A day in the life of… Lord Victor Adebowale

Every other day starts with a run followed by a steaming bowl of porridge to get me going. Then it's a short walk to the tube and time for a good read of the papers: The Guardian on the iPad, then the Independent and Daily Mail.

The commute is around 40 minutes so I stick on my headphones. The music's on shuffle so it could be anything from jazz to classical. Sometimes the songs mirror the journey.

Our headquarters are based at Standon House in London's Aldgate. I always say hello to the troops on the way to my office, where a pile of letters is waiting to be signed. Admin is a chore but has to be done.

Next, it's computer on and a thorough check through my emails in case there's anything urgent that needs dealing with. Being hands-on is important to me: I'm not an aloof type of bloke, so I tend not to sit in my office much.

Instead, I'll pick an empty desk and go and park myself there. And I talk to people. I also check in daily with my deputy, David Hoare, and assistant chief executives Andy James and Julie Bass.

There are sushi places nearby so I'll pop out and get a takeaway for lunch. It has to be quick and easy when you've always got to be somewhere else.

Today I was off to Esher to talk to nurses and health visitors at Central Surrey Health about the Health and Social Care Act and what it means for social enterprises.

There was plenty of nodding when I spoke about the challenges of achieving service integration and the need for social enterprises to work together and partner with other organisations.

It's an annual event and the audience asked lots of questions afterwards. The first was: "What was it like going on Desert Island Discs?" Then it was on to the serious stuff, such as: "what will possible partnerships look like in the future?"

People are still confused about what the current changes to the NHS and social care mean for them.

Speaking engagements are part of what I do. Raising the profile of social enterprises and why they're important. But I also like spending time with the team, speaking to people working at Turning Point, meeting with the punters and being outside the office, planning.

With the meeting over, I jump on the train to Waterloo then head to Westminster for my other job as a peer. Being in the House of Lords gives me a chance to get the topics I'm most passionate about on to the agenda – and giving a voice to those who need it most.

If there isn't a big debate on I'll talk to fellow members about what to get on the order of business. I'm currently thinking about a debate in the House on race.

I've also been having conversations about looked-after children and children who are carers. Lately, I've been thinking about the future of the Lords. Will cross-benchers survive and are elections the same as democracy?

I get home around 8.30pm. After a catch-up with my wife, I talk to my son about his AS Levels and I'll read my daughter a story if she's still up. I'm trying to convince her to take up ukulele lessons. I bought one last Friday so I'm aiming for lessons all round. We might make it on to Britain's Got Talent … one day.

Before bed, I'll spend time catching up on emails and reading papers preparing for the next day then sit down to watch CSI. Tomorrow, I've got a staff forum session at South Westminster Drug and Alcohol Service. These events are a great opportunity for teams on the front line to grill me, as well as share any successes. They're also a chance for me to ask questions and find out what's happening in our teams around the country.

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