Director of Care | Accessible Travel

The Client

Our client is a rapidly growing accessible travel company that creates thoughtfully designed holidays, cruises and short stays for disabled people. The organisation is rooted in a mission to provide independence, joy and dignity to travellers with additional needs, and it is now preparing to scale into multiple new verticals. To achieve this sustainably, the leadership team recognised that the care function needed to reach a more mature, strategic and consistent standard.

The Role & Its Challenges

Our client approached us at a time when the absence of a dedicated care leader had created several operational weaknesses. The departure of the previous registered manager had left the company without a single accountable owner of care, which in turn had delayed CQC registration and created risk around delivering certain trips in England. Recruitment for carers had been left too late in the season, which could have resulted in inconsistent care quality, uneven service standards and a lack of continuity across trips.

The training and induction processes in place were not strong enough to ensure consistently high-quality delivery, and the business had no established mechanisms for measuring compliance, care quality, training impact or customer satisfaction. This meant the leadership team lacked visibility of performance and could not make data-driven decisions.

Culturally, care had not yet become fully embedded across the wider organisation. There was a noticeable divide between teams responsible for delivering care and those operating in non-care functions such as sales, operations and customer service. The founders believed deeply that care should underpin the entire business, so the incoming leader would need to champion this ethos and unify the organisation around a shared standard. They needed, for the first time, to secure a senior leader who could transform the function rather than simply manage it.

The Solution

Collingwood partnered closely with the founders to understand the organisational pressures, cultural expectations and strategic priorities for the role. Using this insight, we developed a clear brief that captured the technical, regulatory and behavioural attributes required. We completed a comprehensive search beginning with candidates within commuting distance and expanding outward as needed. Our research covered traditional domiciliary care, ancillary care and aligned sectors to ensure we explored every viable route to the ideal candidate.

We used a combination of direct headhunting and targeted content-led outreach to engage mission-driven leaders who could bring both operational rigour and cultural influence. All engaged candidates were benchmarked against the agreed competencies, and those who met the standard were interviewed by Collingwood using a thorough, structured approach. We presented a high‑quality shortlist that met the brief for the role.

Additionally, we supported our client through the interview stages and worked with them to create a bespoke set of questions that allowed for the correct qualification of the candidates. We also completed aptitude and personality testing which we overlapped with the current leadership team to ensure alignment. Finally, we managed the offer process to ensure smooth acceptance and alignment throughout.

The Result

In summary, the following took place:

• Potential candidates identified following initial research undertaken – 53
• Targeted candidate’s and CV’s received – 36 and 20 
• Candidates interviewed by Chris – 9 
• Candidates interviewed by client (and final interviewed) – 4 (and 2)
• Candidate offered – 1 

Collingwood appointed an exceptional Director of Care who possessed the regulatory expertise, analytical capability, operational strength and values-led leadership style required to elevate the care function. The appointed leader demonstrated a deep understanding of CQC regulations and had a proven ability to interpret and apply them flexibly within non-traditional care environments. They also brought a strong approach to workforce planning and training design, coupled with a collaborative leadership style that aligned perfectly with the founders’ cultural vision.

This was a pivotal hire at a crucial time for our client. By combining rigorous research with deep cultural understanding and close partnership with the leadership team, Collingwood was able to secure a leader capable of transforming the care function and positioning the organisation for its next phase of growth and impact.

Testimonial from the Candidate

Here is a statement from the successful candidate on their experience of the process:

“I have found Collingwood to be both professional and respectful, something that, in my experience, is not always a given when working with recruitment agencies. I worked predominantly with Chris, who, from the very first cold call, provided an excellent overview of the role and the opportunities it presented. I hadn’t been actively looking for a new position, but this one genuinely intrigued me and ticked all the boxes I had been holding out for.

Throughout the process, Collingwood supported me fully, keeping me informed and giving me every opportunity to showcase my skills in the strongest possible way. The recruitment process itself was thorough and at times vigorous, but it was one I welcomed, as it allowed both sides to explore the fit in real depth. Chris was especially helpful with coaching, guidance, and detailed feedback after each stage, which created space for reflection and adjustment where needed.

I would certainly use Collingwood again, not only for my own professional journey, but also for any future recruitment needs. I felt confident that the team took the time to understand the business, the requirements of the role, and the type of person who would truly be the right fit. Their use of tools such as personality profiling further strengthened this, ensuring alignment in both skills and culture.

More leaders should be making use of this level of expertise. The quality, care, and thoroughness of Collingwood’s process is something that is not always replicated internally, and it genuinely raises the bar for effective talent acquisition.”