The Anne Stevens story

Anne Stevens founded Consultus Care and Nursing in 1962. She was the beloved aunt of our current CEO, Peter Seldon, and the younger sister of his mother. Born in May 1923 in Matfield, Kent, Anne was the daughter of Wilfred and Eileen Willett, whose story became widely known through the book Wilfred and Eileen and the BBC drama series of the same name. In addition to being her mother’s sister, Anne shared a brother, Dennis, who became an innovative aircraft engineer. Sadly, Dennis passed away in 1955 at just 38 years old.

Anne's mother, Eileen, was a remarkable woman. During World War I, after Anne’s father was wounded on the Western Front, Eileen, only 21, tirelessly petitioned the war office to secure a rare permit allowing her to travel to the front and bring Wilfred back to England for proper medical care. Wilfred had been shot while rescuing a wounded soldier in No Man’s Land. Both he and the soldier survived, and the experience deeply influenced Anne’s character, instilling in her the same courage, determination, and tenacity as her mother.

In 1962, at 39 years old, Anne faced the challenge of supporting her two children after her husband’s bankruptcy left them with few financial resources. With limited Welfare State assistance available, Anne resolved to find a way to provide for her family.

The early 1960s presented many obstacles, but Anne decided to start a small business from a shed in her garden at Pinnacles Cottage on the Shipborne Road in Tonbridge. With the help of her school friend, Daphne Davis, she founded a company called Contactus, which was soon renamed Consultus.

Starting with just one phone and advertising in the local newspaper, Anne initially offered gardening and home help services to the local community. However, she soon noticed a growing trend—many elderly family members were being placed in residential care homes because there were few other options available at the time. This prompted Anne to think about a new way to provide care.

Anne envisioned a service that would allow elderly people to remain in their own homes, where they could maintain their independence while receiving the care they needed. She pioneered the idea of 24/7 live-in care, offering an alternative to traditional care homes. At the same time, another trailblazer, Patricia White, was doing the same in Horsham, Sussex. Together, these two women laid the foundation for the live-in care sector in the UK, enabling older adults to live in the comfort of their own homes, surrounded by family, friends, pets, and their familiar environment.

Anne’s leadership of Consultus for 30 years—until 1992—saw the company grow to serve over 150 families. In 1992, Anne invited her nephew, Peter Seldon, to bring his business expertise to the company as CEO. Since then, other members of Peter’s family, along with family members of existing Consultus team members, have joined the company.

Today, Consultus Care and Nursing is the largest independent, family-owned live-in care company in the UK, offering a range of services to hundreds of families and continuing to grow. This growth reflects the increasing desire of UK families to provide the best care possible for their elderly loved ones.

Anne Stevens started with very little—working from a garden shed with just a phone—and transformed Consultus into a beacon of quality, compassionate care for those who need it. Her legacy remains at the heart of the company, a family-run business that has been dedicated to helping families for over 60 years.