Former physiotherapist Apurva Sharma opened a Right at Home franchise after seeing the impact good carers have on helping people live independently in their own homes
I qualified in India and my first job was with the NHS, working in the community and helping older adults with their mobility.
Everything was focused on reducing the need for hospital visits or helping people recover after hospital treatment so they wouldn’t need to go back - very similar to what our CareGivers do now at Right at Home.
It struck me how important the carers were when it came to things like the client’s mental well-being, keeping them positive and giving them confidence. It was a wonderful thing to observe and gave me a huge respect for the men and women in the roles.
Challenging myself
Fast forward a lot of years and I’m happily living permanently in the UK and feeling like challenging myself with a business of my own.
Given how much I wanted to replicate the best practice I had witnessed in London, it seemed like having a clear path, a proven model and the ongoing support of an expert team behind me was the obvious way to go.
One franchise company stood out above the others - Right at Home. The ethics and methods chimed perfectly with my own.
I threw myself into the recruitment process and it was thrilling to be invited to join. There was so much to learn, but the training was excellent and I set about opening my office with confidence.
The first challenge was recruitment. We require so much more from our teams than simply a basic ability to do the job. Every individual has to play their part in delivering the Right at Home ethos of providing the best possible care.
I recognise that is a lot to ask of someone, but when you find the right people who truly care and if you treat them well you end up with a team that’s outstanding and can deal with anything.
Resilience and dedication
I’m so incredibly grateful to my team for their resilience and dedication throughout this pandemic. Often, they’ve been the only physical human company for clients.
Add to this their own personal family concerns, using the new PPE, additional cleaning, regular testing and so much more, they have been truly wonderful.
But this is the level of commitment I see right across the company. Back in March 2020, it was so difficult to find the right PPE.
Then we learned that Right at Home national office had made a huge purchase of PPE for all the local offices, so suddenly the issue was resolved and we could get back to focusing on our teams and clients.
The support we’ve been given has been quite remarkable. I’ve never needed any reassurance that being part of this franchise was a blessing, but the true value of the relationship has never been clearer than in the last 18 months.
Running a care franchise isn’t for everyone, but it’s certainly working for me.
What I’d say to anyone considering doing this is you must believe in the model and trust it. Don’t second guess it; follow it and you’ll have your success.
At a glance
Established:
2010
Number of franchised outlets:
72
Location of units:
England, Scotland, Wales
Investment range:
up to £130,000, including working capital
Minimum required capital:
£40,000
Contact:
Kate Dilworth kate.dilworth@rightathome.co.uk 07825 047344
