Meet the Team here at Somerset Care

Jonathan Palmer

Chief Executive Officer

Jonathan joined Somerset Care as CEO in September 2024. His role is to ensure the delivery of high-quality care for our customers, by helping the people of Somerset Care thrive; and more broadly to deliver our strategy of quality, efficiency and growth.

Jonathan has worked in senior leadership positions across the commercial sector, public sector, and military. Career highlights include being appointed MBE and being awarded a Queen’s Commendation, both for work overseas during his military career; holding a strategic role in the Department of Health & Social Care during the 2021-22 pandemic, focused on delivering cross-government support to both the mass testing and national vaccination programmes; and latterly helping a major private equity house scale up a professional services business.

He enjoys playing the guitar and outdoor activities and has walked the length of both Britain and New Zealand.

Cheryl Webber

Head of Community Services

Cheryl joined the SCL family in 2021 and provides strategic direction for our community services including our recent acquisition of Way Ahead Care. Cheryl has previously worked at Regional Operational and National Project Management roles in both the pharmaceutical and NHS sectors.

“I lead a fantastic team here at Somerset Care, who provide great care and customer experience. I enjoy ending each day truly feeling as though I have made a difference to those who need us most. I look forward to the future and shaping our services to meet the needs of current and future customers.”

Chris Keates

Head of Property

Chris joined Somerset Care in 2009, then in 2020 became Head of Property and a member of the Senior Leadership Team, he is responsible for the Property Team.

“Working with Somerset Care for over 10 years now, I have seen a lot of change and learnt the organisation and industry from some very good people. With the challenges faced as a result of the pandemic, I hope to put this experience to good use as we strive towards Quality, Efficiency and Growth in all of the fantastic services that SCL has to offer. I grew up in Somerset and live in Wellington with my wife and two young children and have a passion for anything on two wheels with or without and engine.”

Chris Wall

Finance Director

Hi my name is Chris. It’s great to be back at Somerset Care.

I’m a qualified Chartered Accountant living in the South West. I’ve spend over 20 years working in senior financial roles all in Health and Social Care.

I really enjoy applying my financial training in health and social care as I know the support we give makes a genuine difference to those we support in terms of the care, support and accommodation we provide.

I am really keen we continue to make a difference through high quality sustainable services.

In my spare time I spend with my family and enjoy dog walking, beginner’s golf and trying to play the piano.

Debby Cuthbert

Head of Human Resources

I joined the Senior Leadership Team at Somerset Care as the Head of Human Resources in October 2021. My extensive HR career includes 15 years’ experience of working within Social Care and Health, across private, NHS and Not for Profit organisations.

I am very passionate about the important services we provide to our customers, supporting and enabling them to live the life they choose. Our extensive team of colleagues are committed to providing great quality of care and to making a difference every day for our customers. I feel very privileged to be to be able to contribute to making Somerset Care a great place to work where our colleagues are valued and supported and where our customers are at the centre of everything we do.

Karen Woodberry

Head of New Business

I joined the Business Development team at Somerset Care in 2016 and progressed to Head of New Business and a member of the Senior Leadership team in 2020. My role is to provide strategic direction for all new business and marketing initiatives. I lead a fantastic customer enquires, sales and marketing team who provide excellent customer service and advice to those searching for the right care for their loved ones.

I love working for a company that puts its people first, that re-invests all profits back into the quality of the services provided and makes such a huge difference to the communities that we support.

Kerry Stevens

Head of Residential and Nursing Services

I joined Somerset Care in September 2023, and am proud to lead the team who set the strategic direction for our residential and nursing services.

Having worked in the health and social care sector for 25 years, I am passionate about person-centred care, and supporting the development of those who deliver it. I bring my experience of working across the NHS, domiciliary and live-in care services to lead our residential and nursing care teams, supporting them to deliver high-quality, tailored care for those we support.

Louise Schooley

IT & Systems Manager (Head of IT)

Hi, my name is Louise, and I joined Somerset Care in April 1997.

I started my career at Somerset Care as a finance supervisor and then joined the IT team in 2003, becoming IT and Systems Manager (Head of IT) in 2022. I joined the senior leadership team in August 2023.

With over 27 years of service, I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to my role as Head of IT, working on and building our IT and digital strategy. It is also a huge privilege to lead an incredible IT team that is dedicated to providing an effective and efficient service, incorporating our values into the service we provide.

In my spare time, I love to spend time with my family and Bella, my cockapoo. I also enjoy playing netball in the local social league.

Mark Bradford

Associate Director of Quality, Governance and Nursing

Hi, my name is Mark and I have headed up the Somerset Care Quality Team since October 2023.

As both a clinician and a senior manager, I have always sought to put people, care and quality front and centre in everything I do.

High quality care doesn’t just happen; it requires attention to detail, processes and systems that place both residents and colleagues at the forefront of an operation, facilitating compassion, dedication, learning, communication and respect. I have sought to apply all these attributes in my roles with both private and public organisations, and have experience with Foundation Trusts, CCG’s and Director roles with the two largest corporate care providers in the country.

People make the care sector; both those that we care for and those that we work with; people who we communicate with externally and people who monitor what we do. Therefore it makes sense to ensure we are truly person centred in everything that we do.

Paula Gue

Head of Nursing

As Head of Nursing for Somerset Care my role is to provide clinical oversight to all our services and to provide strong and visible professional nursing leadership, strategic and operational support. My vision is for Somerset Care to be a place where nurses want to work and where they talk about Somerset Care as a great career move.

I qualified as a Registered General Nurse in 1987. I have had a varied career initially specialising in Haematology and Oncology nursing then moving to Acute Medicine and Respiratory Care and for the past 17 years I have specialised in Complex Care in the Community. I joined Somerset Care in 2013 and enjoy the diversity of the roles and the autonomy afforded whilst feeling a part of an organisation that promotes values based care for customers and staff alike.

Sharon Campbell

Financial Controller (Head of Finance)

Hi my name is Sharon and I joined Somerset Care in 2017, becoming Financial Controller (Head of Finance) in 2019.

I am a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy with extensive experience in the Public Sector; having spent 18 years working for a local authority and before that the civil service.

I am committed to the values of the public sector which I am proud to say Somerset Care shares, and I am a passionate supporter of the care sector; also being a Director of the Registered Care Providers Association.

I live in a beautiful part of the world in West Somerset and love walking and riding pillion on my husband’s motorbike.