Octopus Healthcare has announced the appointment of Kevin Beirne as director of retirement, joining the business from leading housing association, One Housing.
With over 15 years experience in developing and managing specialist housing for the elderly and vulnerable; Beirne was a group director for One Housing, where he oversaw the successful launch of the Season and Baycroft older people’s housing brands.
He joins Octopus Healthcare to the newly-created role, heading up the existing retirement team as the business accelerates its retirement investment and development activity.
Mike Adams, chief executive at Octopus Healthcare, said: “We are excited to welcome Kevin. His experience and commitment to the sector will be invaluable and will enhance our senior management team as we look to rapidly increase our investment into the UK retirement accommodation sector.”
At One Housing, he led on a number of revolutionary development and sector initiatives, including working with the Smith Institute to launch the influential think tank repor: Housing associations and the NHS: new thinking, new partnerships’ which proposed that better integration of services should be led by using parts of NHS land for senior living and complex supported housing for people with long-term conditions.
Beirne said: “We know from experience that when services for the elderly and vulnerable are integrated in the early design stages of a development, then the care providers – NHS or private – will have the right foundations to deliver better care, lifestyles and choices to residents.
“This process was fundamental to my work at One Housing and it dovetails perfectly with the ambition and values of Octopus Healthcare.
"This new role at Octopus Healthcare offers me great opportunities to use all my experience in a positive way.”
Beirne is a director of the Associated Retirement Community Operators and a member of the National Housing Federation’s Delivering Great Homes Group. He was also a member of the Home and Communities Agency Board Advisory Panel for Vulnerable and Older People until 2013.