Caroline Holmes
Northleach,Gloucestershire
Summary
Senior health and care leader with 27 years' experience up to Board level across the NHS and local authorities in the UK and Australia.
Proven ability to lead large-scale commissioning, system transformation and politically sensitive change programmes, consistently delivering improved outcomes, strengthened partnerships and system sustainability.
Recognised for building high-trust partnerships across health, social care and VCSFE sector organisations and for delivering innovative integrated care models.
Passionate about improving lives and outcomes through compassionate leadership, strategic development and operational excellence.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
7
7
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Interim Executive Director of Place - Wiltshire
BSW Integrated Care Board
09.2024 - Current
- Led commissioning of £152m outcomes based community contract, overseeing governance, political assurance and stakeholder engagement across local authorities, system partners and NHSE
- designed multi-commissioner governance framework for outcomes reporting and transformation benefit realisation, now considered national model of best practice
- built strong relationships between partners in Wiltshire, delivering new care pathways and improving non-criteria to reside (NCTR) performance
- leading development of neighbourhood health strategy and models in BSW, shaping future delivery models
- led strategic commissioning of planned care, driving contract discipline and recovery plans with independent sector and acute providers.
Director of Community, Planned Care and Cancer
BSW Integrated Care Board
07.2024 - 09.2024
- Led day to day delivery of community, planned care and cancer services, creating a new portfolio team and deputising for Wiltshire Place Director
- Negotiated large scale multi-agency commissioning agreements and innovative outcomes-based contract, ensuring system wide accountability
Deputy Place Director, Swindon Locality
BSW ICB
Swindon, Wiltshire
06.2021 - 07.2024
- Deputised for Place Director, managing locality team and integrated care alliance, influencing at Board level and managing politically sensitive issues
- Led development of outcomes based integrated community care contract, rated best practice by NHSE
- Delivered primary and community care plan for BSW, co-designed with partners across health, social care and VCSFE
- Led health response for asylum seeker and Afghan refugee hotels, co-ordinating NHS services
- Achieved 50% reduction in non-criteria to reside numbers in Swindon by 50% and delivered £3.3m financial savings through transformation and governance redesign
- Represented Place Director at Health and Wellbeing Board and Scrutiny Committee, building trusted relationships with political stakeholders
Principal Program Officer, Health & Social Policy
NSW Ministry of Health
Sydney, New South Wales (Australia)
04.2020 - 05.2021
- Implemented the state-wide Affordable IVF initiative, creating performance framework, stakeholder engagement and managing system-wide delivery
- Secured $2m recurrent funding for national new born bloodspot screening for new conditions and commissioned governance review
- Led state-wide roll out of new hearing screening devices and designed COVID recovery plan for pre-school vision screening
- Advised NSW Health Minister, Deputy Secretary and Executive Director on high profile policy issues
- Deputised for Director as required
Program & Reform Manager
Sydney Children's Hospital Network
Sydney, NSW, Australia
10.2019 - 03.2020
- developed multi-agency program plan and governance
- led day to day delivery of multi-agency program, working with stakeholders across primary, community, mental health, education and government agencies
- submitted multi-agency business case for Digital Restart Fund, for shared information tool for operational teams
Acting Dir- Integrated Health & Care Commissioning
BaNES Council and B&NES Clinical Commissioning Gp
Bath, Avon
12.2018 - 05.2019
- Board level leadership of integrated health and care commissioning team
- Membership of CCG Board and Health and Wellbeing Board
- Leadership of all adults and children's' social care, health and mental health commissioning
- Recruited and established new integrated management and leadership team for complex and specialist health and social care services (Learning Disabilities, Children's' and Adults Mental Health, Physical Disabilities
- Redesigning and leading savings programme for adult social care
- supporting lead portfolio member through budget scrutiny process, providing expert advice on portfolio
- Lead commissioner for £70m community health and care contract
- Executive lead for community mental health pathway review
-
Senior Commissioning Manager, Better Care Fund
B&NES Council and BaNES Clinical Commissioning Gp
Bath, Avon
12.2015 - 12.2018
- Leadership of commissioning team covering community health and care services from housing related support through to specialist health services.
- Delivery of Better Care Fund plan for integrated services including delayed transfers of care (DTOC) reduction plan for B&NES
- Leadership of partnership and system wide plans for innovative new patient flow schemes, delivering streamlined processes across pathways
- Redesign and recommissioning of services using variety of methods including co-production
- Lead commissioner for adult services and management of purchasing budget for older people, delivering savings through transformation
- Established regional taskforce on technology-enabled care (TEC)
Head of External Care Transformation
Glos Care Services NHS Trust/Glos Council
Gloucester, Gloucestershire
07.2014 - 11.2015
- Developed and led improvement and transformation programme for adult services through matrix management.
- Stabilised £4.9m deficit while enhancing financial sustainability.
- Expanded preventative options, such as reablement and telecare, reducing care home admissions.
- Fostered team ownership for finance, quality, and practice standards.
Locality Manager, Cheltenham and Cotswolds
Glos Care Services NHS Trust/Glos County Council
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
10.2011 - 07.2014
- established new integrated operational team structures - 7 community teams, 3 community hospitals and 2 reablement units
- managed budgets of £35m
- led opening of new community hospital, reablement unit and outpatient centre
- won overall national Community Hospitals Association Innovation and Best Practice Award in 2014
Previous Roles
Various
09.1998 - 10.2011
- Aug 2008-Oct 2011 - General Manager, Forest of Dean Locality (Glos County Council/Glos Care Services)
- Jan 2008-Aug 2008 - Joint Acting General Manager, Cheltenham Locality (Glos Care Services/Glos County Council)
- May 2007-Jan 2008 - Operations and Development Manager (Gloucestershire Social Services)
- October 2005-May 2007 - Assistant Director, Older People's Services (Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Primary Care Trust/Adult Social Care - secondment)
- May 2003-October 2005 - Operational and Development Manager, (Gloucestershire Adult Social Services)
- April 2002-April 2003 - Public Involvement & Communications Manager (Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Primary Care Trust) and secondment to Glos Social Services as project manager to deliver National Service Framework for Older People
- October 2000-March 2002 - Business Manager/Primary Care Trust Project Manager - Gloucestershire Health Authority
- September 1998-September 2000 - NHS Graduate Management Trainee
Education
Master of Arts - Modern History
University of St Andrews
St. Andrews 10.1994 - 05.1998
A-Levels - 4
Notre Dame High School
Norwich 09.1991 - 06.1993
GCSEs - 10 grades A-C including Maths and English
Notre Dame High School
Norwich 09.1989 - 06.1991
Skills
- Board level system leadership in health and social care
- large scale contract assurance and outcomes based commissioning (community contract of £152m)
- significant level of political awareness and partnership development (with local authorities, VCSE, provider partners)
- service transformation and financial recovery
- building high performing teams and multi-agency partnerships
- international health and social care experience across UK and Australia
References
References available upon request.
Continuing Professional Development
- 2023 - South West Executive Talent Pool - Executive Development Preparation
- 2022 - System Leadership - Certificate - BSW Academy
- 2019 - School for Change Agents (NHS Leadership Academy) - certificate of completion
- 2015 - Managing Successful Programmes - MSP Practitioner Level
- 2015 - Nye Bevan Executive Leadership - certificate in Executive Leadership
Timeline
Interim Executive Director of Place - Wiltshire
BSW Integrated Care Board
09.2024 - Current
Director of Community, Planned Care and Cancer
BSW Integrated Care Board
07.2024 - 09.2024
Deputy Place Director, Swindon Locality
BSW ICB
06.2021 - 07.2024
Principal Program Officer, Health & Social Policy
NSW Ministry of Health
04.2020 - 05.2021
Program & Reform Manager
Sydney Children's Hospital Network
10.2019 - 03.2020
Acting Dir- Integrated Health & Care Commissioning
BaNES Council and B&NES Clinical Commissioning Gp
12.2018 - 05.2019
Senior Commissioning Manager, Better Care Fund
B&NES Council and BaNES Clinical Commissioning Gp
12.2015 - 12.2018
Head of External Care Transformation
Glos Care Services NHS Trust/Glos Council
07.2014 - 11.2015
Locality Manager, Cheltenham and Cotswolds
Glos Care Services NHS Trust/Glos County Council
10.2011 - 07.2014
Previous Roles
Various
09.1998 - 10.2011
Master of Arts - Modern History
University of St Andrews
10.1994 - 05.1998
A-Levels - 4
Notre Dame High School
09.1991 - 06.1993
GCSEs - 10 grades A-C including Maths and English
Notre Dame High School
09.1989 - 06.1991