A decade of caring and supporting people in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Judith and Simon; owners of Premier Homecare, describe the highs and lows of home care and how they made Premier Homecare a leading home care provider in Bristol.
It doesn’t seem like 10 years but it is. Premier Homecare began in 2004 with Judith Swindells and Simon Swindells delivering homemade care leaflets in and around the areas of Westbury- on- Trym, Henleaze, Stoke Bishop and Clifton. The drive was a simple, instinctive value: “Provide a positive experience to people’s lives through home care” said Judith.
Simon added, “Back in 2004, we were only really beginning to understand the need for a truly higher quality of care in the home, especially for the elderly and disabled. People are living longer and we identified families were struggling to maintain a quality of life for loved ones. This was highlighted by a BBC ‘Dispatches’ documentary, highlighting some of the concerning standards and practices within homecare. With Judith’s experience and knowledge as a nurse and later as a health visitor for older people, we knew we could make a big difference to peoples lives. We set ourselves a challenge to raise the standard of care to a level we would want and expect for our own parents and families.”
It didn’t take long before Judith was a frequent visitor to a handful of people in the Clifton area of Bristol. From the outset, all of their clients were looking for all types of care and support. The main criteria being, bespoke care plans and at a standard which would mean they could rely on, trust and look forward to visits from their care staff. People would require a service ranging from cleaning and general domestic help to help with medication, food preparation, personal care and even days out.
We soon built strong relationships with our clients , playing a part in helping to make them feel valued and part of the community. All of our clients wanted first and foremost, to remain independent” said Judith.
Simon Swindells
It wasn’t long before Judith and Simon realised that Premier Homecare was in need of more care workers, more support assistants and office staff. “In order for us to maintain our high quality levels of home care in Bristol, we knew that Premier Homecare needed to expand” said Simon.
“We were never going to compromise our standards in care; our reputation for superior quality care services was growing. We knew our next move was to employ new staff, train them to our exacting standards and support them throughout their home care career”
Simon Swindells
In 2006, Premier Homecare moved its offices to Southfield Road in the heart of Westbury-on-Trym. “It provided the space for the growing care team and the room for training our care workers” said Simon.
At the same time Premier Homecare embraced new technology and invested in building a bespoke care planning system. “Without the development of our planning system, we would have been completely snowed under with paperwork and left administrating rather than caring. We’ve continued to grow steadily, but are always mindful of continuity of care and resisting the temptation to take on more work than we could possibly manage reliably and effectively. We have always invested in the managerial, supervisory and head office infrastructure to ensure our carers receive the best training and on-going support. In our books this equals good, dependable, quality care” said Simon.
Fast-track to 2011 and Premier Homecare take a new leap forward with the bold idea of moving to Canford Lane in Westbury-On-Trym and creating a ‘High Street’ presence.
“This is a very public High Street location, where our knowledge and expertise can be accessed, where we are openly accountable, reassurance can be sought, and the other side of the care story, the more positive side, can be told” said Judith.
2014 and Premier Homecare now has over 100 members of staff and another High Street office on Stoke Hill in Stoke Bishop. Whilst not the largest care provider in Bristol, Premier Homecare is certainly leading the way in delivering the highest quality care in Bristol. With robust policies, procedures and a very attractive track record, it’s true to say that Judith and Simon have, without a doubt, kept to their promise of providing a positive experience to people’s lives.
There’s over 2,000 clients in Bristol who’d raise a glass in celebration of their achievements.
And what does the future hold for Premier Homecare?
“It’s fair to say care has been in the media for many negative and concerning reasons and quite rightly so. Home care companies must reassess and uphold their values and be accountable. We are entrusted to look after the most vulnerable people in our community and that’s an extremely important responsibility to be given. At Premier Homecare, we want to try to spread a positive, but balanced message, encouraging people who need that helping hand to visit us and discuss what real quality care and assistance is – let’s be transparent about our services and show not all care companies are the same. We also strive to recruit the right people with the right personal attributes – kind and caring natures. We then ensure we provide these care workers with the right balance of training and support… after all, providing the right staff, trained and supported in the right way, is fundamental to providing the care services our clients deserve. ”
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Don't forget, on Wednesday our Head of Business Development, Gemma Lock, will be attending as a guest speaker at the Lasting Powers of Attorney Seminar, which Harold Stephens will hold at Stoke Lodge Centre in Bristol.March 27th from 9:30 - 11:30am.Gemma will discuss crucial insights on 'Navigating Care Choices' for home care.For more useful information, please visit our website here: ow.ly/1n2050QEZC5#lastingpowerofattorney#financingandfunding#homecare#premierhomecare... See MoreSee Less
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All at Premier Homecare would like to wish our amazing Senior Supervisor Claire Kemp a Happy Birthday. As we won’t be able to celebrate with her on her birthday, we wanted to give her a special shout out! Hope you have a lovely day Claire! ❤🌹#happybirthday#celebrate#birthdaycakes#friend#colleagues... See MoreSee Less
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