Not Just Another Care Agency
Ken Waterhouse, started in the care sector in 1987 when he opened his first care home. Since then he has owned and operated very successful award winning care environments.
Ken launched Home Care Preferred, his first domiciliary care service, in 2012.
Home Care Preferred is not just another care agency and the uniqueness of the service that Home Care Preferred offers is prompted by a very personal experience in Ken’s life.
It was while helping his mum Velma care for his terminally ill step-dad Bob that Ken’s views on long term care at home began to change. Even though he has been in the care sector for a long time, Ken realised that when an individual seeks care at home, the person is faced with a disjointed service sector, where advice on related care services and acquiring essential equipment for care can be difficult, to say the least.
With the perception of home care in the UK hitting an all-time low in 2011 as cases of abuse made the headlines, Ken decided to try to change things by setting up Home Care Preferred.
Unlike other care agencies, Home Care Preferred has a high street presence and provides a complete care solution/One stop shop for any individual care need.
As a client walks into the Winchmore Hill Branch of Home Care Preferred they receive a friendly welcome and have the opportunity to receive expert, unbiased advice about independent living equipment. This can be anything from comfort fitting shoes and slippers to wheelchairs or bathing aids. With a catalogue of over 6,000 products, the shop provides an exhaustive list of various aids that help individuals to lead a safer and independent life at home.
The shop leads to the care offices where potential care clients can seek advice and services from the highly experienced care team. A lounge is available where clients can comfortably discuss their care needs in private.
Home Care Preferred can provide care services to anyone above the age of 18 and the range of services includes everything from companionship and home help to more complex Dementia Care, Care for Clients with Learning Disability or End of Life Care. The 24-hour Live-In Care has been extremely successful and has inspired the care team to develop a Brain Injury Care service which will broaden the horizons of the offerings provided by Home Care Preferred.
“Our care team has a can do attitude and our aim is to always provide a solution no matter how complex the needs are”
commented, Figen Karadogan
The care agency and the retail offering have both seen financial success since the inception of Home Care Preferred. However, the success of this unique concept is not limited to financial gains, Home Care Preferred has a strong community presence and have won various local and national awards, in the past years. The latest feather in their cap is the prestigious Health Investor Award 2016, where Home Care Preferred won Best Home Care Provider 2016 accolade.
Talking about the company’s future ambitions, Ken Waterhouse said:
Our vision is that every major town in the UK will benefit from a Home Care Preferred branch. We want to grow the organisation with a network of high quality management franchises in suitable locations throughout the country”
The Franchise Package for this unique care service, provides comprehensive training, business launch support and an exclusive opportunity to be part of a market that is estimated at over £20billion per annum.
In franchising, Home Care Preferred harnesses the abilities, energy and dedication of the franchise owners to realise its goals. In return, franchise owners enjoy invaluable skills training, a proven business concept, personalised support and a brand name that will help them realise their own dreams of running a successful business and that is not all, Franchise Owners can look forward to the rewards of job satisfaction through various testimonials and comments from satisfied customers.
George Georgiou is one such customer who benefitted from the Home Care Preferred services. In a recent note to the care team, he commented:
“
It was such a relief to find everything I needed for Mum under one roof at the Home Care Preferred branch I visited. I bought a wheelchair, received guidance on care fee planning and had a delightful live-in care giver introduced all within 5 days of my first visit. I didn’t know such businesses as Home Care Preferred existed – thank you.”
