies to support business growth.
In addition to setting up her own business in forensic care she has led on a number of management and acquisition plans for a variety of leading social care groups.
Prior to joining Agincare Julie ran private hospitals focusing on efficiency and change management to support optimum utilisation and worked as Group Business Development Director for a number of social care companies supporting the overarching commercial strategy for the businesses.
Responsibility
Group Commercial Director sitting on the main board and working with the CEO and other senior colleagues to develop the Group businesses and meet key strategic objectives to maximise turnover and increase profitability.
Julie leads a commercial team who manage tenders and contracts for all Group companies in order to support commercial activity across the Group to underpin the overall strategy.
Group Quality Manager – Mark Bradford
Mark joins Agincare after many years as both a clinician and senior manager. He has held roles with both private and public organisations, and has experience with Foundation Trusts, CCG’s and Director roles with the two largest corporate care providers in the country.
Working for over 12 years as a frontline paramedic and later as a senior project lead on the NHS England Right Care, Right Place, Right Time initiative, transforming the care pathways in the South West, introducing greater recognition of sepsis within patient groups, remodelling MIU care and reducing ambulatory patient conveyance to just 43%.
Since 2014 he has worked in the private sector driving quality improvement within social care.
Cher Goodyer-El Meheiry – Clinical Lead (Live-in Care)
Cher has enjoyed a long and varied career in health and social care working across Europe and in the UK.
After many years as a registered nurse, Cher set up her own domiciliary care service in Monaco, later expanding this care service into France. This care service looked after people with complex and technical care needs.
Before joining Agincare in April 2023, Cher worked for the DWP in disability analysis and was a Mental Function Champion helping to understand people’s physical and mental health needs.
Responsibility
Reporting to Live-in Managing Director Sam Mayes, Cher is responsible for clinical aspects of the live-in care service including quality assurance, technical competency and training.
She ensures that all the clients with complex needs have highly trained care staff available at all times.
Her areas of expertise include spinal injuries, complex care and vulnerable adults. She is also the Data Protection Officer and is part of the Policy Review Group
Head of Sales and Marketing – Jamie Powell
Jamie has 15 years’ experience within customer services and sales. In this time he has helped develop national award winning processes that deliver first class customer service performance.
Before joining Agincare as Head of Customer Relations in July 2021, Jamie worked in various senior management roles, gaining knowledge, leadership skills and an understanding of how to lead and demonstrate exceptional customer service within the property and finance sectors. He now brings his sales and marketing experience to his role as Head of Sales and Marketing.
Responsibility
Jamie is responsible for the delivery of sales and marketing across the Agincare Group throughout England, reporting into the Director of Head Office Services.
He also leads on the creation of systems and processes to ensure exceptional customer service is delivered to our clients and fellow team members.
Head of Facilities and Procurement – Simon Luckhurst
Simon has worked for Agincare since 2008, first starting as a HR Assistant, later gaining vital skills and experience working in Commercial by completing tenders and PQQs.
He acquired further knowledge of the Health and Social Care sector at Agincare’s Crecy Care Home in Weymouth, first starting as a Care Assistant before progressing to Deputy Manager, later developing into an Operational role for all care homes.
Responsibility
Reporting to the Commercial Director, Simon manages the Facilities team who oversee general repairs, maintenance, purchasing, refurbishment, and property compliance for all Agincare’s services. For Procurement, Simon is responsible for setting up new contracts with key suppliers for care consumables, stationery, utilities, uniforms, catering and more.
As one of the Chairman and Founder’s sons, Simon will develop in his role as future significant shareholder.
Head of Recruitment – Tom Simms
Tom is an experienced resourcing professional that has worked extensively in both the public and private sectors.
Before his appointment as Head of Recruitment at Agincare, he was Head of Resourcing Delivery at the Home Office. During his extensive career, Tom has worked for the Department of Transport as Senior Resourcing Partner and served as Head of Strategic Workforce Planning for the Department of Health and Social Care’s Track & Trace service.
Responsibility
Tom joined Agincare as Head of Recruitment in October 2022 and is responsible for delivering recruitment strategies across all of Agincare services. Tom is line manager to the three regional Recruitment Business Partners and reports to the Director of Head Office Services.
He’ll also be working on long-term goals to support the future of Agincare through its expanding workforce.
Group HR Manager – Amy Crabb CIPD
Amy has worked within and across the Agincare Group since 2005 in varying roles, but always within the scope of HR, ranging from Training Manager to HR Business Partner, and now her lead role.
Before coming to Agincare Amy worked in Dorset Social Services where she was responsible for the distribution of care workers across Dorset. She has also worked within the NHS, both at a local doctor’s surgery and hospital.
Amy is a member of the CIPD and has an HND in Business and Finance.
Responsibility
Amy is responsible for all aspects of HR within Agincare Group and Agincare Homes Holdings, including support for recruitment, training, employment and workforce issues, ensuring good practice within company policies and procedures.