Finding a top quality care home with service to match
SOMETIMES quality of service is vital, but how do customers check before buying?
Graham Livingstone, who owns the Caremark in-home care service franchise in Plymouth, says: ‘It’s important to make an informed decision when you are choosing a care service.’
If possible, speak to existing service users. ‘Check that the carers are trusted by clients, that they feel a part of the business, motivated and passionate about excellent service delivery,’ says Graham.
‘This year Caremark launched a campaign to ensure everyone feels part of a family sharing the same values, providing the highest standards of care and support.’
You can also see the Care Quality Commission’s ratings of home care providers at cqc.org.uk.
Check if the supplier has won any awards. Graham’s Caremark franchise was one of the first care suppliers to be awarded the Dementia Quality Mark for Domiciliary Care by Plymouth City Council, and he won awards in 2017 for innovation and good practice in dementia care and quality assurance.
The business was also named as a Top 20 Home Care Provider 2018 by homecare.co.uk.
If you want to follow Graham into the care business, Caremark is looking for more franchisees. The investment starts at £29,750.
Service quality is also vital for businesses. Neil Hatt, Birmingham franchisee of global carrier company InXpress, says: ‘Poor delivery services can ruin your company’s reputation, so buying carrier services on price alone is risky.’
He recommends businesses that want to check service quality should contact the carrier’s existing clients. ‘We provide potential customers with the names of existing clients,’ says Neil.
Neil’s commitment to quality helped him win the British Franchise Association’s Network Contribution Award 2018, partly for helping recruit new franchisees for the franchise, which requires a £32,000 investment.