From one generation to the next: a family business story worth celebrating

This #GoodNewsFriday we hear from Claire Callaghan of Knoll Care Partnership about their family-run organisation as they prepare to pass the reins on to the third generation.

When my parents, Madeleine and Jim opened The Knoll in 1989, converting our family home, they couldn’t have imagined that 37 years later, their grandchildren would be running the business. But that’s exactly what’s happening and it’s one of the most joyful things I’ve been part of in almost three decades in social care.

The Knoll Care Partnership has been part of our family since we were young. Madeleine and Jim built something genuinely special - a residential care home rooted in warmth, dignity, and a deep commitment to the people they cared for. We took that commitment to people forward when, in 2003, the second-generation bought the (by now) two homes. That second-generation board, my brothers Matt and Andy, sister-in-law Jayne, and I have spent the past 20-plus years trying to honour what they built, while growing and evolving it for a changing sector, including the building of Bowfell House.

Now, we’re doing it again - and this time, it feels even more special.

Meet the Third Generation

Alice, Sarah, Connor, John, and Dan have all grown up around this business. They’ve sat around dinner tables where the conversation turned to staffing rotas and CQC inspections. They’ve watched us navigate the pressures and privileges of running a care home. And four of them have already been working directly in the business and they are outstanding at what they do.

This isn’t a succession that’s been handed to them. It’s one they’ve earned. And watching them step into ownership with that combination of lived familiarity and fresh energy is, honestly, one of the proudest moments of my professional life.

Why family businesses matter in social care

There’s something important about a family-owned care provider that’s easy to overlook in conversations about the sector. The values aren’t in a policy document - they’re in the culture. They’re passed down through stories, through example, through the way people are treated when no one’s watching.

Madeleine and Jim instilled something in this business that has survived two ownership transitions. Showing what can be achieved with intentional, values-led leadership. As the third generation takes the reins, I have every confidence that what makes The Knoll Care Partnership special will not only survive, but grow.

A moment to celebrate

In a sector that faces relentless pressure: workforce challenges, regulatory demands, financial uncertainty, it’s easy to forget to pause and mark the good things. This is one of the good things.

A family business, now in its third generation. Five people who know what care means, not just as a profession but as a family value. A community of residents and staff who will benefit from that continuity for years to come.

I couldn’t be more proud of all of them — or more excited about what comes next.

As for me, I’m staying firmly in the sector I love. My focus is now on Lumina Leadership, where I work with care providers, boards, and senior leaders to build the kind of sustainable, values-led cultures that make businesses like The Knoll thrive across generations.

Here’s to the next chapter.

If you have a good news story to share email us marketing@skillsforcare.org.uk

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