The Homecare Sector
It’s a well-known fact that we are all living longer and this is where the nursing and care industry comes in. There is a growing need for high quality home care in the UK. Demographic changes mean that there are now more over 60s in the UK than there are under 18s, and nearly one million people are living with dementia. Family members aren’t always close by or they may have other commitments that limit the support they can give.
Arguably, the biggest appeal of the home care sector is that demand for care services is firmly set to increase. 517,000 adults in the UK currently receive state-funded homecare whilst 527,000 adults receive self-directed support via Social Services. These are substantial figures and are indicative of how important the domiciliary care market is in Britain today. It’s an industry currently worth £7.8 billion per year.
Not only are there potential financial rewards but it’s also an opportunity to make a positive difference to people’s lives. You don’t have to be Florence Nightingale to start a home care franchise of your own. Actually, most franchisees do not have a medical background at all.
What is a Homecare Agency?
Homecare agencies provide care to people in their own homes. This care can be both domestic and/or personal. Domestic care includes things like shopping, laundry and cleaning. Personal care includes assistance with personal hygiene, continence and dressing.
Typically a homecare agency will provide the following services:
- Personal care
- Companionship
- Shopping and bill paying services
- Food preparation and meals
- Light domestic and cleaning services
- Dementia care
- Assistance and mobility in the community
- Advocacy
- Live-in 24 hour care
Some home care agencies are also registered to provide nursing care to people in their own homes. Any nursing care must be carried out by a registered nurse.
A homecare agency will often be paid to provide care to service users by local authorities. However, there is a gradual move to personal budgets so that service users have more control over who provides the care. This move is providing increased opportunities, particularly for smaller care agencies. Previously the larger ones tended to dominate local authority contracts.
The Opportunity
Choosing to start a homecare agency isn’t a decision to be take lightly. There are regulatory and legislative requirements to consider. There needs to be significant funds saved as starting an agency is not cheap. There are employment hurdles to overcome and ongoing marketing and training needs to take care of.
However, the market is growing and is set to grow for years to come. It is an inevitable fact that more people will require care in the future. We are all living longer after all! Whether this type of care is funded by the state or privately, more carers working in care agencies will be needed. There is, therefore, a realistic business to consider here.
If you are in any doubt, take a look at the franchise options that are now available in the care sector. Ten years ago there were none but now it is a rapidly growing sector. More and more people are recognising the potential that lies in running a care business.
It is very important that franchisees in this area have good management and people skills, as well the confidence to be the public face of the organisation. Franchisees recruit a care manager and a team who handle the front facing responsibilities of the business. So there is a choice. You do not have to look after the patients yourself when staff are hired to do the hands-on part of the business. However, this is very much a people business and so it helps if you’re somebody who likes to engage with the public.
So What Kind of Research Should You Do Before Approaching a Franchisor?
“We are happy for people to contact us before they have done any research- the most important thing for us is that they know they want to run a business that makes a difference to people’s lives and that they are committed to valuing their staff and delivering top quality services,” says Kate Dilworth of Right at Home.
“The first things we will check are whether we can offer a viable territory option and whether the investment level is potentially achievable. We then have a detailed chat about how the business works. Most people are new to franchising and new to the quality home care sector, so it’s important that they get a clear picture of what’s involved before they invest time and money into the business. It is great if people have begun to research the home care market in their area, but we do give guidance on competitive analysis at our first face-to-face meeting,” she adds.
The Person
It is essential for a home care franchisee to have strong people skills. After all, the foundation of the health and care sector is the people that work within it. Your Home Carers, Nurses, GPs and Cleaners are the most important asset in your business.
As a franchisee in the care sector, you should have strong interpersonal skills, be flexible and communicate to a high standard. It is absolutely vital to recognise that every client using your service is different. They have different needs and the service should therefore be tailored to suit each client.
The Registration Process
The Care Quality Commission (or CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. They ensure that all health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care by monitoring, inspecting and regulating services. Ultimately, they make sure that each business meets fundamental standards of quality and safety. They then publish what they find, including performance ratings, to help people choose the best type of care for them.
A franchisee does not need accreditation from social services to operate a home care franchise but they must register with the CQC. The franchisor will usually assist its franchisees in this registration process as well as providing ongoing support to them.
“If you are delivering a service (which is regulated by the Care Quality Commission) then you must be registered with CQC.
The United Kingdom Home Care Association is a professional membership organisation for organisations which provide home care and nursing care to people in their own homes. All members agree to comply with UKHCA’s Code of Practice as a condition of membership.
The Code of Practice sets out requirements for:
- Standards of care
- The rights of service users
- Staffing
- Organisational management.
Again your franchisor will be able to advise further on this and, unlike the CQC, it isn’t obligatory to join.
The Day to Day Stuff
The day-to-day work of a regular carer could include anything from running errands to the local shop to making breakfast or dressing a terminally ill client. Contracts can be as short as a few days to looking after somebody for several months or even years. This means providing the highest standard of care that is always tailored to individual needs. Good care is about much more than meeting basic needs. For example, you should find out about your clients' hobbies and interests and try to incorporate these into their daily routine, if possible.
You generally recruit carers by posting job advertisements in the local media or websites and you will need to recruit continually. You will also need somebody to run your office. This could be done by yourself but you will also need to focus on marketing your business. This isn’t just marketing in the usual sense of selling, but instead involves promoting the latest social services protocols and what the current health issues in your region are. It’s also about letting people know what you do and finding out what they need from your business.
All care professionals must satisfy the CQC’s regulations regarding staff competence and training. This means that all care staff must have completed the Common Inductions Standards (CIS), which are applicable to the adult social care sector. These standards must also be completed within 12 weeks of commencing employment.
If you plan on providing care in your local community, it is important to recruit suitably qualified and trustworthy staff. When sourcing suitable candidates, you need to be certain about the qualifications and experience that are required. You also need to think about background checks, via the DBS, where appropriate.