Charles Folkes is one of our most successful franchisees, delivering over 3000 hours of care per week to vulnerable individuals in the Redcar & Cleveland area. Funding his franchise half from personal capital and from a government backed loan, Charles decided that a domiciliary care franchise was the most viable option.

“I researched various sectors before reaching the decision that domiciliary care offered the sustainability and a straightforward business model which allowed for positive cashflow and personal reward,” he said.

As with all Caremark franchisees, Charles completed the two week training course provided by Lynda Goldmith, Caremark Ltd.’s National Training Manager, before opening Caremark (Redcar & Cleveland). Charles commented: “[the course] gave me the tools to enter the world of care with confidence. Ongoing support includes a regional support manager and support from the head office team, which covers training, IT and financial aspects”.

In his first 18 months of business, the challenge was to be included on the local authority provider list, especially as very little care in their region was privately funded. He credits his wife of over 35 years Julie, for being a driving force behind the success of the business.

“I love the fact that we are involved in providing an essential service to our local community and improve the quality of life of the people we support,” Charles added.

In January 2014, Charles was awarded the Achievement Award at the Caremark annual conference, recognising his successes as a franchisee. Through building volume of clients, despite the constraints of the local authority, Charles is keen to see his franchise continue to grow while ensuring that quality care remains his main objective.