The care charity Greensleeves Care has appointed its chief financial officer as its interim chief. 

The charity, which runs 28 care homes and had an income of £80m in the year to the end of March, said Chris Doherty would take up the reins when Paul Newman steps down at the end of February.

Newman is leaving Greensleeves after more than a decade to become chief executive of two care companies: the We Care Group and the Summit Care Group, which run care homes in north-west England and Yorkshire.

Doherty has been CFO at Greensleeves since 2014 and before that spent two years at Viridian Housing Association.

Dallas Pounds, chair of Greensleeves Care, said: “Chris has been part of Greensleeves Care’s success for over 10 years and is well-placed to lead the charity as acting CEO.”

The 28-care-home group, consistently named among the top 20 in England, remains focused on its strategic priorities including continuous quality improvement, sustainability, inclusion and innovation.

Doherty said: “I am privileged to have the opportunity to lead Greensleeves Care during this transitional period. I look forward to working closely with our team to maintain our focus on delivering high-quality care and supporting our residents and colleagues.”

The charity said the recruitment process for a permanent chief executive was underway.