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Chief Executive Officer

About Carr Gomm

Our Purpose

Carr Gomm exists to support people to live their best possible lives, whatever that means to them.

We are a national charity working at the heart of communities across Scotland, providing person-centred social care and community development support to over 4,600 people each year. We walk alongside people navigating homelessness, mental health challenges, learning disabilities, dementia, and a range of other life experiences. Or simply those needing a bit of support to stay independent and connected.

At Carr Gomm, support is never one-size-fits-all. Every relationship is rooted in listening, trust, and a commitment to work together. We believe people should have real choice and control in their lives, and that the right support can be transformative.

We operate in a world that is shifting and uncertain. The social care sector faces immense pressures, from funding constraints to structural reform. But Carr Gomm is not standing still. We are innovating, growing, and advocating. Not just to survive, but to show what cutting-edge support looks like.

With over one million hours of direct support delivered in the past year, 1,200 staff, and a reach that spans urban centres and remote communities alike. Our scale is significant, but our impact is always personal.

The Vision of Carr Gomm is a society where everyone has the support they need to make the choices they want and to control their lives as citizens.

We do not settle for good enough. We dare greatly, act boldly, and stay rooted in our values. That is our purpose, and our DNA.

About Us

Who We Are

Carr Gomm believes in a world where people don’t need to feel lonely or isolated and that everyone should have choice. That’s why we look at social care differently.

From Shetland to the Borders, our teams support people to shape their own lives, in their own homes, and on their own terms. By being present, paying attention, and offering support that adapts and evolves. We show up every day with kindness, creativity, and respect.

We support people for many different reasons because no two lives are the same. What unites our approach is our belief in listening first. Whether someone needs support for a few hours a week or every day of the year, our role is to understand what matters to them – and help make it happen.

Carr Gomm is proudly person-centred, values-led and determined to do better. Our DNA runs through everything we do: openness, honesty, interdependence, respect, kindness, compassion, choice and control. These are not an empty promise or words on a wall. They are how we work, how we lead, and how we care.

We are also a bold, ambitious organisation. We develop new services, grow partnerships, and lead projects that stretch the boundaries of what social care can be. We advocate for change, not just for our organisation, but for the sector. And we do this while remaining rooted in practice, in people’s lives, and in the communities we’re part of.

Carr Gomm is a brilliant place to work. Our 1,200 staff bring skill, insight and heart to their roles and are supported and celebrated for doing so. We invest in people because people are our purpose. Many of our team have been with Carr Gomm for most of their working lives. That says a lot.

We are proud of what we’ve built and even more excited about what comes next.

What does Carr Gomm mean to the people we support?

Carr Gomm at a Glance

  • A leading Scottish charity providing person-centred social care and community development

  • Delivered over 1 million hours of direct support in 2023–24

  • Supported more than 4,600 people across Scotland last year

  • Employed over 1,200 staff and maintained a 0% gender pay gap

  • Invested £29 million into supporting people and staff

  • Generated £700,000 in fundraised income to tackle loneliness and isolation

  • Active in 13 local authority areas, from city centres to rural and island communities

  • Delivering a wide range of support, from 24/7 complex care to short-term community-based services

  • Proudly values-led and person-centred in every interaction

  • Celebrated 25 years of bold, responsive, impactful support in 2023

What we stand for

Choice: As active citizens in society, we should all be able to make our own choices. Sadly this isn't true for all, so we must support people to consider their options and possible consequences, make their own decisions, and then reflect and learn from different experiences. As professionals, we also have a duty of care and so must intervene if someone is endangering themselves or others. Control: People should be in control of their own lives. However, some do experienced not being in control and other need support to understand what this means. Our role is to help maximise the control that each person has over their own life, their actions and their decisions. Openness & honesty: We should always be honest with people. But it can sometimes be difficult to be honest if we are afraid of hurting someone. We should think carefully, and then support people with kindness and openness in everything they do. Interdependence: We all have relationships and connections with other people in our community. Some people have experienced a balance of relationships that is not right for them. Our role is to ensure that people can create, develop and maintain the relationships and connections that are right for them; with friends, family and community. Respect: We will live respectfully in all our relationships, even when people do things that make this challenging. We will always be non-judgmental, inclusive and kind at all times within all of our relationships. Kindness: We will always put others at the centre of what we do. It is not focused on how it will benefit us or how many likes we can get on social media. True kindness comes from a place of compassion, understanding and goodwill. Compassion: As professionals compassion is how support is given through relationships based on empathy, respect and dignity. It is also known as intelligent kindness and is central to how people perceive their support.

Our Values in the words of those we support:

Links

Our website:

Our social media:

Documents

Strategic Plan 2024-2027

Download

Magazine

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Impact Report

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Trustees Report

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