Melanie co-founded Walnut Care in 2002, now one of the largest domiciliary care providers in Lincolnshire, employing over 200 care professionals and providing 600,000 care visits annually.
A passionate advocate for the provision of home and community care, Melanie has been the Chair of Lincolnshire Care Association (LinCA) since 2016. LinCA represents a range of care providers, working with them to improve standards of care.
Melanie is also a Fellow of NICE and Skills for Care, as well as the Co-Chair of the Care Association Alliance – a national body bringing together representatives of care associations to engage with the wider health and care system.
In 2020, Melanie received an MBE for her services to social care, honoured for helping set up the Care Home Trusted Assessor Scheme. In a national first, Melanie also led a scheme to train care workers to become nurse associates.
Person-centred, safe and effective delegation of healthcare activities to care workers can enable people to have more choice and control of when and how things happen, with an opportunity to provide a better experience of care.