Ashwell Home Care Services

What inspired me to open Ashwell Home Care Services ?

Prior to my husband and I opening Ashwell Home Care Services I had been working as a Deputy Manager in a Residential Care Home. I realised that although the staff who worked there were competent and caring there were inconsistencies in the level of care and support given. My husband’s family had received care at home and the experience was not always good, this put pressure on us as a family as we weren’t involved or consulted by the agencies they used.

We felt that there was a real gap in the market for a care agency who wanted to transform the way that care is delivered in the community. Also, where the person receiving the care was made to feel like the most special person in the world and where we involved their families so that we could work together to improve the quality of the lives of those receiving the care. With this as our goal Ashwell Home Care Services was started and our journey began.

I started working in the Care sector over 20 years ago as a night care assistant and immediately knew that I had found my calling. My mother tells me that when I was a child, I wanted to be a doctor, not one who did injections or operations but one who helped people who weren’t feeling well and did what I could to make them better. It took me 2 children and a 17 year career working in the Travel Industry to realise my dream and now I spend every day making a difference to the people that we care for and support and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE WHAT WE DO!

I am passionate about working with our clients and their families to improve their quality of life and to keep them living in their own homes for as long as they can. I also love being a voice for clients who haven’t got any family to rely on to make sure that they get the care they deserve. It gives me a great deal of pride to work alongside my husband and our daughter as well as our amazing team to offer a truly family focussed and driven experience and to make a real difference to the people we support.

I know first-hand what it's like to have your loved one receive care that is sub-par as this is what happened when my mum needed care towards the end of her life. It's because of this experience that Ashwell Home Care Services was founded from a desire to provide a level of care that transforms the way in which care is delivered within the community.

The difference that sets us apart from other agencies is that we appreciate how hard the decision can be to choose home care. We understand your concerns; we respect your feelings and we really do want to make this step as smooth and straightforward as possible with you in mind at all times. We will explain, guide and support you through our assessment process and ensure that you, your partner, family and friends are involved in every step of compiling your individual care plan.

I'm a Business Support Executive and part of the Ashwell family. As well as doing HR and Finance I sometimes go out into the community to visit our lovely clients. I believe that it's so important to provide the best care possible to everyone we look after and am proud of the business that my parents have built.

My name is Sandy Wisby, I was born in Hastings - East Sussex and have a younger sister.

I first started my journey in care at 15 years old visiting a local Nursing home and taking around tea after school and at weekends.

I then when I left school was given a full-time job there and while there, went and did Auxiliary training at the Royal East Sussex Hospital.

I have always worked in care for the last 45 years in various roles in a Hospice, I moved from East Sussex to Gloucestershire in 1989.

To work as a Manager both on a residential farm with Adults with learning disabilities, and then in various Domiciliary care settings.

Care is in my blood written right through me like a stick of rock.

My Career Highlights - Enabling positive transitions for adults with learning difficulties to move successfully from long stay institutions, to living active and positive lives within the community, supporting them to obtain work or work experience and achieve their goals preferences and wishes, with the opportunity for the ability to move onto supported semi independent living, and eventually where appropriate complete independent living within the community.
Enabling elderly and frail adults to be supported by carers delivering quality care, enabling and supporting them to be empowered to be at the centre of their person centred care, and to maintain their or increase their independence for as long as possible, so as to be able to remain in their own home for as long as they wish safely. Supporting and enabling End of Life Care to take place at home, and working alongside other professionals involved to achieve an individual’s and their family`s wishes, aspirations, preferences, choices and goals, for a positive end of life experience for all

I have a partner who used to be a flat race jockey, and we now have Appaloosa horses, whom we show, breed and are both ridden and driven, they are sports horses who do well in, Dressage and show jumping, and we also have an amazing but very old short legged jack Russell.

My Role at the moment is Care Quality Manager at AHCS
I am quite new to the company joining in January 2024 and I love the family feel of the company, the the care that is embedded throughout the company for not just the client but the staff as well. It's a real team environment with a great sense of humour and laughter at its core.