Penrose Care managing director, Robert Stephenson-Padron, has been awarded an OBE for services to social care in the 2022 Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Birthday Honours.
Mr. Stephenson-Padron has worked to reform and improve the social care sector in the UK since 2012 when he began his campaign to spread the Living Wage movement within social care. At the time in 2012, there were only 4 home care providers in the UK that were Accredited Living Wage Employers. Today there are over 240 social care organisations that are Accredited Living Wage Employers – his efforts have therefore helped improve the lives of thousands of social care workers. Further, in 2014, Mr. Stephenson-Padron successfully lobbied for the National Audit Office (NAO) to pressure the HMRC to materially enhance enforcement of the National Minimum Wage in home care. By 2016, the NAO estimated NMW violations in social care to be no more than 12.9% of the workforce (a stark drop from c. 48%+ in FY10/11-12/13). Mr. Stephenson-Padron therefore had a transformative impact on social care in the UK.
Robert Stephenson-Padron OBE
Mr. Stephenson-Padron was elected to the Hampstead Business Association governing board on March 6, 2014 and served on it until its conversion to a Business Improvement District (BID) zoned out Belsize Village in September 2016. In October 2018, Mr. Stephenson-Padron established the Belsize Village Business Association (BVBA) with Aya Khazaal of Pivoine Nail Spa in an effort to revitalise Belsize Village which had experienced an economic decline from 2014-2018. As of October 2019 – the project has been hailed as a success with Belsize Village being successfully revitalised. In his capacity as the co-coordinator of the BVBA, Mr. Padron organised and is the head event manager of the very popular Belsize Village Streatery started on July 4, 2020, the first al fresco dining event on a public space in London after Lockdown 1 of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Stephenson-Padron OBE said:
“I am immensely honoured and humbled to receive an OBE from Her Majesty The Queen on her Platinum Jubilee. I have dedicated my life to serving others, especially in improving the lives of ordinary working people, most notably, social care workers. Day in and day out, I work with heroes at Penrose Care. I have fought hard for improving working conditions for these heroic social care workers and I will continue to do so. I am also grateful to my fellow volunteers at the Belsize Village Business Association who with me revitalised Belsize Village from being an largely abandoned neighbourhood centre just four years ago into the thriving community centre it is today – savings jobs, creating new jobs and sparking London’s al fresco dining movement. I hope we will inspire others across the United Kingdom to transform their communities for the better. Looking ahead, I will continue to work to transform communities and build up living standards. Thank you Your Majesty for this honour and for your incredible 70 years of service. God Save The Queen!”
Penrose Care co-founder, Dr Matthew Knight MBE, said:
“On behalf of all the team at Penrose Care I am so proud and delighted at Bob’s award of OBE. Bob has tirelessly served the local and wider community with his work in the care sector, promoting the Living Wage, the Belsize Village Streatery and more lately as a Special Constable. Congratulations and well done!”
David S. Percy, resident of Belsize Village since the 1940s and its official historian, said on the occasion:
“Congratulations to Robert Stephenson-Padron on being awarded an OBE for his services to social care. Bob has also achieved acclaim as head of the Belsize Village Business Association for his leadership in the establishment of the Belsize Village Streatery. Widely regarded as a success, the Belsize Village Streatery has led to a comprehensive revitalisation of Belsize Village maintaining many hospitality jobs locally. The Belsize Village terrace square has never been so widely used by local residents and visitors alike.”
Media Contact
Robert Stephenson-Padron – 020 7435 2644
About Penrose Care
Penrose Care is an ethical provider of home care services in London, United Kingdom to adults with disabilities such as acquired brain injury and elderly persons including those with dementia. The company operates upon a fundamental belief that to promote a caring workforce, the organisation itself must be caring. As the pioneer of ethics in home care in the UK, Penrose Care in 2012 became one of the first four providers in the United Kingdom to become an Accredited Living Wage Employer and in 2013 the first independent sector provider to be compliant with Citizens UK’s landmark Social Care Charter. Penrose Care was named the Living Wage Champion for the London region in 2016 and for Industry Leadership in 2018 by the Living Wage Foundation. In July 2019, Penrose Care was named as one of the first 16 private businesses accredited with the Mayor of London’s new Good Work Standard to promote decent work in London.
Penrose Care’s ethical social care framework has garnered international acclaim, resulting in Penrose Care receiving research delegations from Canada, China, Japan, South Korea and Thailand. Penrose Care is rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission, the highest rating given by England’s health and social care regulator.
Penrose Care’s ethical approach promotes higher quality social care workers and low staff turnover which in turn results in excellent care. Penrose Care is headquartered in Belsize Village, north London – between Hampstead, Belsize Park and Swiss Cottage / Finchley Road – and was founded by Robert Stephenson-Padron OBE, a healthcare research analyst, and Dr. Matthew Knight MBE, a hospital physician.