Meet the team at Taking Care

We understand that ensuring your independence and safety is important, and even more so if you have caring responsibilities for a loved one. Our vision at Taking Care is to make independent living possible for all, by providing the reassurance and peace of mind that help is available when it’s needed.

Our team is committed to providing the best possible service to our personal alarm customers with 24-hour emergency resolution to resolve alarm calls in the event of falls, medical emergencies, intruders, fires or any other distress. If you need any help with your personal alarm service, our Customer Services team are here to help.

Experts and spokespeople

As well as supporting our customers in emergencies, we support older adults and family carers with falls prevention advice and guides to support independent and healthy living. We also provide expert opinion and analysis in the press and media to champion causes and raise awareness of issues important to our customers.

Our content writing process uses our knowledge of independent living and elderly care to create original content that we hope you will find useful.

Writing and updating content is a team effort and here are some of team members and in-house experts and spokespeople that contribute to our content.

Steve Gates

Managing Director

Managing Director of Taking Care and experienced leader in the health, insurance and financial services markets.
30 years of experience
Where they share their expertise:
Healthcare, Innovation, Leadership, Spokesperson for media/press
Topics they cover:
Company news, Digital switchover

Andy Ridpath

Head of Customer Experience

A senior operations leader with experience of the provision of large scale service operations in both the private and public sector, specifically national consumer and healthcare services, logistics and NHS Primary Care.
25 years of experience
Where they share their expertise:
Healthcare, Elder care, Customer service, Spokesperson for media/press
Topics they cover:
Company news, Digital switchover

Sarah O'Callaghan

Head of Business Development

Sarah leads Taking Care's Business Development team, working closely with local authorities, housing associations and telecare equipment manufacturers.
19 years of experience
Where they share their expertise:
Telecare, Technology Enabled Care, Healthcare, Innovation
Topics they cover:
Company news, Technology, Digital switchover

Daniel Lennox

Head of Sales and Marketing

Daniel has a strong background in customer research and insight. He has experience of business and marketing strategy across a variety of industries, including eldercare and technology enabled care.
20 years of experience
Qualifications:
Dip Diploma in Digital Marketing , BSc (Hons) Internet Technology and Computing Science
Where they share their expertise:
Innovation, Healthcare, Business strategy, Technology Enabled Care, Public speaking, Spokesperson for media/press
Topics they cover:
Planning later life, Care and support, Care costs, Home safety, Technology

Lauren Frake

Customer Services Manager

Lauren has worked in Taking Care's Customer Service team for 10 years. She is dedicated to ensuring customers receive the best possible service. In her role, Lauren talks with customers every day and her team resolve a broad range of customer inquiries, including billing and upgrades.
10 years of experience
Where they share their expertise:
Customer support, Independent living
Topics they cover:
Telecare alarms

Stuart Ellis

Head of IT

Stuart has a track record of IT programme delivery in both private and public sectors. Stuart has been actively involved with the TSA (Telecare Services Association) and chaired the TSA Special Interest Group for Digital Social Alarm Protocol Guidance.
20 years of experience
Qualifications:
BA Business Information Systems , CoE Education
Where they share their expertise:
Business continuity, Spokesperson for media/press, Public speaking
Topics they cover:
Technology, Digital switchover, Healthy lifestyle, Company news

Shaun Slaney

Technical Manager

Shaun is responsible for evaluating and testing new personal alarm products so our customers can have the best and most innovative solutions available. Shaun has experience of the health, wellness and fitness industries. He has previously worked for Age UK, as well as the Ministry of Defence.
39 years of experience
Where they share their expertise:
Personal alarms, Digital switchover, Technology Enabled Care
Topics they cover:
Digital switchover, Technology

Aanchal Raghav

Content author and reviewer

Aanchal has a background in chemistry and marketing and has a passion for copywriting. In her role as a content author, Aanchal speaks with customers and staff to collect real-life case studies of how personal alarms have supported people's independence and provided their families with reassurance.
6 years of experience
Qualifications:
MSc Marketing , MSc Chemistry
Where they share their expertise:
Telecare, Health care, Social care, Copywriting, Content review
Topics they cover:
Dementia, Medical conditions, Finance and legal, Care costs, Home safety

John Swaffield

Content Manager

John is a digital marketing and web technology professional with a strong combination of marketing experience, creative design expertise and project management experience.
23 years of experience
Qualifications:
Dip Diploma in Professional Marketing , BSc Open degree , BSc (Hons) Digital Art and Technology
Where they share their expertise:
Guides and advice, Content review, Public speaking
Topics they cover:
Health and fitness, Healthy lifestyle, Care and support, Technology, Digital switchover

Ashley Roberts

Operational Trainer

Ashley is Taking Care's Dementia Champion and trains our Emergency Resolution and Customer Service teams.
9 years of experience
Where they share their expertise:
Dementia support, Training, learning and development, Guides and advice, Content design and creation
Topics they cover:
Dementia, Mental health and wellbeing, Healthy lifestyle

Experts and content contributors

Dr Soha Daru

Psychologist

Dr Soha Daru is a psychologist with over 15 years experience. She has worked in the NHS, as well as with AXA and Simply Health. Dr Daru also works as a Lecturer in Counselling and Psychotherapy at the University of Leeds.
15 years of experience
Qualifications:
PhD Psychology
Where they share their expertise:
Psychology, Counselling, Health anxiety, Chronic pain, Bereavement
Topics they cover:
Mental health and wellbeing, Living well

Jacqueline Hooton

Fitness coach

Jacqueline is a coach and Women's Best Ambassador who helps women in their 50s and 60s get strong, fit and healthy, avoid physical decline and enjoy optimal ageing.
10 years of experience
Where they share their expertise:
Fitness and health, Wellbeing
Topics they cover:
Health and fitness, Healthy lifestyle, Living well

Lavina Mehta MBE

Speaker and wellness coach

Lavina is a fitness instructor, speaker and wellness coach with an MBE for services in health and fitness.
8 years of experience
Where they share their expertise:
Wellbeing, Menopause, Family care, Fitness
Topics they cover:
Health and fitness, Healthy lifestyle, Mental health and wellbeing, Caring for elderly, Living well

Georgina Colman

Founder of Purpl Discounts

Georgina is the founder of Purpl and has been living with multiple sclerosis since 2003.
11 years of experience
Qualifications:
BSc (Hons) Psychology and Business
Where they share their expertise:
Disability financial support, Disabled rights
Topics they cover:
Benefits and entitlements, Finance and legal, Medical conditions

Peter Thnoia

Prescribing Pharmacist and Chief Product and Innovation Officer

Peter is a seasoned Prescribing Pharmacist and the Chief Product and Innovation Officer at PillTime.
25 years of experience
Qualifications:
BPharm Bachelor of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Prescribing course for Pharmacists
Where they share their expertise:
Medication, Prescriptions, Healthcare, Product innovation
Topics they cover:
Medical conditions

Gemma Clay

Founder at Deerly

Gemma is founder of Deerly, experts in care technology.
8 years of experience
Qualifications:
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Philosophy , Master of Research (MRes) Anthropology , Bachelor of Science (BSc) Psychology and Social Anthropology
Where they share their expertise:
Care technology, Home care, Elder care, Family carers, Technology
Topics they cover:
Caring for elderly, Care costs, Care and support, Planning later life, Technology