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Happy New Year, and welcome to the first edition of the Kent Business Newsletter of 2026!

This week there is a familiar face taking on a senior role at a well-known Ashford firm, a specialist training business choosing Maidstone as its new home, and a warning for care homes after a serious incident. We also cover a new charity aiming to improve young people’s money skills, plus an update on insolvencies that shows pressures on businesses are not easing just yet.

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Katie Hodson has been appointed Managing Partner at Azets’ Ashford office, two decades after starting her career there. She first joined the firm as an audit trainee in 2005, qualified as an accountant in 2009, and rose through the ranks to Partner in 2023. Katie now leads a 40-strong team, overseeing client service and business development across Kent. She succeeds Rick Schofield, who moves into a national role as Head of Risk and Quality for Azets’ UK Tax team. Known for her work with SMEs in construction, property and viticulture, Katie says she’s eager to help Kent’s ambitious businesses thrive.

➡️ Read more about Katie’s appointment and plans for Ashford’s growing business community.

QPQuandary has joined Maidstone Innovation Centre, offering specialist mentoring for pharmaceutical professionals working toward the coveted Qualified Person (QP) status. Founded by sisters Alex Hall and Emma Davison-Hall, the business trains and supports students preparing for exams that certify medicines as safe for the public - a role vital to the healthcare supply chain.

After hosting in-person sessions at the centre earlier this year, the team moved from London to Maidstone, drawn by the quality of the facilities and community spirit. With over 30 delegates and 25 annual courses, QPQuandary is now a key player in the region’s growing life sciences scene.

➡️ Find out how Maidstone is shaping the future of pharmaceutical training.

South East law firm Birketts is urging care home operators to make sure staff properly follow residents’ care plans after a fatal oversight led to a £1.9 million fine. A 96-year-old woman died when her specialist dietary needs were ignored due to short staffing and missed supervision. The HSE found systemic failures in training and compliance under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Birketts warns operators that such breaches risk severe penalties and reputational harm. The firm says care homes must review compliance systems, ensure staff training, and monitor how care plans are applied day to day.

➡️ Read the full story to see how one oversight became a costly lesson.

National accountancy firm MHA has launched the MHA 1892 Foundation, a new charity offering grants of up to £3,500 to help young people improve their financial skills. The foundation, funded through staff fundraising and partner match funding, builds on a successful North West pilot that supported eight organisations in 2023. Its aim is to strengthen financial education and social mobility nationwide, with Kent among the offices driving the effort. Partner Glen Thomas said the initiative unites MHA’s community work under one banner to make a real impact. The move comes as studies show most pupils leave school unprepared for financial life.

➡️ Find out how local firms are tackling the financial literacy gap.

Corporate insolvencies dropped 8.3% in November 2025, down to 1,866 cases. That’s also 6.7% lower than a year earlier. But according to Matthew Richards of Azets, the bigger picture remains bleak. Insolvencies this year are still running higher overall than in 2024, and most are liquidations. Firms are closing because they can’t pay creditors or see a route to recovery.

Richards warned that economic pressure, creditor demands and management fatigue are driving failures. Rising costs and wage hikes have left many directors exhausted, especially in retail and hospitality. Without relief, more failures are likely in 2026.

➡️ Read the full analysis to see what the data means for your sector.

Jules is still away, so Julie Edinburgh joined Paul on the business bunker this week. Their guest was Dr Tim Aker of Just A Minute Media.

Tim empowers business leaders, entrepreneurs, and organisations to communicate with uncompromising clarity, confidence, and conviction whether in the boardroom, on the keynote stage, or in front of the cameras.

Backed by 15+ years experience within the world of politics, public affairs, and media strategy, he has coached executives, orchestrated national campaigns, and delivered high‑impact keynotes across industries.

Tim’s mission is straightforward and indispensable for your growth: I transform leaders into recognised experts.

To listen to this week’s show in full visit Kent Business Radio

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