How to Become a Caregiver

Lily Sweeney, writer

Published at 15/01/2022, Updated on 15/10/2024 , Reading time: 6 min

How to Become a Caregiver — Photo © How-to-Become-a-Caregiver.jpg

Ever find yourself wondering: What does a caregiver do, and is that a role that I’d be suited to? If yes, then you’re in the right place. In this article, you’ll discover all you need to know about how to become a caregiver - from the skills you’ll need to the investment opportunities you’ll have access to.

If you choose to start a home care franchise, you’ll enter a lucrative, growing industry and be granted the chance to do some incredibly valuable and meaningful work. But though the work will be rewarding and the profit will be high, the choice to make a franchise investment will undeniably come with a lot of responsibility and stress. Read on, and find out whether you’d be truly suited to a career in the caregiving industry.

What does a caregiver do?

The best place to begin your journey towards making a career change with a home care franchise is right here, in developing an understanding of what, exactly, a caregiver does. The home care sector is entirely focused on the provision of in-home care to those who need it. These people (who might be elderly, ill or disabled) are unable to complete all the tasks they need to complete in order to live independently without support.

Thanks to the help of the many amazing home care franchises in the UK, these people are able to continue living at home and enjoying the maximum amount of freedom and dignity, while still getting the assistance they need. Some homecare franchise businesses are focused on medical care, some on personal care and companionship, and some on a combination of the both (tailored to each individual).

As a franchisee, you might choose to start your journey with a hands-on approach, administering care. Or, you might choose to make a slightly larger investment, hiring a team of carers and running things from a managerial perspective from day one. Either way, a home care franchise investment is hugely scalable, and moving from administering to managing is very possible (likely, in fact).

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How to become a caregiver and start running a franchise

If starting your own franchise in the caregiving sector is definitely of interest to you, keep reading. The following three questions (and their answers) will tell you everything you need to know in order to successfully identify the right home care franchise for you and prepare to make your investment...

1. What skills does a caregiver need?

One of the biggest advantages of running a home care franchise is the fact that many of the companies in this industry won’t require you to have prior care experience (though some will, so make sure to do your research before getting in touch). Instead, your franchisor will diligently fill any and all franchisee knowledge gaps with a comprehensive training programme. That said, most franchisors WILL be looking for certain transferable soft skills that’ll set you up for success in a career that can be emotional, draining and tough at times. Skills like:

Empathy
Positivity
Resilience
Stress management
Time management
Communication
Flexibility and adaptability
Teamwork
Attentiveness
Confidence

2. How much money does it cost?

Starting a franchise of any kind will cost you, but this cost can vary greatly depending on factors like brand recognisability, industry of investment and franchise type. The average cost of starting a franchise was £42,200 in 2018 [British Franchise Association], but as many home care investments come with lower overheads, the cost of investing in this sector is usually below the average. Here are a couple of examples to give you a sense of what you can expect:

Blossom Home Care - To become a Blossom Home Care franchisee, you’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £35,000, with franchise fees of £37,500 and a total investment cost of £70,000.
Acacia Homecare - To become an Acacia Homecare franchisee, you’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £22,950, with a total investment cost of £70,000.

3. How do I choose the best caregiving role to suit me?

Running a home care franchise successfully won’t always be easy, so before you make a final decision, make sure you’ve done plenty of research and located the niche that best suits you. In short: Don’t commit to a career before you know what else is out there. Check out how to make a career change with a healthcare franchise and the four biggest advantages of running a healthcare franchise before you pull the trigger on an investment in home care. Then, if all you find out is that home care truly feels right, you can move ahead with full confidence.

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Franchising opportunities in the caregiving sector

1. PerCurra

Established over 10 years ago, PerCurra is an award-winning home care business offering an extensive range of services. The franchise works with people who have learning disabilities, physical disabilities, mental health issues and physical health issues.

Becoming a PerCurra franchisee: You’d benefit from having experience in the care sector, but this is preferred, rather than essential. Most importantly, PerCurra franchisees must be willing to follow the proven system of the franchisor.
How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £20,000, with franchise fees of £10,000 and a total investment cost of £30,000.
What you get for your investment: You’ll receive help with finance, an IT platform, a care staff recruiter, in-territory support, training, materials, systems and all the information and advice that you need.

2. SylvianCare

This family-owned franchise was established in 2014 by Silviu and Cristina, a sibling team. Both founders had experience in social care and nursing and wanted to put this experience to good use, creating SylvianCare’s professional and personal approach to home care.

Becoming a SylvianCare franchisee: You should have previous management experience. Working knowledge of management accounts and profit and loss reports would also be beneficial. Plus, you should be ready and willing to follow SylvianCare’s proven systems.
How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £30,000, with franchise fees of £10,000 and a total investment cost of £62,500.
What you get for your investment: You’ll receive advice on site sourcing, business planning and applying for funding. Your franchisor will work with you on your CQC registration application, and you’ll also receive head office training and ongoing support.

You could be running your own business in the caregiving sector in no time

Hopefully, this article has been informative in either direction - either letting you know you’re not made for home care, or letting you know for sure that you are. If you aren’t, stay on Point Franchise and go back to basics, checking out the wide range of available investment opportunities listed on the site’s UK franchise directory. If you are, stay on Point Franchise and browse the list of home care franchise investment opportunities - the perfect choice for you awaits!