“My driving force is my grandad”

Ben Selby explains why he became a Right at Home franchisee and his mission to provide top quality care

My grandad lived with dementia for a number of years and required care at home. Sadly, the struggle we faced to find him the quality homecare he deserved was commonplace. Doing something to change that has always been my driving force.

I had been working in the care sector for a number of years when I joined Right at Home’s national office support team, helping franchise owners ensure standards and compliance across their businesses.

It was a great fit because we shared the same ethics - I was on a mission to discover the face of quality in the industry and I’d found it.

Even better opportunity

Two years flew by and I felt I was really fulfilling my goal to promote better care for vulnerable people in their homes. However, it became clear that an even better opportunity was staring me in the face - to become a Right at Home franchise owner myself.

I’d always liked the thought of having my own business; by this stage in my career, I believed I was ready and had confidence that with Right at Home’s training and ongoing support I’d be able to overcome any hurdles from not having had previous business ownership experience.

Of course, I had to go through the same tough interview process as everyone else. At Right at Home, if they don’t believe you’re going to be the best person to build the business in your territory, you don’t get the chance.

I’m one of the youngest in the network and getting funding was never going to be a case of just dipping into savings. Fortunately, my parents could help me raise the capital to get up and running and not only was their investment quickly repaid, but my mum was so impressed with what we’ve built that she now works with us.

Providing clients with quality care

One important aspect of this franchise is that you have to stick to the model and that sometimes means turning away the wrong type of business - quick ‘in and out’ conveyor belt care visits, as opposed to the quality care we offer our clients.

Instead, you try to educate people about what separates our service from cheaper alternatives, because in reality, the difference in standards is quite staggering.

That difference stems from the culture that exists right across the organisation. It starts with Right at Home recruiting the right franchise owners and then properly training and supporting them.

The franchise owners then recruit, train and support the right people to become carers, managers and staff. The carers then provide the clients with second-to-none care and the circle is complete.

Recruitment is the single most important part of what we do. Right from day one, I have asked myself: ‘Does this person pass my Grandad Test?’. In other words, would I have been happy for them to have been caring for him? If the answer is no, we don’t employ them.

Everything we do is about providing the very best care for our clients. The pride we take in delivering that level of care is what attracts great people to join us.

Picking up plenty of accolades

While the national office keeps winning awards for franchising, we’re also picking up plenty of accolades of our own - most recently ‘Business of the Year 25+ Employees’ at the 2019 South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. We also have an ‘Outstanding’ rating from the Care Quality Commission, which only one per cent of UK homecare providers achieve.

The national office team have been simply outstanding in their support during COVID-19, securing quality PPE and giving fantastic guidance, reassurance and support. While many other businesses may not survive this current crisis, I think we, as a network, are feeling very optimistic for the future.

My plans are certain to go onwards and upwards. We’re currently preparing to open a daycare and activity centre below our office, offering a caring environment to anyone in the South Cheshire community.

I’m excited about this new venture and the business in general. Yes, it’s hard work - it’s a big responsibility and there’s huge pressure to get everything right - but it’s incredibly rewarding, in every way you could hope for.

Right at Home named best franchise £10m+ network turnover

Right at Home, the UK franchise providing premium quality homecare and companionship services, is celebrating winning its fourth Best Franchise Award.

The awards, which took place virtually on February 10, recognise leading franchise groups across all business sectors.

Right at Home - which has 65- plus locations across the UK - was named a finalist after achieving standout results in the 2020/21 WorkBuzz Franchise Satisfaction Benchmarking Survey.

The survey is completed by thousands of franchise owners, who anonymously score their franchisor on everything from training and support to shared goals and how the experience of being a franchisee compares with their expectations.

Right at Home’s overall 92 per cent satisfaction score saw it named a Five Star Franchise for the eighth year running - the only UK care franchise to achieve this. It then went on to be judged on performance and leadership in the Best Franchise Awards.

CEO Ken Deary paid homage to Right at Home’s network of CareGivers, who have worked tirelessly throughout the coronavirus crisis to support and protect highly vulnerable clients.

He said: “I’m incredibly proud of our very special network and the tremendous efforts they have gone to during the pandemic.

“To be announced as a winner at the Best Franchise Awards and a finalist in November’s British Franchise Awards - two key awards in the franchising calendar - is a great testament to the outstanding work of our network and how now, more than ever, they are truly living and breathing Right at Home’s motto of making a difference every day.

“Thank you to every single franchise owner, all of our staff across the network, the team at the national office and, of course, our exceptional CareGivers, who are out on the front line during these challenging times.”

At a glance Right at Home

Established:

2010

Number of franchised outlets:

68

Location of units:

England, Wales, Scotland

Investment range:

Up to £130,000

Minimum required capital:

£40,000

Contact:

Kate Dilworth franchising@rightathomeuk.com