A new Walfinch home care service in Hertfordshire is the happy result of one man's change of career. Jide Williams, a former company chief financial officer, is now the Managing Director of the Walfinch home care service in St Alban's, Hertfordshire.
“I was trapped abroad during the pandemic, unable to get back to my family in the UK,” says Jide Williams.
“I realised that life was about more than just working and consuming. I wanted something new, so that I could use my skills to give something back to the community. Being boxed up, alone, and hearing so much bad news about Covid, I started looking inwards, and found my caring side. I decided that my new career would be in care.”
Jide is an FCCA-qualified accountant and has a Masters in Business Administration from Manchester Business School, plus years of experience working at the heart of company finance, and knew that he wanted to build a business of his own. He researched home care in depth.
“I learnt that when it comes to social care, nine out of ten people prefer care at home, so I rejected the idea of starting a care home in favour of starting a home care service,” he says.
With plenty of commitment, but no experience in the care sector, Jide chose to become a franchisee with growing home care franchise Walfinch. “It's a young company that has grown to 30-plus offices across the country in five years, and has an executive team with over 100 years collective experience in care. I liked the opportunity it presented for us to grow in business together.”
Jide’s vast business experience means he understands the importance of building a team with the right knowledge and skills to deliver the best person-centred care. His Registered Care Manager and Training Manager, Victoria Ebsworth, has 23 years of care sector experience. Jide says: “This ensures that the care team is committed, safe and properly checked, and provided with the best training.”
'The Mum Test'
“Walfinch knows about how to deliver compassionate care while navigating the complex care regulations. They have helped me with recruiting carers who can pass what Walfinch calls 'The Mum Test' – that's about delivering the kind of high-quality care you would like for your own mother. With Walfinch's extensive experience, I know that there is always someone I can call at any time for help and advice.
Jide is now looking forward to building a sustainable business that delivers a full suite of home care and live-in care services.
He says: “Moving into the home care sector has been very rewarding. With my business skills and the care skills and experience of Walfinch, I am confident that my team and I can expand our business to bring high-quality care to people across Hertfordshire.”