Neil Blanchard

Title: Chief Executive
Team: C-suite

Neil joined Southdown in May 2001, becoming a director in 2002 and Chief Executive in April 2014. He has helped shape, develop, and grow Southdown’s activities over this period, appreciating the need for the organisation to constantly adapt and evolve to continue to meet community and stakeholder needs.

Neil originally qualified as a chartered surveyor, but inspired by positive voluntary work experiences, joined the social care sector in his early twenties as a support worker for people with learning disabilities and sensory needs. He was fortunate to work with a group of individuals as they made their lifechanging move from a long stay institution into the community. This experience inspired him to develop a career within the social care and supported housing sector, broadening his experience across specialist arears including older people and dementia, homelessness, mental health, HIV/Aids, substance misuse and care leavers as he moved from frontline into management and leadership roles.

In addition to his role within Southdown, he is committed to helping shape and influence the wider supported housing and social care sectors. He participates as a VCSE sector representative and leader in a range of governance structures, networks and working groups as part of the integration of health and social care services. In these he actively promotes and advocates on behalf of Southdown and the wider VCSE sector for inclusion as a strategic partner in the design, delivery, and leadership of innovative and cost-effective models of provision.

He says, “I passionately believe that a true indicator of a civilised and caring society is how it treats and supports those in our communities who are more marginalised and face additional challenges and barriers. This is a core reason why Southdown was established over 50 years ago. Although we currently face many external challenges and ever-increasing demand on our services, we remain true to our founding mission and ethos; to speak out for the interests of our clients and support them to live their life well.”