Home care specialist nominated in the South-East Care Employer category
With a two-times Great Britain Olympian for a founder, Guardian Angel Carers says it feels great that the company has been shortlisted for the 2020 Great British Care Awards in the South-East Care Employer category.
These highly-regarded national industry awards celebrate excellence in care, so Guardian Angel Carers says the business couldn’t be more proud to have its name included alongside other national care companies and organisations it greatly admires.
The Great British Care Awards state that the Care Employer Awards: “Seeks to acknowledge and celebrate employers’ commitment to care and how this is achieving success in delivering an excellent service.”
Our passion to care
Guardian Angel Carers’ distinctive combination of highly compassionate in-person care with a genuinely innovative programme of care training, technological systems and inspirational leadership caught the award body’s eye.
The judging panel has also looked at the quality of leadership, and entrepreneurial flair used to advance the image and delivery of care.
Since Christina Bassadone founded Guardian Angel Carers from a houseboat in 2012, she has grown her company from a team of three to 200-strong across the south east.
“What an epic journey I’ve been on,” she says. “But it’s not something I have done alone. My team and wonderful CareAngels are the bedrock of Guardian Angel Carers’ success.”
2020 has seen Guardian Angel Carers embrace some of that entrepreneurial spirit the award panel are looking for, with the launch of its new UK franchise business.
During a challenging pandemic year, where care has filled the headlines, Christina felt compelled to get the company’s special brand of CareAngel care to more people. It’s an exciting move and one Guardian Angel Carers hopes will be great news for home care, employment and talented franchisees.
So when Guardian Angel Carers attended an in-depth interview with recognised industry experts as they decided on their shortlist, the company had plenty to talk about and share. Christina and Guardian Angel Carers impressed.
“Fundamentally, I believe in doing all I can, and more, to bring great home care to elderly and complex care clients across the UK,” Christina says. “And as a girl who grew up with her grannies, I really care about care.”
All thanks to our CareAngels
At the heart of Guardian Angel Carers’ are its incredible CareAngels.
Each day they are out and about in our communities, delivering the highest standard of visiting and live-in care for the company’s wonderful elderly and complex care needs clients.
Guardian Angel Carers’ sustained team track record and positive approach speaks for itself, but it recognises the work is demanding and rewarding in equal measure. Putting in place support that helps the team and the company’s CareAngels is critical to managing continual improvement and prioritising well-being.
Progressive and compassionate employer initiatives have been central to why its employees say they love to work with Guardian Angel Carers. There is a genuine sense of family and shared values.
Julie Hughes, Community Engagement Manager and original Guardian Angel employee, says: “We are one family. It’s the ethos. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the office or a home care role, everybody has the support they need to develop professionally, personally and feel good about what they do.”
Christina’s Olympic background and approach have influenced and been integrated into the employee care and professional development programmes run by Guardian Angel Carers. The company believes in coaching and training to help the team do what they do best - and more.
All CareAngels participate in Guardian Angel Carers’ award winning care training programme, which combines face-to-face, practical and e-learning.
And the leadership team gets given individual professional coaching to set clear goals with a sense of achievement and progression. Plus the whole Guardian Angel Carers team has access to the company’s comprehensive well-being programme.
“Christina really cares,” Julie says. “There’s no one like her. She’s dynamic, inspirational and very, very kind. During lockdown, she personally wrote to the children of all our CareAngels to thank them for letting their mums and dads come to work. Gestures like this is what makes us love to work here.”
Guardian Angel Carers’ inclusive approach combines the opportunity to gain experience, develop skills and have a clear career progression path.
Staff retention is at 71 per cent, while the company’s our guaranteed hours contracts offer, which pay above the industry standard, recognise the value of CareAngels work, provides job security and offers an attractive work-life balance.
Everyone has the chance to become multiskilled and Guardian Angel Carers’ investment in progressive care technology and infrastructures enables the company to stay at the forefront of innovating home care.
It has established a partnership with Chichester Careline to put in place a rapid response service and families appreciate Guardian Angel Carers’ forward thinking use of apps to keep them updated, with safeguards in place for both client and carer.
Client satisfaction is high and over 59 per cent of client enquiries are referrals by existing users and healthcare professionals. It’s a testament to the incredible CareAngels and office team for the great work they do. And, in taking care of them, Guardian Angel Carers can collectively do what the company does best - compassionately care for clients at home.
The announcement
The winner of the Great British Care Awards - South-East Care Employer Award will be announced at the awards evening on April 17, 2021 at the Brighton Hilton.
Christina and members of the team will be going along, but Guardian Angel Carers knows that with its amazing team and incredible CareAngels the company is a winner already.