Josh Hough’s story is undeniably awe-inspiring. Living with Minicore Myopathy—a rare genetic condition that weakens his muscles and makes even the simplest movements a daily challenge—he’s taken on obstacles that many of us can’t begin to fathom. Early on, doctors weren’t sure he’d ever live independently, let alone carve out a successful career.
Yet today, Hough stands as the founder and CEO of CareLineLive, a home care software company generating over £3.5 million annually, employing 42 staff, and transforming care services for thousands worldwide.
“I hated being disabled and was determined to get out of my wheelchair. I would hear the doctors telling my parents that I might not be able to have a job,” says Josh Hough, founder and CEO of Slinfold-based home care software company CareLineLive.
“I think it made me very determined and single-minded. From an early age, I learned I could prove people wrong.
Hough’s early years were shaped by surgeries, treatments, and the harsh realities of navigating school in a wheelchair.
“It was just bloody bad luck. It’s a condition which you only get when both parents have a specific gene. I had a lot of specialist treatment when I was young. I went to school in a wheelchair which wasn’t nice as kids can be very cruel.”
Early Entrepreneurial Spirit
Despite these challenges, Hough excelled at school and nurtured an entrepreneurial spark. At just 14, he and his sister Zoe launched a publishing business. “I was more interested in business than in studying and had a desire to change things.
I think I saw the world differently to a lot of people. I was often looking for new and different ways of doing things. You have to when you literally can’t do things in the same ways everyone else does,” he says.
Hough’s frustration with inefficiencies in the healthcare system began early. “I was visited by countless nurses, doctors and healthcare professionals.
“Every time I met someone new, I had to go through the same routine – answering the same questions, explaining my condition. It was very repetitive and boring.
“Meanwhile, they were filling out paperwork or leafing through thick folders of information. It wasn’t very efficient and even as a young child, I was thinking: ‘this could be done better’.”
A Mission Born from Personal Experience
In 2010, at just 18, Hough launched MAS Group, an IT services company. While the business flourished, the idea of revolutionising home care kept pulling at him. His grandfather’s struggles with care services reignited childhood frustrations. “My grandfather was receiving care and the family struggled with the lack of communication from carers.
Everything I felt and saw as a child came flooding back. I just felt there needed to be a better system and, ultimately, that I had to be the one to create it.”
Hough’s lightbulb moment came while working with a home care client still reliant on paper-based systems. This inspired him to create CareLineLive, a platform designed to streamline every aspect of home care.
“We created an app that joins up everything in a home care business, from patient notes and visits to invoicing and staff rotas.
Family members can access it so they know what’s going on. But also, critical healthcare professionals like ambulance drivers can access it, too.
Because, if they are attending an emergency, they really need to know whether or not someone has had their medication that day.
“The idea of the ‘circle of care’ is that everyone a patient needs is brought into the loop. People no longer need to spend long periods of time hunting down paperwork. All the information is in one place, it’s very efficient and it provides a clear audit trail.”
Building CareLineLive
CareLineLive officially launched in 2018, tackling a care sector slow to embrace digital innovation. The journey was not without its hurdles. Hough initially relied on personal loans and credit cards to get the business off the ground.
Since then, he has successfully raised £6.7 million across multiple funding rounds, a process he describes as “an ongoing challenge.”
Recruiting top tech talent has also been a battle. “Finding skilled coders and software engineers is tough,” says Hough. “But we’ve built a team that shares our mission and values.
Today, CareLineLive supports over 600 home care agencies across seven countries, including Australia and Ireland. The platform has also achieved NHSx approval for Digital Social Care Records, integrating seamlessly with GPConnect to provide instant access to GP records.
A Culture of Empathy and Flexibility
Hough’s personal experiences have shaped the culture at CareLineLive. “I’ve been through enough surgeries and challenges to understand the importance of flexibility,” he says.
“If a team member or their child needs to go to the doctor, I tell them to just go. Some might say I’m too lenient, but our team’s loyalty speaks for itself. People stay, and some even return, because they value the support and understanding we offer.”
Proving Doubters Wrong
“If a member of staff or their child needs to go to the doctors then I tell them to ‘just go’. People might think I’m too lenient, but we have a team that sticks with us and, sometimes, even returns, because they appreciate the flexibility and support we offer.”
Reflecting on his journey, Hough says: “I’ve had to prove myself repeatedly – to investors, customers and employees. It’s a vicious cycle of needing experience but not being able to get it.
But that’s been my driving force – proving people wrong and showing that something is achievable. Building CareLineLive is something I’m incredibly proud of.”