A mum-of-three inspired to open her Home Instead Senior Care territory after seeing the ‘poor face of care’ first-hand – has become its 10th franchisee to receive an outstanding rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Home Instead is the only homecare provider to hold 10 outstanding ratings from the health and social care regulator, a mark of excellence in elder care that firmly reflects the franchisor’s commitment to best practice.

Gail Devereux-Batchelor started her franchise five years ago, is an employer of choice in her territory Market Harborough, Corby and Rutland with 84 employees and today provides care to just short of 100 clients.

The journey that led Gail to the Home Instead Senior Care franchise network truly reflects the brand’s strapline: ‘To us it’s personal.’

When Gail’s youngest sister was terminally ill, she was shocked to see the ‘cracks and gaps’ in the healthcare system. And later, when her elderly aunt needed support to continue living at home, Gail couldn’t find a provider she could trust to organise reliable care with consistent carers.

Gail was desperate to find dignified homecare for 92-year-old Aunt Mary on Boxing Day 2011 following a dreadful experience with a care provider. She discovered the care and companionship services Home Instead Senior Care offered while searching online for care in the area her Aunt lived in, some 30 miles from her own home.

“I emailed on Boxing Day and had a reply the same day. After 2 weeks, life had changed for the whole family. Aunt Mary was flourishing with caregivers that were angels. And 30 miles away, we could relax and trust that she was in safe and caring hands.”

An established businesswoman herself, Gail had spent seven years as the MD of one of the subsidiary companies of the renowned footwear brand Dr. Martens. That was followed by seventeen years as MD of a decorating company specialising in heritage projects and high-end residential properties.

“I was used to corporate life and to working with exacting and demanding customers. I was used to solving problems creatively,” said Gail, who describes her personal experience of poor care and the counter experience with Aunt Mary’s care with Home Instead as the catalyst for her career change.

“I saw my Aunt flourish with Home Instead’s care and equally I understood that it was a franchise model. I could see first-hand the absolute need for care delivered this way and I didn’t want other people to go through the experiences I had with poor, inappropriate, chaotic care.

“I contacted National Office and established that the territory I lived in was available. After some soul searching, asking myself could I do this, could I run a care franchise, I very quickly knew that it was meant to be.”

Describing the start of her franchise journey, Gail said: “The moment I opened my franchise box, I was impatient. I knew what a difference I could make. I wanted to run my franchise and run it beautifully. I wanted to get out into my territory and start to network. I knew I would love this business to the core.”

Gail says National Office has been tremendous, adding: “They were caring and genuinely supportive. They were responsive to any question or query that I had. And if it was an issue quite bespoke to the geography of my territory, then they’d put me in touch with a franchisee with similar geographical challenges.

“For example, I have a rural territory and I was concerned about caregivers getting to clients in snowy conditions. National Office put me in touch with our Harrogate franchisee, they said the first thing I should do is talk to my local farmers, they have the landrovers and tractors that could assist in a crisis.

“That’s the beauty of the Home Instead network, there is always a fellow owner you can relate to. But the spirit of collaboration, of sharing tips, ideas and best practice – that runs deep throughout our franchise family.

“We’ve all got our franchise story to tell and shared experiences to help our peers and if you could bottle franchise excellence – that would be the essence in my opinion. Even new owners have experiences established owners can learn from.”

Gail is delighted with the returns from the Home Instead Senior Care business model and is approaching the £1 million turnover mark. She added: “I’m firmly part of our brand mission to change the face of ageing and proud to be a franchisee in a network unified by that powerful and common bond.”

Commenting on her outstanding CQC achievement, which marks a five year franchise milestone, Gail said: “I have a team of angels working with me who make dignified homecare a reality in my territory. Everyone wants to be able to stay in the comfort of their own home as long as possible and when the time comes, to receive care from people they know and can trust.

“I’m proud to dedicate this outstanding rating to my team who makes this possible. I couldn’t have made my dream of dignified care in Market Harborough, Corby and Rutland possible without their tireless devotion.”

Home Instead Senior Care has 130 territories available across the UK for ‘caring entrepreneurs’ like Gail as well as territory resale opportunities. Contact us for more details.