Ruth French is the founder of French & Co Care Consulting and an award-winning social care leader with more than 25 years' experience spanning government, social care operations, regulation and sector leadership.
Before establishing her consultancy, Ruth owned and led Stow Healthcare, growing the organisation from a single struggling care home into an award-winning group of eight services across East Anglia.
Under her leadership, the organisation became recognised for successfully turning around underperforming care homes, achieving multiple Outstanding CQC ratings and winning numerous national awards before its successful sale in 2025.
Prior to entering social care, Ruth held senior roles within Whitehall, including working at Assistant Director level and on secondment to the Cabinet Office, leading policy and change programmes across business, trade and energy portfolios.
Today, Ruth is a Non-Executive Director at Elizabeth Finn Homes and Director of Policy and Regulation at The Outstanding Society, helping shape best practice across the social care sector. She is a regular conference speaker, media commentator and contributor to industry publications, advocating for excellence, innovation and professionalisation in care.
