Bridgehead Communications
Portrait of Simon Bird
Photo: the group’s website

MID-SIZE LARGE GROUP/20 HOMES

Simon Bird

Chief Executive Officer, Care South

Simon Bird is Chief Executive Officer of Care South, a not-for-profit charity providing care homes and home care in Dorset, Somerset and North Devon.

BIOGRAPHY

Simon Bird is Chief Executive Officer of Care South, a not-for-profit registered charity that provides residential and home care in Dorset, Somerset and North Devon. He took over as chief executive on 1 November 2018 from Susan Willoughby, who retired after almost 19 years with the charity.

Bird is a Chartered Surveyor. He studied estate management at Birmingham Polytechnic (1986 to 1989) and started as a senior surveyor at GVA Grimley in 1991. He then spent about 15 years as a director at Pinders, a healthcare consultancy and specialist business valuer, before joining Care South in 2011 as Property and Marketing Director.

Care South promoted him to Deputy Chief Executive in 2017 and to chief executive the following year. The charity credits him with developing its portfolio of residential and nursing homes, assisted living developments and home care services across the south of England.

Care South was named a carehome.co.uk Top 20 care home group for the third year running in 2023. In January 2025 it reported winning the Hennell Award for Innovation and Excellence in Dementia Care, from the University of Worcester's Association for Dementia Studies, for its Dementia Care Coach programme. Bird hosts the charity's annual Stars Awards for colleagues.

About Care South. Care South is a not-for-profit registered charity (no. 1014697) providing residential and home care across Dorset, Somerset and North Devon. See its rank and history

CAREER

  1. NOV 2018 – NOW

    Chief Executive Officer · Care South NOW

  2. 2017 – NOV 2018

    Deputy Chief Executive · Care South

  3. 2011 – 2017

    Property and Marketing Director · Care South

  4. JUN 1996 – SEP 2011

    Director · Pinders

  5. 1991 – 1996

    Senior Surveyor · GVA Grimley

ARTICLES, INTERVIEWS AND APPEARANCES

COUNTED FOR THE RANKING

1 article in the twelve months to 6 October 2026 (1 national).