Corporate governance
For the year ended 31 December 2025, under The Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2019, the Group has applied the Wates Corporate Governance Principles for Large Private Companies (published by the Financial Reporting Council (‘FRC’) in December 2018 and available on the FRC website). The following paragraphs summarise how Helping Hands has applied the principles over the past year:
In 2024, Helping Hands refreshed their Purpose, – ‘Helping people live well in the homes and communities they love’, and a strategy encompassing four key pillars (customer focussed, trusted people, operational excellence and building on success) to put the Purpose into action. During 2025, the Executive met with all branch managers to engage them on our purpose and support the branch teams and the support centre in ‘Living our Purpose’.
Unlike many home care providers, the service is managed from start to finish by a branch team local to the customer. A key focus for the Board in 2025 has been continuing to embed the success of the recruitment and retention strategies for carers so they continue to provide sector-leading care to people in their own home. This, along with the Customer and Carer Experience Team and Quality Governance ensures that Helping Hands has a reputation as one of the most trusted businesses in the sector. During the year the business also recruited a Chief Financial Officer to lead the finance and IT functions. Since joining, the CFO has focused on developing his understanding of the business, improving control and addressing areas of concern where relevant, and has introduced a number of initiatives to enhance financial oversight across the group.
The Board structure comprises a separate Chair and Chief Executive to ensure that the balance of responsibilities, accountabilities and decision making are maintained effectively, as well as a Group Managing Director, one independent non-executive and two non-executive founder Directors. Tristan Phillips joined as CFO in May 2025.
The Board has a programme of twelve principal meetings every year. The Board’s key areas of focus in 2025 are noted in the ‘Directors’ statement of compliance with duty to promote the success of the Company (s172 statement)’ on page 5. The Board receives regular and timely information on all key aspects of the business, including health and safety, risks and mitigation, the financial performance of the business, strategy, operational matters, market conditions and sustainability, supported by Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
The Board’s appetite for opportunity and understanding of risk is reflected in Board discussions and supported by a formal and dynamic risk register and a structured approach to major change projects. Helping Hands’ key operational risks and mitigations are outlined in the Strategic report (and are denoted as ‘Principal risks’).
The Board’s primary objective is to set remuneration at a level that will enhance the organisation’s resources by securing
and retaining quality senior management who can deliver the strategic ambitions in a manner consistent with both the purpose
and the interests of shareholders and stakeholders. Executive remuneration reflects general practice within the sector.
The Board is clear that good governance and effective communication are essential on a day-to-day basis to enable the organisation to fulfil its purpose and to protect the brand, reputation and relationships with stakeholders including shareholders, customers, employees, suppliers, regulators, financial institutions and the communities in which it works. The s172 statement has more comprehensive disclosure around stakeholders.