It goes without saying that, in 2020, the UK’s frontline workers have restored the nation’s belief in the good of humanity. Whoever you are, wherever you live, someone has a story of how a frontline hero has made a positive impact on their life during such a negative year.
Of the 1.52 million adults working in social care in the UK*, a significant proportion work for providers in the franchising industry. And with more people than ever before seeing the value in quality and personal in-home care, career opportunities in the sector offer rewarding and long-term prospects when thousands of UK citizens are still out of work.
“The fact of the matter is, more people want to keep their vulnerable loved ones in the safety of their own homes for as long as they possibly can, so demand for our services has increased significantly in the last six months,” explained Ruth Brown, Director of Business Development for home care company Home Instead. “In line with this increase in enquiries, we’ve expanded our list of services to include live-in care. One of the key commitments we’ve made to our clients since Home Instead was founded in 1994 is to minimise the number of our CAREGivers facilitating care to each client. Whilst this was established to create a sense of familiarity, this has become a real priority for the loved ones of our clients and a crucial safety precaution.
“We’re extremely proud of the way in which our network of 224 franchisees and their teams of care staff have delivered our quality of care during lockdown. By doing everything within our power to set them up with the resources they need, whether that’s our updated COVID-19 training or supplying the necessary PPE, we’ve reaffirmed their belief in us as an ethical and supportive franchisor. We’ve worked hard to maintain our franchisee’s trust in our brand over the last 25 years, but with the additional credibility of national awards and accolades, like the Elite Franchise Top 100, our investment opportunity appeals to a wider pool of prospects. Although I wouldn’t like to suggest that 2020 is a year to capitalise on the needs of others, it’s certainly a prime time to enquire about franchise opportunities in a sector where there is still so much demand.”
Former corporate banking professional Marie Binks invested in her Heritage Healthcare franchise in West Yorkshire in May 2017. Despite only having received registration from the Care Quality Commission two and a half years before the pandemic, Marie’s franchise has gone from strength to strength. In May, demand increased so much that she invested in a second location in Kirklees.
“For a lot of business owners, 2020 has been a challenging year, but it’s been my most successful to date,” said Marie. “My team of carers have been incredible in delivering safe and respectful care which has built trust in our standard of homecare. Because of this, more clients were coming to us for our range of services, which led to me expanding and taking on the nearby Kirklees territory. The fact that I’m able to almost double the size of my business during a pandemic only solidifies what I thought of Heritage Healthcare when I first enquired about the franchise opportunity four years ago; they’re a homecare brand that really values its people, whether that’s their franchisees or clients.”
Franchisors and franchisees alike have seen a significant upturn in the number of enquiries during lockdown – one of very few sectors across the UK. Franchise Recruitment Manager for Bluebird Care, Vicky Brown, has been astounded by the increase.
“We’ve had double the number of enquiries from prospective franchisees in the months from April to September, which is such a good indication of how the sector is adding value to the UK economy. As far as the social care industry goes, we’ll continue to provide a much-needed service for the vulnerable living in our communities,” said Vicky.
The Elite Franchise Top 100 is a nationally recognised poll that celebrates the best there is in British franchising; brands like Home Instead, last year’s second most in-demand UK franchise opportunity, included. For more information about the annual award, visit www.elitefranchisemagazine.co.uk/ef-100
* Skills for Care, July 2020, The size and structure of the adult social care sector and workforce in England.
