About Us

The National Care Association was formed in 1981. Its primary aim is to lobby the Government to benefit both its members and the people in their care. The other aims are representing members and their service users nationally, to promote high standards of care, and to support local associations and members.

Local associations were the motivating force in the formation of the NCA, with the founding fathers realising that work needed to be done nationally as well as locally and the best way to achieve this was by a national association of like-minded home owners.

NCA represents the interests of providers caring for elderly people, people with learning disabilities, the physically handicapped, the mentally ill, children and domiciliary care agencies.

NCA is a company limited by guarantee and the Board of eleven Directors is made up primarily of working care providers. All the directors are elected and work in a voluntary capacity. NCA operates from a London office to keep its activities as close to Westminster as possible and to work with other organisations and related charities.

NCA is funded primarily by membership subscription, although sponsorships are negotiated whenever possible to keep the members’ subscriptions to a minimum.

The Chairman of NCA is Mrs Nadra Ahmed OBE who until recently owned a residential care home for the elderly in Kent. Nadra has worked in the long-term care sector for many years and used to be Chairman of the Kent Care Association. She has served on several government task forces and is currently the Vice Chairman of Skills for Care (Training Organisation for the Personal Social Services).

NCA’s Chief Executive is Mrs Sheila Scott OBE. Sheila was formerly a homeowner. She was seconded to the Department of Health Community Care Support Force for seven months in 1992/93 when NCA was successful in securing the ring fencing of 85% of the Special Transitional Grant for the independent sector and the Directive on Choice. Most recently, Sheila has been involved with the National Minimum Standards and in warning the Government of the effects these would have on many care providers. She now advises the Government on the effects of implementing the Care Standards and campaigns to achieve equality for all providers of care.

The two Vice Chairmen are Mr Michael Bird, Chairman of the NE Lancashire Association and Mrs Lynne Gardner, Chairman of Gloucestershire Association.

Members of the Board of Directors retain close links with their local Associations, thereby ensuring strong links with both national and local issues. This allows the London office to stay in close touch with grassroot concerns and enables it to present the real situation facing the care sector to the Department of Health and the Department for Children Schools and Families.

NCA now represents the interests of more than 2,000 independent care providers across the country. These businesses cater for a diverse client group and vary in size.