Leading care home provider, Oakland Care, has strengthened its team with the strategic appointment of Tom Haslett as Head of AI.
The arrival of the digital leader marks the latest investment by the care home provider into technology, with Haslett joining in a newly created role focused on leading the businesses AI adoption strategy across its care homes in London and the South East of England.
It builds on Oakland Care’s forward-thinking approach as a business, with a growing integration of advanced care technology in recent years which has helped position them at the forefront in the social care sector.
The new hire will strengthen Oakland Care’s use of AI by bringing more than 20 years of experience in the technology sector – with the past five years dedicated specifically to driving large-scale business change through its application.
Prior to joining the care home provider, he was focused on transforming operations at a UK-headquartered software company, with initiatives delivering £1.2 million in time-savings per year.
This was achieved through considered strategies focused on re-shaping how teams worked, with a priority on reducing repetitive tasks and generating AI-driven insights in order help re-align time towards high-value, human-centred, activities.
Alongside cost-savings, the work undertaken helped to strengthen customer engagement, reduce friction, and enable staff to focus on priority outcomes.
Within his new role at Oakland Care Haslett is applying a similar responsible, people-centred, approach. In his position he will be focused on helping to ease administrative pressure, streamline tasks, and educate and empower team members – with a primary objective of freeing up time to focus on high-quality resident care delivery.
Efforts have already begun with several AI initiatives across the business. An initial focus has been on marketing and recruitment, alongside the development of AI tools designed to deliver day-to-day time savings across every department, from care teams and hospitality to finance, HR, and corporate services.
Tom Haslett, Head of AI at Oakland Care, said:
“I am delighted to have joined Oakland Care as Head of AI and Business Improvement, and I’m genuinely excited to bring my experience into an organization that already has such a strong reputation for quality and innovation. The social care sector has faced well-documented challenges and, for many years, has lagged behind other industries when it comes to adopting new technologies. I believe this presents a huge opportunity.
“My focus is on demonstrating how AI can be used responsibly and positively to support the incredible teams working in care every day. By reducing administrative pressures, improving access to information, and giving staff tools that make their roles easier and more efficient, we can directly contribute to better outcomes for our team members. And when our teams are supported, empowered, and able to spend more time with residents, this naturally leads to better quality of care and enhanced resident experiences.
“Joining Oakland Care at this moment – when the sector is evolving and expectations are rising – feels incredibly meaningful. I’m looking forward to helping shape how AI can uplift both the team members here and the wider care community, ensuring technology serves people, not the other way around.”
Joanne Balmer BEM, Chief Executive Officer of Oakland Care, said:
“We are delighted to welcome Tom Haslett to Oakland Care. As a business we recognise the value that technology offers our care homes, both for improving resident experience and enhancing the working lives of our team members. This trailblazing hire further demonstrates our commitment to investing and implementing the latest technology.
“At Oakland Care, our ethos is firmly rooted in human connection, compassion, and personalized support – and that will never change. Tom’s arrival to Oakland Care will instead be focused on supporting the thoughtful and ethical use of AI in ways that strengthen our workforce, elevate quality, and support better outcomes – rather than replace roles or be merely a cost saving exercise.
“The work Tom will be leading will help ensure that technology enhances the incredible work our teams already do, strengthening our reputation as a provider and leader in the sector for innovative, values-driven care.”
Tom Haslett, Head of AI, Oakland Care