Super 7th CQC outstanding rating for franchisor Home Instead Senior Care
Published: 10 October 2016
Home Instead Senior Care has secured a seventh outstanding rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) with its Cheltenham and Cotswolds franchise.
The No 1 UK homecare franchise, which provides quality care for older people in their own homes, celebrates its latest outstanding rating with mum-of-two Amanda Hamer.
As a homecare franchisee, Amanda was driven by a desire to see quality care delivered for older generations, care of a standard that would be good enough for her own mum to receive.
Passionate about homecare that older people could trust and rely upon, care that allows them to continue living in their own homes, surrounded by a lifetime of memories, she started her business in August 2011 underpinned by the ‘mum test’ ethos.
Five years on, Amanda’s personal passion for quality homecare and companionship for seniors has been recognised with an Outstanding Rating – the highest rating possible - from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in its new Ofsted-style system.
With services marked over five categories: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led, the CQC’s Ofsted-style rating recognises the importance of compliance and credits overall quality of care service.
And her homecare company Home Instead Senior Care which provides care that passes ‘the mum test’ to seniors across Gloucestershire has become the first homecare company in the county to receive an Outstanding Rating.
With visits that last a minimum of one hour, and clients and CAREGivers matched according to hobbies, interests, even star signs, Amanda’s team, which includes over 80 CAREGivers and nine office-based employees, has passed the ‘mum test’ with flying colours.
“Receiving an Outstanding rating is validation that we do what we say we do here. We believe in personalised care that should reflect elderly people’s wishes and dreams,” said Amanda who previously worked as a Corporate Director in local government before moving into the care sector.
Inspired to make a new start in elderly care by her sister, who works with older people in Occupational Therapy, and her sister-in-law, who manages a hospice, Amanda felt she wanted a career change that would see her working with older people and putting something back into her local community too.
Said Amanda: “I asked myself how I really wanted to spend my days, what I enjoyed doing and what really made me happy. I started to consider setting up my own homecare business as the next professional move and set about doing my homework.”
But it was when she met Home Instead Senior Care at the National Franchise Exhibition that she instantly knew she had found “her kind of organisation” and a network to franchise with.
“The more people I met, from the founders, to the support team, to the franchisees, I could see that it was a genuinely caring network. It was all real and I could see my own values, ethos and ethics matched.
“The support that I could draw down from National Office at any stage of my business lifecycle and the robustness of the business model made the decision to franchise with Home Instead crystal clear.
“I wanted to steer a successful business that delivered person-centred care, one that absolutely respected clients’ wishes and dreams. But I also wanted to be a best employer and I could see how Home Instead’s franchise model would support me in my aspiration to become an employer of choice too. In short, their franchise model really was the full package for me.”
Amanda added: “The aim for my franchise has always been to be outstanding at what we do - now that’s official. And we are the first homecare provider to be outstanding in Gloucestershire too which makes it a double achievement.”
Amanda’s clients and their families commended the standards of care to the CQC inspectors, with comments in the report including:
- “Staff at every level wanted people to be happy and live a life that was meaningful and fulfilling.”
- “Your approach and philosophy really sets you apart.”
- “We really value what you do and how you do it.”
And Amanda was touched by her CAREGivers’ comments to CQC inspectors, who said:
- “I love helping the people I work for.”
- “I am very proud to be working here.”
- " I love working here.”
Ruth Brown, Head of Franchise Development at Home Instead Senior Care, said:
“Congratulations to Amanda who has brought home a super 7th Outstanding rating to our brand.
“We’re proud of our standards, our ethos and ethics, which is rightly receiving the highest rating possible in the CQC’s new Ofsted-style system.
“We also stand incredibly proud of the fact that we are the only homecare provider to hold 7 Outstanding ratings.”
