Sarah Stanbrook always wanted her own business that benefitted her community. Now Sarah has  launched a Walfinch home care business, delivering adult social care at home to the community in Swindon and Marlborough, Wiltshire – and her mum inspired her to get started.
 
“I had never considered working in the care sector. My career was in administration, working for companies in all sorts of sectors, and I enjoyed the organisation and planning aspects. But then mum needed care. I was happy to do it and discovered how valuable care is, and how rewarding it can be,” says Sarah, from Wantage.
 
After her mum passed away, Sarah became the care co-ordinator at Walfinch home care Oxfordshire. It's a combination of forward planning, organising rotas for the care team, and occasionally dealing with unexpected problems, so it combined Sarah's admin skills with the rewards of being part of the care community. “It's a job that takes a cool head and a genuine love of people,” says Sarah.
 
She went on to work in operations for Walfinch Oxfordshire and in the Walfinch National Support Office, gathering hands-on experience of many aspects of running a care business.
 
Positive activities 
 
Sarah is a firm believer in the Walfinch policy of  providing positive activities to benefit both clients and carers, and has helped run art classes for clients, cookery training for carers, and was closely involved in arranging a visit from an assistance dog to delight a dog-loving client.
 
When the chance to become the Walfinch franchisee Managing Director in Swindon and Marlborough arose, she seized the opportunity, and has now started her care business, which she manages around caring for her two sons.  Her husband is co-Managing Director., but as yet is not involved day-to-day in the business.
 
“As someone who has not run their own business before, I chose the Walfinch franchise because it provides training and access to a whole team of business, care and regulatory experts to ensure your business starts on the right foot, grows to benefit the local community, and maintains the high level of quality that is essential in the care sector,”  she says.
 
Walfinch Swindon and Marlborough will offer visiting and live-in care, and a whole range of specialist care, with the emphasis on enhancing clients' lives.
 
“I'm looking forward to bringing the highest quality care and activities to our clients, and in the long term, to growing my business to cover a wider area,” says Sarah.