Cornerstone Healthcare is a specialist care provider delivering complex care services across the South and Southwest of England. Under CEO Paul Hayes’ leadership, Cornerstone has grown to 378 employees and recently opened The Burren, a flagship 140-bed facility in Bristol that represents a new model for sustainable healthcare environments.

Like many care providers, Cornerstone faced significant sector pressures: workforce shortages, rising costs, and tight margins. However, Hayes recognised that these challenges required a different approach to traditional cost-cutting.

“I actually saw sustainability as part of the solution rather than a distraction,” Paul explains. “If we want to be here in 10, 20 years’ time, caring for people with complex needs, then we need a business model that’s resilient and future proof.”

The risk wasn’t just financial – it was about relevance. As Paul notes: “If we ignored sustainability or we didn’t prioritise it, then actually we’re building fragility into the business instead.”

Cornerstone partnered with FuturePlus in 2023 to systematically assess and improve its sustainability performance. The collaboration provided crucial clarity and benchmarking.

“Working with FuturePlus gave us that clarity, and it was a bit of a wake-up call,” Paul admits. “It showed us where we were already strong and where we needed to improve, and from there it was really about setting realistic goals, small goals to start with.”

The Burren, Cornerstone’s new Bristol facility, was designed from the ground up with sustainability at its core:

• BREEAM Excellent certification
• Solar panels and heat pumps
• Biophilic design, including a thriving living wall
• Natural light and calming spaces that prioritise resident wellbeing

Crucially, the business case extended beyond payback periods. Bristol City Council‘s commitment to ESG meant sustainability wasn’t optional – it was strategic positioning. 

“When commissioners looked at us, they could see that our alignment, what we were doing aligned with their long-term priorities,” Paul explains.

Achieving 90% waste diversion from landfill required systematic change:

• Separate food waste collections at every home
• Staff retraining in kitchens
• Menu redesign to reduce waste
• Weekly food waste recycling and cooking oil recycling
• Transition from pre-packaged plastic-wrapped meals to local suppliers with minimal packaging

One home reduced food waste simply by changing portioning practices – a story shared across the group to demonstrate that everyone has a role to play. Rather than treating sustainability as a boardroom project, Cornerstone embedded it throughout operations. “Sustainability can’t exist in the boardroom. It has to be lived out in every single home every day,” Paul emphasises.

Measurable Impact:

• FuturePlus score improvement: 289 to 321 (out of 500) in one year
• IMPACT CERTIFIED accreditation
• Waste diversion: 90% from landfill
• Staff retention: Attrition almost 10% lower than national average
• Growth: 140 new jobs created at The Burren alone
• Recognition: Specialist Care Provider of the Year (won twice)

But for Paul, the workforce impact represented the most significant outcome. “People want to work for an organisation that reflects their values. When colleagues see us investing in well-being, in diversity, and greener homes, it tells them that we care about more than the bottom line.”

1. Reframe Sustainability as Risk Management

“Sustainability isn’t a cost centre, it’s risk management, and it can be a competitive advantage,” Paul argues. Organisations that embrace it will be the ones that commissioners, funders, and colleagues choose to work with.

2. Progress Over Perfection

Paul recommends focusing on steady, practical changes that accumulate over time rather than grand gestures. “Don’t overthink it and don’t wait until you’ve got the perfect plan. Because we didn’t! What matters is taking the first step and being honest about where you’re starting from.” 

3. Make It Cultural, Not Operational

Reflecting on what he’d do differently, Paul notes: What I learned is that the real power comes when colleagues see it as part of who we are and when it shapes our daily decisions and not just our board reports.” The real transformation came from storytelling and helping people see themselves in the change – celebrating small wins in their homes and teams.

4. Sustainability Mirrors Quality Improvement

For Cornerstone, sustainability sits naturally alongside their continuous improvement culture. “That mirrors exactly the way that we would approach continual improvements in quality in resident experience, in colleague experience. You know, none of it’s ever done. It’s all a continual journey.”

Paul’s ambition is straightforward: continue building on the foundation established. “It will underpin everything that we do in terms of our growth and development, our physical assets in terms of our buildings and we will just continue on the mission to show our people and people who work with us how much it means to us.”

For healthcare leaders hesitant about sustainability investment, he offers clear advice: “If you see it only as a loss, then you’re missing the bigger picture. It’s about resilience, reputation and relevance and in a sector as challenging as ours, those are the things that keep you in business.”

📈 Cornerstone uses FuturePlus to track its sustainability progress and has improved its score from 289 to 321 in one year, achieving IMPACT CERTIFIED status.

🎧 Click here to listen to Alexandra Smith’s full interview with Cornerstone’s CEO, Paul Hayes.