Our story

William O’Keeffe, who himself is a carer, founded Custos Care in 2021. He wanted to see that he and his colleagues were treated with the dignity and rewards that they deserve.

Custos Care is an introductory agency which is comprised exclusively of carers. Our team are always on the ground visiting clients alongside our admin work and we facilitate training, background checking, interviewing and dad to day running of the business from our offices in Kensington Village.

At Custos Care, we pride ourselves on being both a Micro-Enterprise, where profits take a backseat. By consulting regularly with our carers, we ensure investments go where they’re needed most to enhance our service. Unlike large-scale providers, our modest size allows us to offer a truly personalised approach—building a close-knit community where carers feel supported, valued, and fairly compensated.

Our founding principle

Our carers are the ones doing the hard work, and they should receive the largest share of what our clients pay. This is a core value we have upheld from the start—and one we will always stand by.

Over the past four years, 84% of our turnover has gone directly to our carers. Whether it’s hiring additional administrative support to keep operations running smoothly or hosting our well-deserved (and rather lavish) Christmas parties, where everyone can take a break and enjoy the fruits of their labour, every penny is spent with purpose.

We have never paid shareholders, and, in fact, most of our live-in carers earn more than Will.

Ensuring our carers are paid what they deserve

84%

of our turnover has gone directly to our carers

Meet the team

FOUNDER

Will began care work in his early twenties following his BA in Theatre Studies. He began work for a local branch of a care agency franchise and found that he loved the work, but the pay was dismal.

After some years, Will was being asked by lots of clients to be taken on privately, and finally, Will began Custos Care so that carers could work together to self-organise and reap the rewards to the exclusion of the typical agency models currently available on the market. In addition to his care work, Will loves anything outdoors. Camping, fishing, climbing, gardening; are all passions of his.

He also feels it's necessary to stress the fact that he loves dogs and has a Springer Spaniel called Milly, who often accompanies him on his visits (on request).

Will's dream is to grow his own food somewhere in the UK. He has started with his front garden. Tomorrow, the world.

William O’Keeffe

CARE SERVICES MANAGER

Peter joins Custos Care as our Services Manager, with an impressive 27 years of experience in care management. Now focused on driving our CQC registration and the development of new systems, Peter brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team.

A proud father of five, he’s also an enthusiastic Tottenham Hotspur fan. In his spare time, Peter loves traveling, particularly to the Greek islands and Italy, where he can relax and enjoy history, food and architecture. His passion for quality and improvement, both in his work and in life, makes him a fantastic addition to the Custos Care team.

Peter Lord

CARER WELLBEING LEAD

Kei is a trained Gestalt therapist with a Diploma in Counseling, living in Parsons Green. She spent over a decade doing digital marketing for brands, then realised her need to spend quality time with people was outweighing her interest in advertising.

She grew up with an artistic Japanese mother who taught her how to draw and appreciate art, while her English father’s international maritime career meant she got to travel extensively. Aside from art Kei is interested in everything from languages to food, but overall is happy to hear other people’s stories.

Kei has now not only a carer but also our Happiness Coordinator, ensuring all of our carers are satisfied and providing the best service they can to our clients.

Kei Lawford

COMPANY SECRETARY

Lottie is from Warwickshire and joined us at the start of 2023. Beyond her duties as Company Secretary, she found a love for providing companionship through her role.

Having previously worked in marketing, Lottie wanted to transition to a role that was more focused on people. Now, she enjoys coming home knowing she's helped make someone’s day a little brighter.

When she’s not found glued to the Custos emails, Lottie loves attending art exhibitions, reading in a coffee shop and spending quality time with her friends.