Oakland Care’s Joanne Balmer Named ESG Champion For Second Year in a Row

Joanne Balmer BEM, Chief Executive Officer of Oakland Care, has been recognised for her unwavering commitment to driving positive progress in the care sector after being named as ESG Champion at HealthInvestor’s Power Fifty Awards for a second year in a row.

It was a memorable day as Joanne Balmer was named back-to-back winner of the ESG Champion award, which honours an individual who has demonstrated exemplary commitment to deliver positive change on environmental, social and governance issues in the sector.

Since joining in August 2019 Joanne has been the key driving force behind the luxury care home provider’s strategy, pioneering progress and positive change that has helped pushed them to the forefront for ESG within the sector.

Under Joanne Balmer’s leadership 2023 has proven to be yet another successful year for Oakland Care.

With their work guided by their values of being sustainable and caring for the environment where their care homes are operating, the provider has maintained an industry-leading approach as an employer, culminating with Oakland Care being named as an Employer of The Year in the Gold category at the Investors in People Awards. This followed yet another year of sustained commitment to internal growth and support across their nine care homes and the promotion of career and development opportunities that allow team members to thrive.

Meanwhile, Joanne has helped maintain Oakland Care’s status as the ‘greener care choice’ for care homes, proactively driving a range of inclusive and effective green initiatives within their homes and the communities they operate within.

This included the planting of hundreds of trees, creation of Wildlife Gardens, and countless activities undertaken during their Greener Month which helped boost biodiversity, reduce waste, and offset long-term emissions.

Joanne and her team at the carbon-neutral care group also continued to demonstrate the importance of sustainability to others in the sector, making a meaningful contribution to the first report published by the Social Care Sustainability Alliance which set out ways in which social care organisations can embark on, or deepen, their sustainability journeys.

Reflecting on her award, Joanne Balmer BEM said: “I am delighted to receive this prestigious award for a second year in a row. At Oakland Care, we are committed to continuing to push the boundaries of what is possible on environmental, social and governance issues in social care and beyond.

“It is fantastic that we have maintained our progress in these last 12 months. This is testament to the outstanding efforts of all those I work alongside at Oakland Care. Whether it be our sustainability strategy, cultivation of inclusive and open environments for our team members, efforts to deliver outstanding care to the residents we support, and approach to wider global issues, we are leading the way. I look forward to continuing to maintain our position as an influential leader on these topics.”