Introducing our New Directors

Following our Annual General Meeting, we are delighted to have three members join the DCHC Board of Directors.

Issac Theophilos:

I currently serve as Director of Bliss Care Homes. My work began in 2022 with the turnaround of Aveland Court Care Home, which at the time had been issued a 28-day closure notice by the CQC. I registered as Manager, working intensively with the existing team and owner to stabilise the home. Following acquisition, we undertook a full refurbishment, strengthened governance, and embedded quality improvement practices. Within months, CQC rated the service Good in all areas, and the home is now thriving with full occupancy and a strong workforce of 30+ staff. This hands on transformation demonstrates my ability to deliver sustainable change under challenging circumstances. We now have two care homes in Torquay.

Alongside operational leadership, I have worked as a consultant to many care homes across England, supporting providers in addressing compliance challenges, avoiding closure, and improving ratings. Through this work, I have helped homes move from Inadequate to Good or Outstanding, guided providers in responding to enforcement notices, and represented care homes in meetings with CQC and local authorities. My consultancy experience has given me a broad perspective on systemic issues in the sector, from workforce retention and cost management to leadership development and innovation.

I am also the author of How to Get Outstanding: An Ultimate Guide for Care Homes, a book that has sold over 5,000 copies and is widely used by care providers striving for improvement. In addition, I have developed tools such as the Care Leadership Assessment Score (CLA Score), the first competency test for care home managers, to address leadership challenges within the sector. These contributions reflect my commitment to thought leadership and my drive to share knowledge for the benefit of the wider community.

My expertise spans:

Regulation & Compliance – in-depth knowledge of CQC frameworks, audits, and governance.
Strategic Growth & Finance – experience in acquisitions, corporate financing, and sustainable business planning.
Leadership & Workforce Development – mentoring managers and directors, fostering wellbeing, and building strong teams.
Innovation & Influence – public speaking, publishing, and sector-wide initiatives to raise standards and profile.

My educational background includes an MBA in Healthcare Leadership and Management, a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Adult Residential Management, and a degree in Adult Nursing, supported by further training in corporate finance at the London School of Economics.

I am motivated to join the Board to contribute my operational experience, strategic insight, and passion for excellence to collective efforts that will shape the future of care in Devon. I believe the challenges our sector faces demand collaborative solutions, and I am eager to play an active role in supporting providers and promoting outstanding care across the county.

Tushar Shah:

We see the Devon Care Homes Collaborative as a real opportunity for all of us to come together, share ideas, and find practical ways to make care in Devon stronger, smarter, and more sustainable. It’s exactly the kind of environment where we know our teams can add value.

Our journey in care started long before Centrum Care Homes. Back in 2007, we co-founded and grew several Bluebird Care franchises, building them from the ground up into high-performing, well-respected services. That experience gave us a strong foundation in quality, compliance, and building trust with families and staff, lessons that still shape how we work today.

Through Centrum Care Homes, we’ve since been involved in running and growing operations across Devon and Berkshire. Together with our teams, we’ve turned around services rated Inadequate or Requires Improvement by bringing in strong leadership, clear governance, and cultural change. Equally, we’ve celebrated Outstanding ratings where people and systems aligned to deliver truly exceptional care. Those journeys have reinforced for us that success in this sector is always about people, quality, and innovation. Our core ethos at Centrum is: “We build teams who run businesses.”

To enable this, we’ve embraced digital transformation. Person Centred Software, Camascope, YourHippo for training, iAuditor for safety and auditing, and HRPartner.io/Rotacloud for workforce management have all helped streamline our operations, freeing teams to focus on residents rather than paperwork.

That experience aligns closely with the Collaborative’s mission. We are open to sharing what has worked for us, particularly around turnarounds and digital adoption, while also learning from the insight and expertise of others.

We also bring a commercial and strategic perspective. Running care services today requires balancing financial pressures with the ambition to deliver outstanding care. Our background in property investment and development helps us think long-term, plan creatively, and make decisions that keep services both stable and sustainable. Alongside this, mentoring and coaching businesses outside the sector has given us transferable skills we bring into care leadership.

What excites us about the Collaborative are its values: Caring, Trust, Respect, Openness, and Integrity. These are values we embed in our homes. For us, leadership means being transparent and approachable, encouraging candid conversations, focusing on solutions, and building genuine trust, not just with staff, but with residents, families, regulators, and the wider community.

Looking forward, we see huge potential in data and innovation. At Centrum, we are already exploring AI-powered tools to analyse care data, identify trends, and predict issues before they escalate. We are keen to share that journey and explore how such tools could benefit services across the Collaborative.

Ultimately, we see this role as a chance to work collectively, share learning, and raise the bar for care across Devon. The challenges we face: staffing, regulation, financial constraints are significant, but by collaborating, sharing expertise, and thinking innovatively, we believe we can build a stronger, more sustainable future for our sector.

Dominique Lloyd:

Dominique and her husband Kevin bought Bay Court Residential and Nursing Home in Budleigh Salterton in 2022, after relocating to the South West in pursuit of a life more rooted in the community.

She holds a degree in Textiles & Production Management, and began her professional journey in industry, before moving into recruitment. After a career break to care for her two children (now aged 15 and 11), Dominique launched her own recruitment consultancy.

Her parents have owned a residential home in Bristol for the last 20 plus years and having passion for nurturing environments and delivering quality care led her to buy Bay Court. She is dedicated to creating a warm, safe and enriching home for residents, supported by a team she inspires to offer the very best in residential and nursing care.

Hobbies include, volunteering, being a member of her local church and animals. Dominique has 3 mini schnauzers, goats, chickens and sheep, all of whom come into Bay Court to visit!

Posted by Michaela on September 22nd 2025