Home care provider who took 'inspiration' from grandad wins national award

A home care provider who was “inspired” to become a care worker after he experienced “poor care” with his grandad, has won a national award for brightening the lives of people living with dementia within the community.

Ben Selby, owner of Right at Home (Mid Cheshire) and Right at Home (South Cheshire), is the winner of a Great British Franchisee Award from whichfranchise.com for his work in pioneering a respite day-care service for dementia patients.

Mr Selby, 39, decided to become a care worker when he was 19 after he saw his grandad receiving inadequate from a care agency left him "frustrated".

He said: “My main inspiration comes from my personal experience of poor care with my grandad. He was diagnosed with vascular dementia and when it was time for us to get the care workers in what we experienced was poor.

“My grandad had short care visits and different care workers would turn up. We would never see the same one.

“After a few weeks, we decided it would be better for my grandad to go into a care home. I was so frustrated.”

'There was nowhere safe for people to go'

Working in the sector for many years, Mr Selby was promoted to national head of compliance for Right At Home and decided five years ago to take the plunge and become a franchisee himself.

Mr Selby’s work in pioneering a respite day-care service for dementia patients started last year when he realised there was not much provision for people living with dementia within the Nantwich community.

“In May 2021, I decided to open a day care centre in the Nantwich office because we have quite a large room and because of the pandemic, there was nowhere safe for people to go and give carers some respite.

“Our day-care service is small but can support up to eight people a day. We are open three days a week and we have partnered with meals on wheels service so food is served to everyone. We are currently looking to expand to five days a week.”

The day centre is staffed by trained care workers who can assist with medication as well as entertaining games to play with their guests, including board games, cards, jigsaws, quizzes and physical activities.

“We are very much focussed on supporting people with dementia to get out of the house and get them socialising and have a great day whilst giving their loved ones carers up to six hours of respite.”

Mr Selby involved the community to get the project up and running. “I have a great relationship with the council so they can signpost people who are living with dementia and their carers to the day centre. We have loads of volunteers and we have a Facebook page set up too.”

'People like to be independent and in their own homes'

When Mr Selby became the Right at Home Nantwich provider, he wanted to embed some core principles for the team, including longer home care visits and creating a matching service where all care workers are carefully selected to match the clients’ personal interests.

“It’s so important that the client knows who is coming each visit, especially if they have dementia,” says Mr Selby.

Starting with just one employee, he’s grown the business into a £1.9 million-turnover operation and expects to double that within two years. He now has 100 employees and intends to create 150 more local jobs.

“We have amazing training and support at Right at Home and not only have we increased the hourly rate and because of the rising fuel prices we have increased the fuel pay too.

“Demand has never been higher,” says Mr Selby. “We are constantly contacted by the hospitals and care homes who have people waiting to go home.

“People like to be independent and cared for in their own homes.”

click here for more details or to contact Right at Home (South Cheshire)