Posted:07-November-2022
A Day in the Life of a Walfinch Franchisee: varied, flexible - and busy!
Walfinch Harrow franchisee Shilpi Verma launched her Walfinch business in April 2021, By December she had 23 care staff, two supervisors, a registered care manager, a recruitment officer and a carer who doubles as business development officer.
She moved into the care sector after a 17 year career in banking, where she managed a cluster of branches.
8.15am: I arrive at the office after dropping off my 7-year-old daughter at school. I have two children, and being able to do schools runs is one of the reasons I gave up my banking career to start my own business with Walfinch. I wanted more flexibility and work-life balance, and as a Walfinch franchisee I can organise my own working hours.
My phone has been on since 7am, but unless someone is not well I don’t usually get calls before I get in at 8.15.
My days then proceed according to which day of the week it is. I allocate regular tasks to particular days – though in the care business you have to be a bit flexible.
Monday morning: I meet with my two field supervisors, who head up our team of carers, to reflect on the health and wellbeing of all our care clients, including reviewing the carers’ notes from the previous week.
If something needs attention, we follow it up with the carers and the client. For instance, if someone had a slip or fall, and it has happened too frequently, we call their GP or occupational therapist. If there are other mobility issues, we consider whether the supervisor needs to go with the carer to see if there are any new practices or equipment that might help.
We also check any medication the client takes to ensure it is correct and has been administered at the right time.
While I am with the supervisors we plan their schedules for any shadowing of new carers and monitoring of existing carers.
11.30-12: Time to grab a snack. I’m hungry because I eat breakfast early with the children. I make time to eat because I tend to lose concentration if I don’t, and you must be focussed in the care business.
Afternoon: Mondays are generally about compliance so I check up on any compliance issues and chase up the results of our carers’ twice-weekly Covid tests.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I work on business development. That includes relationship building by chatting with the local palliative care nurses and visits to clients. I also do any recruitment interviews.
Thursdays are about marketing. That may mean organising and attending local coffee mornings to increase awareness of our service in the community, and doing social media posts.
Fridays mean finalising the carers’ rotas for the next week, giving briefings about new clients, training any new carers starting work with us. I like to do this myself, alongside one the supervisors.
4pm: I pick up my daughter from school and go home for family dinner.
7.30pm: I put in a little extra work at home to pick up any loose ends and be ready for tomorrow.
I try to plan things to minimise weekend disruption so I have family time, though Sundays I spend a few hours doing the accounts and invoicing.
It sounds very busy, and it is, but by planning carefully and sticking to my diary, I keep everything under control. It’s certainly better than the long hours and pressure I felt in banking, and it’s more family-friendly – plus there is the reward of making a huge difference to people’s lives.
Interested and want to know more about Walfinch?
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