Meet Sarah Hamblin, Visiting Angels’ Northamptonshire franchisee

Mum of 5 and former teacher takes on care franchise

When taking over the already successful in-home care company, Visiting Angels, it would be hard to find someone more adept at caring for others. As a mum of five, with 20 years’ experience in teaching at special needs schools, Sarah Hamblin is more than equipped to lead from the front, having taken over operations on the 1st February. Along with a degree in medicine and a dedication to supporting her sister who has cerebral palsy, Sarah is achieving an ambition that has been more than two decades in the making.

“From as soon as I started teaching, I knew I really wanted to start my own care company – one that really gets to know and is invested in the individuals we care for. I was drawn to Visiting Angels after learning about their person-focused care coupled with their carer-centric values. I knew from my knowledge of the industry that so many care visits are rushed and people just aren’t receiving the crucial help and attention they need.”

Sarah is taking on the role left by previous Managing Director, Paul Brooks, who is moving onto pastures new having served the Northamptonshire community since launching Visiting Angels in 2020. “Paul did such a wonderful job and I’m absolutely determined to fill his shoes and honour his legacy by continuing to supply the highest quality care in the area.”

Sarah’s links to the community also include being a member of her local church. As Managing Director of an in-home care provider, she plans to extend the reach of her care to the families of those affected by dementia, by opening a dementia-friendly café in the area.

“I have 20 years’ experience of teaching science and maths to children with special educational needs, so I’ve always had a caring attitude and I know that communication skills are the key. It’s important to get to grips with the difficulties people are facing and understand how to make things better for them individually.”

“I find people’s personal stories fascinating. I think it’s so important there are places for groups to come, share their love and stories. My sister was born with cerebral palsy, so I’ve felt a duty of care, and I know that granting people their independence is of paramount

 importance to them and their families. I also know how difficult it is to get caring and trustworthy staff – my sister’s had various problems with this over years, both in terms of quality and reliability. When someone is at all unwell, in any form, it’s essential that for overall peace of mind and their daily functioning, they are afforded consistent, quality and heartfelt care.”

Along with her Registered Care Manager, Janet Smith – who has 20 years’ experience working in the care industry – Sarah is keen to make a positive impact as a local business owner, “I’m looking forward to becoming even more ingrained in the local community. I have a genuine belief in Visiting Angels so knowing that we’ll be recruiting staff and treating them well is what excites me. It’s so important that your team know they’re appreciated and that is a key focus for us. We’re currently on the hunt for larger office premises, so we can provide our team with a home away from home that they can come to between visits.”

For more information on the Visiting Angels care franchise opportunity, visit the profile page >>