Right at Home

10 years as a trusted, community-led business

How Duncan Cameron turned a career crossroads into a thriving business.

“Be brave and go for it”

A former sales manager in the medical sector, Duncan joined Right at Home in 2015 after taking voluntary redundancy. Inspired by franchise owner Tim Haigh’s story at a Franchise Exhibition, he saw the chance to run a business with purpose.

Nearly a decade later, his advice to anyone considering the same step is clear:

“Be brave and go for it! But be prepared for the tough days as well as the good ones. Running your own care business is never without challenges, but the rewards far outweigh them. Making a difference to people’s lives is a very special thing, and I feel blessed that I am working in a business that does that.”

Building on strong foundations

After establishing Right at Home Havant, Duncan expanded into Petersfield, opening a second office to meet demand in an area with strong growth potential.

“We had a largely untapped part of the territory, which we knew had high potential for good growth. The challenge was building a local care team in that area, instead of relocating Carers up from Havant. But to be successful, we felt we needed a Petersfield office to act as a central hub, and a highly motivated care manager in post to lead and mentor the team.”

That decision paid off. Petersfield has grown from just 2–3 Carers to more than 15, while Havant continues to flourish with around 35 team members.

“Seeing our team progress, from joining us as Carers to moving into senior roles, is incredibly fulfilling. Their passion is what drives the quality of our care.”

Both offices have since been recognised as Top 20 homecare providers, and for three years running have retained their WorkBuzz 5-Star Employer Award.

Community at the heart

For Duncan, the heart of the business remains exactly what he said back in 2016: treating people with dignity and helping them enjoy their independence. Today, that mission has expanded into running free dementia-friendly activities such as walking football, singing, gardening and, most recently, lawn bowls.

“Absolutely, that still feels like the heart of the business. I spend most of my working week running dementia activities with our Clients and other community members. Seeing their enjoyment and improvement in wellbeing and cognitive function is fantastic.”

He admits that in the early days, he questioned whether the investment of time was worth it.

“At first, I didn’t see many new Clients coming directly from the community work we did. But over time, as trust has grown, more families have reached out for our support. It’s really about building relationships, not quick results.”

Duncan now sits on steering groups for dementia initiatives across Havant, Petersfield and Emsworth, working closely with local MPs, mayors and community leaders.

“I’m not viewed as a care company, but more Duncan – who owns a care company – who is really great to partner with and will help in the community. I’ve fostered some great relationships, and many I see as my friends. But most of all, I do it because I love it. Call it a karma thing!”

Lessons from the journey

The past 10 years have brought plenty of highs – but also challenges, from the pandemic to the realities of scaling a care business.

“The hardest part for us was when COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed slightly and children returned to school. Often, they would bring COVID home, and the Carer would become infected, meaning days of isolation and no work. But in terms of care hours, we were able to respond quickly to the increased demand for live-in care during the pandemic. We already had a core of live-in Carers, and that meant we were well-positioned to pick up those Clients.”

Looking back, Duncan is candid about the resilience required.

“Because we care for people in later life, there is naturally some turnover. That makes sustainable growth a constant focus — but it’s also why resilience is so important. Achieving sustainable growth can be a challenge. And some days will be really tough going, but you need to stay calm and not get too down. It’s a cliché but a truism – you need lots of resilience. Being supported in a strong franchise helps a lot.”

Support from the franchise network

Throughout his journey, Duncan has valued Right at Home’s balance of independence and support.

“I think Right at Home has always struck the right balance with the franchisor–franchisee relationship. I’ve always been highly impressed by the in-person visits I’ve received from our CEO, Lucy, and in the early days, our Chairman, Ken. To travel four hours to visit me says everything about the franchise.”

He also finds inspiration in sharing experiences with fellow franchisees:

“For the most part, we are going through the same issues, and it’s nice to share and support each other. That’s the big benefit of a franchise network.”

Looking ahead

Duncan’s goals for the coming years include returning to a thousand care hours per week and working more closely with hospital discharge teams, Hampshire County Council and the local Integrated Care Board.

But his reflections remain grounded:

“I thought I’d have cracked 1,500 hours per week. Scaling businesses is harder than it seems, but it’s a lot of fun, and I’ve gained so much in terms of purpose and personal satisfaction. After 10 years, I have no regrets joining up with Right at Home.”

Advice for future franchisees

For anyone standing where he once was, Duncan’s message is encouraging but realistic:

“Do it. But be warned, it’s not for everyone, and you need lots of resilience and self-motivation. Remember, sales can go down as well as up. Don’t get too high when things go well, nor should you get too low when things drop off.”

And above all: “I wish I’d done it sooner. I love being my own boss, and I’m proud of what we’ve achieved.”

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Combining physiotherapy expertise with homecare

Apurva Sharma, Managing Director at Right at Home Reigate & Crawley, had fledgling ambitions to further incorporate her physiotherapy experience into her business. She’s made huge strides in this area, spearheading a new reablement and rehabilitation service that could, if successful, be rolled out across the whole Right at Home network.

The philosophy behind Apurva’s new service is that a rehabilitation support plan built on a foundation of high quality, consistent care naturally delivers stronger outcomes. As a Physiotherapist and a homecare business owner, she recognised this as a perfect opportunity to bring her two areas of expertise together.

And this new service isn’t the only example of Right at Home Reigate & Crawley’s recent growth. Apurva is also expanding her territory, taking on Clients in more districts in the West Sussex area. We caught up with Apurva to learn more about these exciting developments.

Reablement & rehabilitation service pilot

Apurva’s background in physiotherapy helped set her up for success in the early days of her business, and working with older adults during her time at the NHS truly cemented in her mind the importance of quality care to aid recovery and prevent hospitalisation.

She commented, “It never ceased to amaze me just how important the Carers were in the lives of the people we were all helping and treating. They were crucial in fact, when it came to things like the Client’s mental wellbeing. The Carers aided in keeping them positive, encouraging them to care about their appearance and their homes, and giving them the confidence to be able to live at home with independence. It was a wonderful thing to observe and gave me a huge respect for the men and women in the roles – it really made a mark on me. That stayed.”

After setting up her own care business, Apurva realised that almost all of her clients had the potential to improve their function, and their quality of life could be enhanced through rehabilitation alongside their usual care and support.

“I always wanted to integrate meaningful rehabilitation into our service, but it required time, stability and the right team. In the early years, my priority was to build a strong core team, establish robust operations and develop awareness within the local community. My clinical background significantly helped with training and supporting Carers, and I believe many families found reassurance in having a clinician lead a care service. Clinicians can make positive contributions to the sector, not only by improving the skills and knowledge of their teams but by driving meaningful improvements for vulnerable people in the community.”

“Over the summer, we tested the training framework and piloted the reablement and rehabilitation service with a small number of Clients. The outcomes have been very positive, and these Clients are now receiving structured, progressive rehabilitation support. Our next focus is to raise further awareness of the service’s benefits and broaden its reach across the local community.”

Steady growth and expansion

For many successful Right at Home franchisees, the next logical step to maximise growth and ROI is to expand their territory. Apurva started Right at Home Reigate & Crawley in December 2016, and since then she has created a sturdy business in this original territory, putting her in a strong position to expand further and cover more postcodes. 

Apurva said: “We are very excited about expanding further into West Sussex. Horsham borders the southern part of our current territory, so after eight years, this felt like the natural next step. We hope to grow steadily and sustainably while maintaining and improving the quality of our service.”

The Right at Home model has sustainability at the heart, prioritising steady growth with a strong foundation to create a recession-proof business. This means any expansion should be strategic and any necessary groundwork laid in advance. Regarding Apurva’s new territories, she has been getting to know the community in these areas and researching the local needs that Right at Home Reigate and Crawley can meet in preparation for the expansion.

Joining the Alternative Board and Right at Home’s Franchise Advisory Council

As her business has grown, Apurva has been proactive in collaborating with other Franchisees, joining both an Alternative Board and the Franchise Advisory Council.

She found both of these organisations to be a boon for advice and a place to share her own expertise and specific experiences. She commented:

“I decided to get involved in The Alternative Board because I’d heard from other franchisees who were members that they’d experienced tangible benefits through joining a local board. They told me that they could share best practices and have frank, open discussions about the realities of running a business. The businesses involved are from the South East as well, which makes their knowledge even more relevant and applicable to my own operations.”

“I was also attracted to the structure The Alternative Board provides — especially the focus on setting 90-day goals. I knew I needed something that would help me turn long-term ambitions into regular, achievable steps, and The Alternative Board is a great framework to keep me accountable and moving in the right direction.”

According to many of our Franchise Owners, having a network of fellow entrepreneurs who have already come up against the same pressures as you is an invaluable resource as a business owner. Apurva agrees:

“The journey can be rewarding but also demanding and sometimes quite lonely. I wanted a place where I could speak honestly about both the operational challenges and the personal side of being a business owner. The Alternative Board offers a confidential environment with others who understand the pressures and can challenge and support me.”

With nearly ten years in the business, Apurva has become one of the most established Franchise Owners in the Right at Home network. In 2025, she was invited to join the Franchise Advisory Council. She explained:

“Being invited to join the Franchise Advisory Council this year felt like a natural progression and a meaningful opportunity to contribute more widely. Collaborative thinking always leads to better, more balanced outcomes, and I hope to make a positive difference through this role. We have an incredible network of Franchise Owners, and I’ve learned a great deal from peer groups over the years. Adopting best practice from others has genuinely shaped how we operate.”

The advantages of being a franchisee

It was clear to Apurva that she wanted to join a franchise rather than set up on her own, because she believed it would give her the best possible chance of not letting down those she wanted to help. 

“As I explored what would be required to get up and running and be successful, it seemed like having a clear path, a proven model and the ongoing support of an expert team at the National Office behind me was simply the obvious way to go.”

“Once my mind was made up to become a franchise owner, I got in touch with all of the companies out there, regularly asking questions. One company, I must say, just stood out above the others every time, and that was Right at Home. Everything just felt right, and the ethics and methods chimed perfectly with my own. I threw myself into the recruitment process and after presenting to Ken and Lucy it was thrilling to be invited to join. It really meant so much to me – I was very proud. And then it was straight to work!”

Like any business owner, Apurva has come up against some obstacles, but she overcame them with hard work, and support from the Right at Home network and National Office team. Now with a robust, established business, experience, and a strong team, Apurva says Right at Home Reigate & Crawley is well-positioned to navigate any challenges that come along.

“Like any business in the sector, we still face regular pressures, many of which are industry-wide. There is reassurance in knowing we are not alone, and the support of the franchisor and wider network helps us manage the more difficult periods. Growth, team development, and business scaling are good challenges to have, and they push us to improve continually.”

From registered manager to franchise owner

Veronica and Steve didn’t arrive at franchising through the typical corporate route. Having progressed up the career ladder within the care sector, Veronica knew how much potential this industry had to offer.

Her professional experience, combined with the couple’s ambition to build a business together, drove their decision to take a calculated leap of faith and invest in a Right at Home franchise.

Veronica’s career had led her to our Ilkley office, where she held the role of Registered Manager for three years. Through that experience, the next step became clearer. Veronica wanted to take on a nearby territory and build a business with the freedom to shape high-quality care locally, while staying part of a wider brand with a strong support structure.

“We knew we wanted to own our own business,” Steve explains. “We knew care was a good sector to be in and we knew Right at Home was a brand whose values aligned with our own.”

Building in the early stages of ownership

Although both Veronica and Steve brought relevant experience with them, they were realistic about what the early stages of franchise ownership would involve. Moving from working within an established office to building something from the ground up brought new pressures, decisions, and responsibilities.

“We knew it was going to be tough,” Veronica says. “Even with experience, you don’t really know what resilience looks like until you’re doing it yourself.”

The first year was a significant adjustment period, focused on learning how to balance compliance, recruitment, marketing, and day-to-day problem-solving, while building visibility and trust in a competitive territory.

“The first year was a big adjustment,” Steve reflects. “But last year felt different. That’s when we started to see progress and feel like we were getting somewhere.”

Rather than expecting quick wins, they focused on laying strong foundations, knowing that momentum would come with time, consistency, and the right support around them.

Choosing franchising for support and peace of mind

For Veronica and Steve, the franchise model wasn’t just about a recognised name. It was about entering a highly regulated sector with the right guidance around them from the start.

Care, as Veronica puts it, is a different kind of business.

“It’s a business, but it’s so much different from any other business because you’re dealing with people’s lives. There’s regulation, compliance, and real responsibility.”

They knew that building independently would mean sourcing support for everything from marketing and business operations to compliance and recruitment, without always having the knowledge to judge what “good” looked like.

“In care, if something goes wrong, you need that support network to be solid,” Steve says. “That’s where the franchise model works, because you know there’s a team you can go to for guidance. It’s peace of mind.”

National Office support when it counts

As their franchise journey progressed, the value of that structure became even clearer.

During the registration process, an administrative issue meant their application needed additional follow-up. Without experienced support behind them, it could have slowed progress significantly.

“The Compliance team got onto it straight away,” Veronica says. “They emailed the right people and helped move things forward. If we were applying individually, we’d have just been a little fish in a big pond.”

For Veronica and Steve, it reinforced what they already believed: in care, having specialist support behind you can prove invaluable when the unexpected happens.

Why marketing mattered at the start

Ask them what made the biggest difference in the early days, and they point to marketing. For a brand-new office, the challenge is simple: people can’t choose you if they don’t know you exist.

“For a new business, marketing is key,” Veronica says. “How do you get Clients and staff when you have no history yet? You need that presence – both online and offline.”

Their Harrogate territory is highly competitive, with dozens of providers operating in a relatively small area. That meant visibility wasn’t a ‘nice to have’, it was essential. Alongside community engagement, they focused on building a strong local digital presence, and they saw it pay off.

“We live in an era where everything is digital,” Veronica explains. “Even older Clients are using Facebook and the internet. People might meet you in the community, but they still go home and search.”

One moment stood out. A competitor pointed out that Veronica and Steve’s office was appearing at the top of local Google searches, even above providers investing heavily in advertising.

“That made me feel proud,” Veronica says. “It showed we were building real presence and trust.”

Veronica and Steve are clear they didn’t navigate it alone. In the early stages, access to National Office marketing support helped them focus their efforts and avoid unnecessary trial and error.

“When you’re new, you’re trying to do everything at once,” Veronica explains. “You want to be proactive, but you also need to know what you should and shouldn’t be doing.”

Regular contact with the marketing team brought structure and clarity at a time when visibility mattered most.

“Having regular meetings made a huge difference,” Steve says. “It wasn’t just about producing materials. It was about understanding where to focus our energy and what would actually make an impact.”

“Marketing gave us structure,” Veronica adds. “It helped us build a presence before we had a track record to speak for us. Seeing ourselves appear at the top of local searches wasn’t an accident. That came from consistency, support, and knowing we were doing the right things in the right order.”

For Veronica and Steve, marketing support wasn’t about handing responsibility over. It was a partnership.

“We still did the work,” Veronica says. “But having people to guide us, challenge us, and keep us on track meant we weren’t guessing.”

The power of a network and local peer support

While National Office guidance gave them structure, being part of a franchise network offered something else: lived experience. Veronica and Steve built strong relationships with neighbouring offices, particularly Right at Home Ilkley — where Veronica had been Registered Manager for three years.

“If I need help, I go to them. If they need help, they come to me,” Steve says. “It’s like an extension office, but with separate businesses.”

That peer-to-peer support gives them confidence in day-to-day decisions. When suppliers, advertisers, and service providers approach them, they can sense-check through the network and learn from other owners’ experiences.

“You get honest feedback,” Veronica says. “No hidden agenda. It’s people helping people, and that makes the advice more trustworthy.”

They’ve also seen how brand reputation travels.

“The reputation of the wider network worked in our favour,” Veronica explains. “People trust the structure.”

Recruitment: finding values first

Growing a care business means growing a team. For Veronica and Steve, recruitment has been both rewarding and challenging, particularly in a region where providers are competing for the same people.

“It’s not as simple as putting an advert out and getting three great candidates,” Steve says. “You might get ten applicants and one might be the right fit.”

“You can teach someone knowledge,” Veronica says. “But you can’t teach somebody values.”

They’ve learned that building the right team isn’t just about hiring individuals, but about creating a culture where people work well together, feel supported, and stay for the long term.

When it works, the milestones matter. Every new team member feels like progress. Every new enquiry reinforces that they’re building something real.

The moments that make it worthwhile

Veronica and Steve speak openly about resilience. There have been moments where plans have needed to change quickly, particularly when staffing or Client needs shifted.

But they’re clear on what keeps them focused: the impact. Veronica shares one visit that brought everything into focus. A Client living with dementia had been resistant to accepting support. The initial aim was to help with a bath once a week, to begin building trust.

But that day, something shifted.

“After the visit, he got dressed and he was ready to come with me,” she says. “We went out and had a hot chocolate together. We laughed, watched people go by, and when we got back, he gave me a hug and said thank you.”

But Veronica understands that their services are just as much for the families as they are for the Client.

“Families often carry guilt,” she explains. “They feel like they should be doing everything. But when we can take away one difficult part of the day, they get to spend quality time together again.”

That’s the difference they came into care to make.

Working as a couple: navigating responsibility together

Building a business together has shaped their journey in very practical ways. Veronica and Steve live together, work together, and make decisions side by side.

“You need to be solid as a couple,” Veronica says. “This kind of business brings unforeseen situations all the time, and that’s where communication and alignment really matter.”

They’re clear that it’s rarely the work itself that creates challenges, but the unpredictability of care.

“It’s the things you can’t plan for,” Steve explains. “Covering shifts, last-minute changes, emergencies.”

Veronica recalls moments where personal and professional life briefly overlapped.

“I remember going to the business awards, then leaving to cover a shift, and coming back in my dress with tracksuit bottoms over the top,” she laughs. “That’s care. That’s the reality.”

Resilient and realistic, they see working together as a strength.

“We’re aligned,” Steve says. “We know why we’re doing this.”

Their advice to future franchise owners

If someone is considering a Right at Home franchise because they want to make a difference in their community, Veronica and Steve are clear about what’s required.

“This isn’t something you can do on minimal effort,” Veronica says. “Especially in the early stages, you need to be fully invested.”

They describe care as future-proof, meaningful, and constantly evolving. A business where flexibility, commitment, and people skills matter every day.

“Resilience is no joke,” Steve adds. “You have to be ready to adapt, because you never know what’s coming.”

It’s demanding work. It’s emotional work. And it’s rewarding work. For Veronica and Steve, it’s an opportunity to achieve their life goals.

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From structural engineering to homecare business owner

Finding the right fit

As an engineer, Hesam approached his next career step with methodical research. “I looked at Right at Home’s values and felt they aligned with my own — integrity, trust, respect,” he says. “I reviewed other franchises, too, but the commercial side felt more prominent elsewhere. Right at Home simply felt right.”

That decision has since been reinforced through every stage of his journey. “I joined Right at Home last December, so it’s been just about a year now. It’s been a massive learning curve for me, but I’m really enjoying it.”

A personal connection to care

Hesam’s inspiration for joining the sector also came from home. “In addition to wanting something that fulfils me personally, I also have ageing parents. I accompanied my father to his planned operation last year, and that really got me thinking about care. Things that had never felt like an issue suddenly became very real.”

He adds, “My father had a couple of operations — the last one was on his heart. I accompanied him to hospital and supported him during recovery. That experience made me more determined and more understanding of people with similar conditions and needs.”

His wife’s career in healthcare offered further insight. “My wife is a radiographer with the NHS. When she worked full-time, being on call meant we couldn’t plan weekends away. You never know when you’re needed. It made me more aware of how hard our Carers work — evenings, early mornings, weekends and non-weekends. I appreciate them a lot more.”

“If you don’t love it, you can’t do it”

Today, Hesam leads a growing team of around 20 Carers. “When I took over, we had about 15. The most rewarding part is seeing Clients happy and reading feedback from families about how a ‘lovely Carer changed my life’ or ‘made my day’. It feels like family.”

He’s equally candid about the realities. “Care is demanding. If you don’t love it, you can’t do it. Not everyone can — you need to have it in you: Compassion and a kind heart.”

That commitment to compassion extends to how Hesam runs the business. “From day one, I promised myself I’d never create a critical environment. I want people to feel appreciated — a loving, supportive culture. Based on the team’s feedback, I think we’ve done that. There’s no culture of criticism; we learn and improve together.”

Building community connections

“Community involvement isn’t yet systematic,” Hesam admits, “but we’ve done a Valentine’s event supporting the British Heart Foundation; a Christmas party; the Dementia Adventure ‘Big Green Picnic’; and free chair-based exercise sessions.”

His team also attends the OPALS – Older Persons Activity Learning and Safety events, helping educate the public about homecare and offering practical advice. “Some people don’t really know the difference between home care and a care home,” he says. “We help them understand what we do and even support them with things like replacing walking-aid ferrules.”

The results speak for themselves: “We have a verified 10 out of 10 score on homecare.co.uk from Client reviews, which we are very proud of.”

“Compliance support has been invaluable”

Having joined a new and heavily-regulated sector, the backing of Right at Home’s National Office has been central to his success. “If I had to choose one thing that’s helped immensely, I’d say compliance support. It’s a very specialised area and also one of the most challenging, so the guidance from National Office has been invaluable.”

He particularly values the in-person visits from the Compliance Team. “Online support is good, but nothing replaces being here, listening and going through things together. They provide improvement suggestions; we implement them and review them at the next visit. As a result, we’ve been rated Outstanding internally by Right at Home’s National Office, and they believe we could achieve an Outstanding CQC rating.”

The resale experience

Hesam entered the network through a resale rather than starting from scratch — and this is another area where the franchise support gave Hesam the confidence he needed. “The first step for me was calling National Office after doing my own due diligence and research. Honestly, even when I dialled the number, I wasn’t sure if I should hang up or not. But then I spoke to Chrissie, and just from her voice I felt I could trust her.”

“From there, the support from Chrissie, Kate, and the rest of the National Office team has been amazing. During the handover and the purchase process, we worked closely with them and the nominated franchise resale agent. That really made the whole process much smoother.”

He says, “The biggest advantage of a resale is that you don’t start from zero. You already have Clients, a CQC registration, and a team of staff and Carers in place. The disadvantage is that you pay more, because you’re essentially buying someone else’s efforts and investment into the business. But overall, I think it’s a very good route.”

Learning from others

Hesam is also appreciating the benefits of talking to his new peers within the Right at Home network. “Hearing others’ challenges and successes makes it real and shows how much we have in common,” he says.

“It makes you realise that you’re not alone.”

Vision for the future

Looking ahead, Hesam’s ambitions are clear. “My vision for the next two or three years is to serve as many people as we can across our large territory with truly high-quality care. Too many people pay a lot and don’t get the quality they deserve. I trust our team. We’ve been a Top 20 Home Care Provider in the East of England for the fourth time in 2025 and a Five-Star Employer. We’ve also been nominated in two categories at the Great British Care Awards and two at the National Care Awards. We want to grow, be better known locally, and employ more local people.”

Update: In the weeks following this interview, Right at Home Hemel Hempstead was named Domiciliary Care Provider of the Year at the National Care Awards 2025, highlighting their unwavering commitment to providing exceptional care in their community.

“Be ready for hard work – and trust the model”

When asked what advice he’d give to someone considering joining Right at Home, Hesam doesn’t hesitate:

“Make sure your personal values align with the organisation’s — that’s where the fulfilment comes from. Be ready for hard work. And trust the franchise model and follow the system. Many people have done it successfully, and if you work hard and follow the model, the rewards do come.”

He pauses and adds with a smile, “It’s been challenging, but incredibly rewarding. I’m really enjoying it.”

Finding the right path with Right at Home

Rachel recalls, “I enjoyed it but it was very technical, and basically not person-centred at all. So I started looking for businesses to buy, and meeting people in the community through my work was a big focus for me. I purchased an at-home cleaning company through a franchise model and it became a real success, but I decided to sell the business to spend more time with my daughter after becoming a first-time mum.”

Although she was taking a break from work, Rachel was sold on franchising as a route into business ownership with the benefits of an established brand and business model. When she started getting itchy feet and wanted to start up another business, she knew it had to be a franchise model.

“I bought another franchise business selling houses, but I immediately realised it wasn’t for me. It was a dog-eat-dog environment and not person-centred at all. I wanted a team around me, and to be making a difference, treating people with dignity and respect. I was looking for something that was really meaningful.”

After hearing about homecare franchising from a friend, Rachel realised her background in running a cleaning franchise business had plenty of crossover qualities, and homecare could be the meaningful, person-centred business opportunity she had been waiting for.

“It was as if a light bulb moment had gone off in my head. There are a lot of similarities between the two businesses. You’re managing a team and you’re going into people’s homes, and chatting and getting to know them, and finding out their needs. There were a lot of overlaps and I was kind of kicking myself for not thinking of it earlier, because this was something that I knew I would be good at and that I’d get a real sense of fulfillment from.”

Why Right at Home?

In 2022, Rachel started researching homecare franchise businesses. Three major companies piqued her interest, and she started contacting them. But early on, she got a sense of which ones wouldn’t suit her.

“One of the companies put a lot of pressure on me to buy a franchise in an area that I’d actually never visited before in my life, about 40-50 miles away from Leeds. So I could hear big alarm bells going off and I decided not to go forward with them. After that, I got in touch with Right at Home and it was a completely different vibe. I spoke to Kate [Dilworth, Head of Network Development] and there was no pressure. I had so many questions but I felt like she had all the time in the world for me. I attended a Discovery Session at the Right at Home National Office with Ken [Deary, Chairman], Lucy [Campbell, CEO], and Kate. I was really impressed that Ken was leading the session.”

Rachel did more research, including contacting Right at Home franchise owners to find out the reality of managing a homecare office. After learning about the highs and the lows, she decided to press ahead and took part in a video conference interview which she describes as a “real grilling”, but she wasn’t deterred.

“It lasted 3 hours! Afterwards I felt like I needed to lie down for two days straight because it was that intense, but you know, it actually made me want the business more. It showed how thorough they are and just how much thought and effort goes into every aspect.”

“I was so impressed with the amount of awards the company had won, the high CQC ratings of all the offices, and the support offered by National Office. I knew this was the opportunity for me and I just hoped I’d impressed them enough because I had to really prove myself.”

“I had this time to fill and I don’t have any older family members around me in Leeds so I felt as though I wanted to surround myself with older people and immerse myself in this. I think I did about 350 hours of voluntary work, doing various roles for different groups. I was the chief photographer, I was washing up, I was cleaning tables, I was baking, I was playing games with people living with dementia… I wanted to immerse myself in it and when the time came and I was registered, I would be completely confident speaking with older people.

“I also did a dementia qualification, which is something I did independently outside of all the fabulous training I did with Right at Home. National Office was so supportive during the onboarding process and I filled my time well. I also had time to prepare for the registration interview which I was kind of nervous for, but I felt reassured that I had support and enough time to prepare thoroughly.”

Throughout the challenges and triumphs of getting the business off the ground, Rachel says the most impactful lesson she learned is that homecare is the career path she was destined for.

“I’ve learned that this is what I want to do for the rest of my working life. I’ve got no doubts at all. Homecare doesn’t feel like doing a job. I never get that Monday morning feeling anymore.”

Right at Home franchisees experience plenty of memorable moments, and according to Rachel, it’s impossible to choose a standout one as they are all precious to her. 

“One moment I’ll never forget is helping a Client take her dog for a walk for the first time in over a year. It was so lovely. We also had a 99-year-old Client who had broken both of his arms and we supported him to fully regain independence so that he didn’t need homecare from us anymore. We helped a former artist paint again. I’ve got so many memorable moments and some of them are just simple things, but it’s all so rewarding.”

“You need that support”

Rachel has found being part of a franchise network invaluable, receiving support and insights from both her fellow franchise owners and National Office.

“This is why I knew that it had to be a franchise. You need that support. You need to be around people who are like-minded, who are entrepreneurs. Those regular meet ups, virtual and in-person, are so important. Just to know that you’re not on your own, because it is a massive step. As Managing Director, you’ve got to wear lots of hats like recruitment, marketing, all these different things. But that’s where National Office comes in because you’ve got the experts there to give you the help you need.”

“Obviously, I’m a massive fan of the franchise model, with this being my third franchise business. But I know from experience that no two franchises are the same and the level of support can vary wildly. Right at Home makes sure I have the support I need.”

“We’ve been going for about 18 months now and we’ve already won a few awards, including Leeds Mindful Employer Network Member of the Quarter and a Business Award at the Heart of Horsforth Awards 2024. We’ve received awards from National Office as well, which is a real testament to our Carers.”

Advice for aspiring franchise owners 

What’s Rachel’s advice for any potential Right at Home franchisees?

“Do your research. Take your time. Don’t rush into it. Make the most of the opportunity to meet current Right at Home franchisees to get a real picture of the highs and lows, because it’s a huge commitment. Stay positive and be prepared for a lot of hard work at the start.”

Despite the commitment and hard work, Rachel makes it clear that the effort is worthwhile to build a rewarding, sustainable and successful business. 

“One thing I didn’t realise before I started this business is just how nice it would be. I wanted to make a difference for others, but I didn’t think about the effect it would have on me. Even when I’m feeling a bit run down, as soon as I get to a Client’s door I feel happier. When I leave, I feel even happier because I know the Client is happier. That’s just the best feeling ever. It’s kind of like a tonic when you see Clients, you just go away feeling great. It’s a nice feeling.”

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