The in-home care company continues to thrive despite the challenges of the pandemic
In-home care provider, Visiting Angels, has blazed a trail for rewards and support for selfless carers in what can be an emotionally tough sector. The head of the company, franchising and care expert, Dan Archer, was proud to announce Visiting Angels’ progression to ‘Associate Member’ of the British Franchising Association (bfa).
Joining the bfa in 2018 as a provisional member with a pilot franchise in Sheffield, Visiting Angels today has grown to over 80 carers, more than £2m turnover and delivering 2000-plus weekly hours of care. This upgrade to its membership status is no mean feat. To become an associate member, franchises must be of a certain age and size as well as achieve four key criteria. Franchisors must demonstrate that their model is viable, franchisable, ethical and fully disclosed. This process involves the bfa contacting all franchisees and being given access to all financial information to validate a franchise’s success.
Now with 20 franchise locations, it is clear that the Visiting Angels’ model works and there is plenty of demand for its combination of high-quality care and care employment. To have achieved this upgrade in membership during one of the most trying times for the care industry is a testament to the success of the model.
Committed to the advancement of the care industry and its carer-centric approach, Visiting Angels recruits smarter and pays and supports its staff to an industry-leading level. Dan is determined not just to become the UK’s care provider of choice but drive improvements to the conditions of social care.
He said: “As the care industry in the UK continues to move out of the pandemic and recover from what has been one of its most difficult periods in generations, it’s vital that the highest quality brands are placed at the helm of setting new standards.”
Dan sees the upgrading of Visiting Angel’s bfa membership as further validation of its mission.
“Visiting Angels is the first brand in the UK to truly celebrate and defend the incredible work and sacrifice of our country’s carers. The pandemic has exposed so many gaps and issues that are fundamentally wrong within the industry, but by continuing to move our brand forward in ways such as this and pioneering concepts that are long overdue, we are giving a voice to areas of the industry that must be heard in order for it to evolve,” said Dan.
After only four years of UK operation, a record-breaking end to 2021 in terms of both care and franchising has seen the company go from strength to strength. Among its achievements in the industry, it also has been recognised as one of the top three emerging franchises at the HSBC bfa franchisor of the year awards. Becoming an associate bfa member has seen success roll into 2022 with six new offices set to open this year.