Dr Matthew Knight MBE
Belsize Village, London, UK: Penrose Care is overjoyed to announce that its co-founder and non-executive director, Dr. Matthew Knight, has been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Dr. Knight’s primary role outside of Penrose Care is as a respiratory consultant at West Herts Hospitals where he has played a pivotal role in the COVID-19 pandemic response. Notably, Dr. Knight has led a fontline team of medical professionals to prevent hospital admissions through virtual monitoring and consultations of patients at home. Over 10,000 virtual consultations have taken place via this “virtual hospital” which has cared for over 1,250 patients.
The team leader that he is, Dr. Matthew Knight heralded his health and social care colleagues following the honour: “I am very humbled to have been awarded an MBE. Many sacrificed so much during this year. I am proud of my many friends and colleagues at West Herts Hospitals and Penrose Care who were far more heroic than I could ever be. There is much to do to ensure those in need get the health and social care that they require and I look forward to continuing to work towards this aim.”
Dr Matthew Knight MBE and Robert Stephenson-Padron delivering a lecture “Promoting dignity in times of crisis” on February 7, 2013 to nursing students of the Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
Following the announcement by the Cabinet Office, Penrose Care co-founder and managing director Robert Stephenson-Padron said:
“I cannot think of a British medical professional more deserving of a Queen’s honour than my Penrose Care co-founder Dr Matthew Knight. Together, we have built the UK’s pioneer of the ethical provision of home care which has garnered international recognition.
“At the start of COVID-19 pandemic, under Dr Knight’s guidance, Penrose Care made special pre-cautionary investments to prepare for a worst-case pandemic scenario. His leadership on this front led to us having zero COVID-19 cases among clients to date.
“From this position of strength we have been able to look outward during these difficult times, delivering donated PPE to a local hospital and hospice and saving over 100 jobs in our local community by running pandemic recovery and safety measures in Belsize Village which sparked a local economic boom amidst one of the worst national recessions on record. I hope Dr Knight is proud. His Penrose Care family is certainly proud of him.”
Under Dr. Knight and Mr. Stephenson-Padron’s leadership, Penrose Care has made many achievements:
- In 2012, Penrose Care became one of the first four home care providers in the UK to become Accredited Living Wage Employers, sparking the Living Wage movement in home care and being named a Living Wage Champion in 2016 and 2018.
- In 2013 and 2014, Penrose Care successfully lobbied the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee and the National Audit Office to get the HMRC to improve enforcement of the National Minimum Wage, completely transforming the social care sector in the UK. Penrose Care continues to actively work with UNISON the labour union to improve working conditions for social care workers.
- In 2017 and 2019, Penrose Care was named the Most Outstanding Homecare Provider in the World.
- Since its founding, Penrose Care has attracted international research delegations from Canada, China, Japan, South Korea and Thailand.
- In 2018, Penrose Care became one of the founding members of the Belsize Village Business Association which reversed a 2014-18 economic decline, successfully revitalised and beautified Belsize Village, and saved over 100 jobs during the summer of 2020 and sparked an “economic explosion” via its Belsize Village Streatery project. Via its “Clean Belsize Village”, Penrose Care helped clean-up Belsize Village’s most pressing waste blights, including one that had mired the community for over 10 years.
- In 2019, Penrose Care became one of the first 16 private businesses in London to be accredited under this landmark standard for ethical organisations.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, as of October 12, 2020, Penrose Care has had zero client cases.
Dr Matthew Knight MBE and Robert Stephenson-Padron outside the Clinica Universidad de Navarra, the best private hospital in Spain on June 4, 2012, right after deciding on to found an ethical home care provide in London, England which became Penrose Care one month later.
ENDS
Media Contact
Penrose Care
Robert Stephenson-Padron
robert.padron@penrosecare.co.uk
0207 435 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, a healthcare research analyst, and Dr. Matthew Knight MBE, a hospital physician.
About the Queen’s Birthday Honours
The British honours system recognises people who have:
- made achievements in public life
- committed themselves to serving and helping Britain
They’ll usually have made life better for other people or be outstanding at what they do. Whether someone gets an honour – and the honour they get – is decided by an honours committee. The committee’s recommendations go to the Prime Minister and then to the Queen, who awards the honour.