FAQs

Right at Home provides one-to-one homecare visits, that support people to live independently, and with dignity, in their own homes. Right at Home UK is at the forefront of the fast-growing homecare market, where we specialise primarily in private care that always goes the extra mile – for both Clients and staff.

Right at Home opened a pilot office in Preston, Lancashire in 2010. After testing and adapting the successful American business model to the UK healthcare market, we went on to sign our first UK franchisee in September 2011.

Right at Home was founded in America, where the company has over 600 locations and has been identified by Forbes as the #1 rated franchise for its investment level. We share a brand and intellectual property with the US company, but this does not extend to operational control; the UK network is fully owned and operated by our CEO and master licence holder, Ken Deary.

Right at Home UK has over 80 offices within its network in England, Scotland and Wales.

Right at Home follows a deliberately measured growth strategy that focuses on the quality rather than quantity, because it’s important to us that we only partner with people who share our commitment to first-class care. We typically open 6-8 locations each year.

Right at Home stands out for the consistency of its quality standards, across the network of 80+ locations. We are the UK’s most highly recommended national homecare group, with a score of 9.9/10 on the leading homecare review website, homecare.co.uk. Our Compliance ratings are also unparalleled with 34% of our offices having an overall Outstanding rating.

When it comes to Franchise Support, we hold an industry-leading record for Five Star Franchisee Satisfaction accreditation, based upon the results of confidential and anonymous benchmark surveys. We put our staff at the heart of the business, holding Five Star Employer status across the group.

Statistics correct at date of publication 20/12/24.

For our network, Right at Home is so much more than just a successful business. It is a unique community of people who are committed to delivering quality in every facet of the business, and who share a natural desire to help others. From Clients and their families, to franchisees, CareGivers and the National Office team, this ethos shines throughout the organisation; ensuring every person’s experience with Right at Home is of the highest possible standard. Our model is built on understanding how profitability comes from being the best at what we do.

The total investment can be up to £145,000; this includes the initial franchise fee, which is £33,500 +VAT and up to £100,000 working capital, to support the business in its early days, until it becomes profitable. The ongoing management fee (referred to as Advice and Support Fee/ASF) is 6.25% of revenue +VAT at 5%; that's 6.56% inclusive. We also offer relief to new franchises in Y1 of trading, with the ASF charged at 0% in the first six months 0% and at 4% +VAT for 6 months; that’s 4.2% inclusive. There is also a Growth Incentive Programme which offers a slight ASF rebate to top performers.

 

Yes – Right at Home UK has an excellent relationship with both high street banks and specialist lenders, and our successful, proven model is well-known to them. We can support most prospective franchise owners to raise up to 70% of their total investment.

Sales and profitability can never be guaranteed, but Right at Home can provide evidence of 12 years of strong performance across the network, with around half of RaH businesses over two years old currently achieving an annualised turnover of more than £1million. Right at Home also reported month-on-month increases in network sales throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, highlighting that this is a truly resilient business model.

No, you do not need previous experience in the care sector, as you will work alongside an experienced Care Manager and Right at Home will train and support you in all areas of running the business.

Yes; all care providers need to be approved by the care regulator before they can start to deliver personal care to clients. Right at Home UK supports all new franchise owners to create a new limited company and apply for registration with the appropriate Care Regulator – in England this is the Care Quality Commission; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own Care Inspectorate, which monitor compliance with their national legislation. In order to apply for registration, a new provider must pass the required background checks, recruit a suitable care manager and have found suitable office premises.

Yes; Right at Home UK will support you to recruit a Care Manager with the required experience to oversee your day-to-day operations – they will need to have accepted the position before you can become registered with the Care Regulator.

Not unless they also have domiciliary care management experience. We want to ensure all Right at Home start-ups have the strongest possible chance of success, and this is achieved by pairing franchise owners who are new to the sector with a care manager who has lots of relevant experience.

Yes, you can take the registration in your own name if we judge that you will have sufficient relevant experience in the regulator’s eyes. However, you will still need to employ a full-time care manager to oversee the day-to-day running of the business; because as MD you will be busy driving business development.

No, UK care regulations require you to operate from a designated business premises. In most cases franchisees open their business from a small, serviced office, to minimise overheads; then move into a bigger space as their back-office team grows.

No. Starting any new business is extremely challenging and, to ensure your best chances of success, we will only consider applications from candidates who are available to work full time and willing to dedicate themselves fully to their new business.

We conservatively estimate a six-month start-up period, which includes the time it takes to complete your due diligence into Right at Home, set up your new business and get registered with the Care Regulator. We recommend that if you are in employment, you should continue to work for the majority of this.

By paying the Initial Franchise Fee you are buying:

• Access to the Right at Home franchise system and brand
• Exclusive rights to trade in your agreed territory for the 10-year franchise term (with the option of a 5-year rolling renewal, with no repeat franchise fee)
• A business planning service provided by an independent specialist franchise finance broker
• A comprehensive start-up package, which includes your initial training and virtually everything you need to get your business set up and operational.

The Right at Home start-up package includes almost everything you need to get your business up and running, including:

• Initial training
• Access to RaH’s online resource centre and cloud-based operating systems
• A high spec PC
• Two RaH email addresses; an optimised local website and Y1 operational software licenses

The package also includes a number of resources to help drive Client acquisition and CareGiver recruitment, including a flexible budget contribution to offset marketing costs in the first year.

Initial training is carried out over two weeks at our National Office, followed by on-site training and Registered Manager induction as your new office prepares to open. The agenda includes:

• The Right at Home approach to person-centred care delivery
• Compliance with care industry regulations
• RaH operational systems and software
• Financial management
• Marketing for care services and CareGiver recruitment
• Website and social media support
• Care team recruitment and retention strategies
• Building and leading a supportive back office team.

Right at Home also provides a rolling calendar of training and development opportunities for franchise owners and key team members; delivered regionally and online where appropriate.

We will be with you through every step of your journey, working together in a collaborative partnership to help you achieve your business goals. As our partner, you will benefit from:

• Expert guidance and advice to drive growth, scale up your business and maximise opportunities within your territory
• Help staying on top of any changes to industry regulations
• Quarterly refresher training options
• Marketing campaign materials
• Network-wide, subject-specific training
• Regional meetings, forums and online peer support platforms
• Two-day national conferences, for business owners and Care Managers
• Internal and external business awards to encourage and inspire the network

As a Right at Home franchisee, you will need to be:

• Passionate about the quality of service we offer our Clients
• Empathetic and considerate of our Clients’ rights and needs
• Aligned with our brand ethos and values
• Highly motivated and well-prepared for the challenges of opening a new business
• A ‘people person’ with the drive to build and lead a strong team.