Grant Attwood

Grant Attwood is a prime example of someone who has entered the care sector with no industry experience, but with the right work-ethic, passion and values, alongside continuous support from a trusted franchisor, has built a successful business that sits at the heart of his community.

South-African born Grant Attwood joined the Right at Home network in 2019, opening an office in North Somerset.

Just over four years on, Grant now runs a successful franchise, with 85 staff delivering 1,500 hours of quality care per week and plans in the pipeline to grow the business by 30% this year. Here, he tells his story.

Unknown territory

As a former operations and production manager in the manufacturing industry, Grant had no experience of working in social care, but he became drawn to the sector after exploring various franchise models.

“I was selling things like paper plates, kitchen foil, gift wrap and greeting cards – basically persuading people to buy stuff that they didn’t really need. And I just thought there must be something that I could be doing that made a real difference in the world,” says Grant.

He continues: “I’ve also always wanted to start and run my own business, but I acknowledged that was quite a nebulous concept. So, I looked at what franchising could offer to help that start-up process.

“I was actually quite amazed when I found that you do get franchises in care, because obviously that ticks all the boxes of giving back and being really rewarding. It was just a really exciting time for me.”

After completing his induction training at Right at Home, Grant hired a registered manager who would take care of the rostering and care aspects of the business, while he looked after finance, marketing and planning, with recruitment as a shared responsibility between the two of them.

But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the partners found themselves in unknown territory, and the support of the National Office team at Right at Home UK was not only helpful, but essential.

Grant explains: “The compliance and leadership team were absolutely excellent in communicating. We had weekly forums and often daily communication as the laws and guidance were changing.

“We didn’t have to figure out the complicated guidance ourselves – the compliance team had that covered and were telling us what we needed to be doing.”

But despite having the support of National Office and an experienced Registered Manager, Grant didn’t solely rely on them to get his business off the ground, and he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, especially in the first year.

Grant says: “In the early days, when you’ve got such a small care team, the reality is that you do have to go out and do assessments, you do have to do some of the auditing of the Client files, you do have to get involved with recruitment and you do have to go out and deliver care yourself. So, it’s a lot to get your head around.

“However, being part of a franchise network helps, because there’s a lot of other business owners who have been in the same boat – they’ve had no care background but have had to deliver care to grow their businesses. So that strong level of peer support has provided me with peace of mind.”

Where is the business now?

After starting out as a team of two, Right at Home North Somerset now has an 85-strong workforce providing 1,500 hours of care per week, and a turnover of more than £2 million.

The business delivers a blend of local authority and private-pay work and has recently purchased some new postcodes to expand its reach.

Grant explains: “We've expanded to the South by buying some additional postcodes. So, we're quite excited about that.”

Grant puts this success down to the commitment of his entire workforce to deliver high-quality care.

“The main driver of growth is our team’s willingness to take on care packages, even if they are not a perfect fit for their rotas at the time. They have a positive, can-do attitude, and we always adapt, whilst operating safely,” he says.

“The whole team is committed to providing high-quality care to as many people as we can safely do it, within our community. One day, it could be us needing that support.”

Staff retention is also a major driver of growth, according to Grant. He says: “We really try to show our staff that we appreciate them in different ways, by giving them flowers or vouchers, for example. Our staff also have access to an onsite counsellor, should they need help with personal difficulties, and we have introduced various other wellbeing initiatives.”

Future ambitions

Right at Home North Somerset is expected to grow by a further 30% this year, increasing the number of care hours delivered per week to 2,000.

But this level of growth was never in Grant’s original plans. “We never planned to become as big as this, as quickly as this, but the demand always seems to be there and more applicants always come along,” he explains.

“But our overarching objective is not massive growth; it's just to provide high quality care for as many people who need it in North Somerset.”

Words of advice

Grant has no regrets about joining the Right at Home network four years ago and his words of advice to other budding franchisees is to “take the plunge”.

“I’m really pleased I did it,” he says. “It has been really stressful at times, but any job is stressful. It’s not a nine-to-five job, and you have to work evenings and weekends, especially in the early years, but it’s really rewarding.”

Grant continues: “I think it’s just something you have to try. Get out there, roll up your sleeves and be prepared to do what you need to do in those first couple of years to get your business off the ground.

“You’ve got to get involved in all aspects of the business, but once you’ve laid the fundamentals, you have the opportunity to build a management team and a business structure.”

What is clear to Grant, reflecting on his four years as a care provider, is that if he had his time again, he wouldn’t set up an independent care business.

“I couldn't have done it myself, without the support of a franchisor, and I still couldn’t now,” he says. “There’s too much to get your head around, from recruitment and marketing to compliance and training, and Right at Home supports me with all of that.”

To find out more about how Right at Home could be the right fit for you, call Kate for a friendly chat on 0151 305 0755 or contact franchising@rightathomeuk.com.

Grant Attwood
Owner, Right at Home North Somerset