Shrien Dewani

People stay in organisations for all sorts of reasons. For some it’s stability, pay or circumstance. For others it becomes something harder to define. Over time, it stops being only about the role itself and starts to be shaped by trust, support and the people around them.  I’ve worked with Sian for 17 years. That length of time isn’t something I ever take lightly and it isn’t something I assume. Today is her birthday and yes, she will hate me mentioning this, but realising I

Why leadership development in social care matters more than ever   One of my enduring passions in social care has always been this - growing people. Not fast-tracking titles. Not creating managers in name only. But patiently developing leaders, individuals who understand responsibility, personhood, accountability, and the quiet moral weight that comes with being entrusted with other people’s lives.   In recent years, as the sector has become more complex, more regulated, and

By: Shrien Dewani    This week, one of my absolute highlights has been working with ADG Architects and John Bell as we continue the design journey for our new build projects.    I always enjoy working with John. He is a seasoned architect with decades of experience in the care sector, but more importantly, he is someone who genuinely cares about creating communities that work for the people who live in them. That matters, because buildings shape lives. In social care, they s

By: Shrien Dewani    For nearly three decades in social care, one truth has become increasingly clear to me: a care home community is a living organism, constantly reshaping itself around the needs, vulnerabilities, and relationships of the people within it. Unlike most places we call “community,” ours are defined by continual change. People arrive at the most fragile moments of their lives. They often stay for a shorter time than ever before, reflecting how and when people n

By: Shrien Dewani     As we approach three decades as a family organisation in social care, we have been taking time to reflect, not nostalgically, but purposefully. Thirty years offers perspective.   It brings us back to a fundamental question - what are we here to accomplish for the people who choose to make one of our communities their home?    Social care is not a static sector. It adapts, absorbs, expands, contracts, and reshapes itself in response to forces often beyond

By: Shrien Dewani  True progress in social care is never created by funding alone. It emerges when leadership has the courage to look beyond individual programmes and ask a deeper question: what kind of system are we choosing to build for children, families and the adults who support them? The latest government investment is an important step, but its real potential depends on whether we are willing to think bigger, connect the dots, and redesign care as one cohesive, human-c

By: Shrien Dewani    There are moments in public life when words reveal far more than the speaker intended. Zack Polanski ’s recent comments, reducing the work of care professionals to the crude phrase  “wiping someone’s bum”  and framing foreign nationals as the people who should do it, is one of those moments. It exposes not just a lack of understanding, but a breathtaking absence of humanity, dignity, and leadership.    As someone who has spent my life working in, learning

By: Shrien Dewani    The latest figures reported by Community Care should give every leader in adult social care pause. An 81% fall in the number of visas granted to overseas care staff is not a minor fluctuation in workforce trends; it is a structural shift with profound implications for the stability of care in the UK.    This is not about policy headlines. It is about people and the fragility of the workforce pipeline that supports those who rely on us every single day.   

By: Shrien Dewani    In social care, the most transformative leadership often happens in the quietest moments when we choose to recognise the human being in front of us before the problem we need to solve. This week reminded me that validation is not a soft skill; it is a form of leadership that shapes culture, protects dignity and strengthens the relationships our sector depends on. This reflection is for anyone committed to leading with emotional clarity, steadiness and res

By Shrien Dewani    As National Grief Awareness Week begins, I find myself thinking about a form of grief that sits quietly within our care communities every day. It is not the grief that arrives with loss, but the grief that comes long before it, the grief that appears gently, then lingers, as dementia reshapes relationships and familiarity begins to shift.    For many families, dementia introduces a slow unravelling of what once felt certain. It is the experience of losing

By: Shrien Dewani In my quieter, more reflective moments, I often find myself thinking about how my personal values and beliefs shape the way I lead. Leadership is never just a set of strategies or decisions it is an expression of who we are, what we stand for, and the principles we carry within us.   For me, those inner principles were shaped from childhood. I have always been a devout believer in Hanuman  a deity who has felt close to me throughout my life. I’m not entirely

By: Shrien Dewani  As the Chancellor delivered the Autumn Budget, I found myself struck, again, by the stark difference between the culture of politics and the culture of care.   In social care, our work is grounded in relationships. Trust is not a concept; it is currency. It is the quiet thread that ties together people who live with us, the colleagues who care for them, and the communities that surround us. A single broken promise to a resident, a family, or a colleague wou

A look back at Evolve Care Group’s Alice-inspired away day led by Shrien Dewani, celebrating leadership, community, and believing the impossible is possible.

By: Shrien Dewani When Government discussions turn to reducing so-called “low-skilled migration,” it risks overlooking the very people it once urgently asked to keep our health and social care ... Read more

By: Shrien Dewani Reflections ahead of our Evolve Leadership Training Day, Bristol 2025 Every year for more than fifteen years, I have had the privilege of gathering a large group of Evolve leaders for our annual immersive training day. It is one of the true highlights of our calendar: a rare moment where 150 colleagues step out of the rhythm of daily operational pressures and step into a theatre-style space designed for reflection, learning, and leadership renewal. This year

Why Gratitude, Not Hostility: Must Guide Social Care By: Shrien Dewani Shrien Dewani’s Perspective: The Reality Behind the Migration Debate In moments when political narratives turn cold and dismissive, ... Read more

By: Shrien Dewani For years, the public conversation around Health & Social Care has been shaped more by headlines than by truth. We react with emotion, but rarely with ... Read more

“Stop fighting like cats and dogs,” was a phrase frequently said in my household back in the 80s. There were three of us – my brother, my sister and I ... Read more

I am not exactly known for my tact. I have an opinion and I voice it. I am happy for that opinion to be debated – and I think this ... Read more