- What is your name and what is the name of your business?
My name is Sam Wood and I work for Claimont Health.
- What does the business do and who are your customers?
We are a UK-based provider of in-home mental health and complex care services, delivering support to clients all over the country.
Our clients come from a variety of sectors. We support private clients who contact us directly for services such as mental health support and home detox programmes. We also work with case management clients, providing specialist care for individuals who have experienced life-changing events, such as car accidents, and require ongoing rehab or complex support at home.
In addition, we provide care for publicly funded clients through the NHS. Many of these referrals involve individuals with complex care needs who require specialist support in their own homes.
Demand for our services continues to grow, while funding remains under pressure. For NHS-funded care, referrals are typically received through Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). Each care package is put out to tender to a number of providers. We assess the client’s needs, create a care proposal and submit a quote. If our bid is successful, we then deliver the agreed package of care.
- What’s the history of the business & what’s your role within the business?
Claimont Health has been running for 10 years. It was predominantly started as a mental health care provider by our owner Dr Vincent Gradillas Gonzalez who is a clinical psychologist. Obviously, we have branched out into complex care in the last 2-3 years.
I am the Scheduling Lead, although my role also encompasses Office Management and Operational responsibilities—so it’s fair to say I’m a bit of a “jack of all trades!”
My primary responsibility is to ensure that every care package is safely and effectively staffed with the correct number of care professionals to deliver the required hours each week. This involves matching staff with the appropriate skills and experience to meet each client’s needs, while also ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
In addition to this, I closely monitor the financial viability of each package. This includes managing staffing costs, particularly when agency staff are required, to ensure expenditure remains within the agreed funding while maintaining a high standard of care.
We currently manage 48 live care packages, ranging from clients requiring just two hours per week with a Mental Health Nurse to individuals receiving 24-hour live-in care.
- How long have you had an office here at Freshmill and why were you looking for a space like this?
The business had already been based at Freshmill for around a year before I joined, so it was well established here by the time I started working for Claimont. Prior to moving to Freshmill, the company was located in another local shared office space.
Although I wasn’t involved in the decision to relocate, I have read the original business proposal. The main reason for the move was simply because Freshmill was a much nicer environment! At the same time, the business was expanding its office-based team, so relocating to a larger office made perfect sense.
Since then, we’ve moved into our second office within Freshmill as the business has continued to grow, which is fantastic to see.
- Why does Freshmill work well for your and your business?
The majority of our central team is based in Sussex, so Haywards Heath is an ideal location for us. It’s also a great area for recruiting the talented people we need as the business continues to grow.
Freshmill is a perfect fit because it gives us the privacy of our own office while also providing access to a range of shared spaces. Whether we want to have an informal conversation away from our desks or hold a more formal meeting, the breakout areas and meeting rooms offer the flexibility we need.
- What is the most important lesson you have gained from your career so far?
It would probably be to trust your gut, because nine times out of ten, you will be right! When it comes to work and making decisions, it is really important to listen to your gut!
- Where to you hope to be in five years’ time?
I love working for Claimont. As you know, it is a challenging role with so many different priorities to balance, and a difficult industry to work in. But that is also what makes it so rewarding.
The business is growing rapidly, and there is enormous potential for us to grow even further. I feel like I’m a truly integral part of that journey, which is great.
What makes the role even more special is knowing that the work we do has a real impact on people’s lives. We regularly receive feedback from families whose children have never been able to experience everyday activities, and through the support we provide, we’re helping to change that. For example, last week one of our 17-year-old patients went to the theatre for the very first time. Seeing the difference we can make for people like her is genuinely inspiring.
I love being part of the business, and I love what I do. In five years’ time, I’d love to still be here with a business that has grown significantly and a great team behind me to help with the stress levels!
- What advice would you give to your younger self just starting out?
It would be to ‘keep swimming’, just keep swimming! Keep going, and you will get through the challenges thrown at you.
It’s also important to remember that it should be a work-life balance, not a life-work balance. Make time for yourself and the people who matter most, because work is only one part of who you are. Having interests and time to switch off outside of your job is so important for your wellbeing. Keeping that balance isn’t always easy, especially in a busy role, but it’s an important rule to remember.
- What is your favourite quote of mantra?
It is a silly one! It is…. ‘Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe’! So, it means be generous with your love but be always be wary of others and ultimately make sure you look out for yourself!
- If you could, who would you switch places with for the day, and why?
I have always been absolutely fascinated by Karren Brady. She has been a CEO of a football club for 25 years, she’s married to a footballer, she was Alan Sugar’s right hand man and now she sits in the House of Lords! I’ve always admired her because I am a massive football fan and when I was growing up she was CEO of Birmingham City and then went to West Ham. Basically, she is a woman nailing it in a man’s world and that’s a great thing to achieve!
