SEPTEMBER 2017
Caremark welcomes five new franchisees
n Homecare franchise Caremark has welcomed five new franchisees to its network as it celebrates an award- winning month.
Michael Folkes, Christianah Akpojivi, Anita Bramley, Susannah Duek and Ahsan Sajjad will be launching their new businesses throughout the south of England. All have come from very different backgrounds, including sales and management roles in the chemical and property industries, as well as careers in social care and occupational therapy. Lynda Godding, Caremark’s national training manager, says: “It’s always such a pleasure to work with new franchisees and our latest group are no exception. Each one of them worked so hard to achieve outstanding results in their final assessments and I’ve no doubt they’ll apply the same dedication as they begin to move forwards.” One of the UK’s leading homecare
providers, Caremark’s franchisees support
elderly and vulnerable people across the country. New franchisee Michael Folkes joined the company as he feels strongly about helping those in need of quality care in his area of Cheltenham and Tewkesbury. He says: “I’m thrilled to be starting a new journey in such a rewarding sector and I’m really looking forward to becoming fully immersed in my community, working hard to serve their needs. The opportunity to build a business that genuinely makes a difference is very special. For me, the rewards are as much about personal pride and satisfaction as they are about the financial side.”
The five new additions to the network come just after Caremark took home two trophies at the British Franchise Association’s 2017 Franchise Awards. Hannah Drury, Caremark franchisee for Sutton, was named Young Franchisee of the Year and Overall Franchisee of the Year. Hannah says: “I’m exceptionally
proud to have been recognised in this
way – the franchise has been by far the best opportunity for me. I’m incredibly passionate about my community and Caremark gives me a platform to put those thoughts and feelings into action. “As a business, we’ve created 50 jobs for local people and we continue to grow and bring further opportunities in the community. The fact that I can do this while being supported by head office really gives me the confidence to always strive for bigger and better things. What more can you ask for?”
Most UK companies not prepared for the ageing workforce
n A new study has found that 74 per cent of older workers feel that employers are not doing enough to recruit them, despite over 50s now forming a third of the UK workforce. The research, conducted by Capita
Resourcing, examined the attitudes of 1,002 workers over the age of 55, as well as 100 senior HR professionals. It reveals that over a third of older workers have experienced bias towards the younger generation in the workplace, and 73 per cent say that employers aren’t doing
enough to tap into their knowledge and skills.
While the majority of older workers say that they do generally feel respected at work, as many as one-third feel sidelined, and 17 per cent say they have been passed over for promotion because of their age. Despite almost all UK businesses believing older workers could be the key to bridging the skills gap, only one in five are currently looking to the over 50s to grow their business. Chris Merrick, director at Capita
Resourcing, says: “The UK’s older working population is set to increase rapidly in the coming years, while at the same time the number of skilled school leavers will continue to struggle to fill the employment gaps. “Yet, with eyes focused on technology and innovation, few businesses have older workers on their agenda, leading to a missed opportunity. It’s time for a recalibration of what it means to be an older worker – these employees want to
be challenged, not sidelined.” On retirement, the majority of older workers understand – or even support – the government’s decision to raise the pension age to 66 by 2020, but some are also concerned about the impact this might have. Over two-thirds believe there is a significant mismatch between the government’s view that people need to work longer and bias among employers towards younger people, while 79 per cent of companies say that the government has not given enough thought to the business impact of raising the retirement age. Chris adds: “The good news is that
there are many steps that businesses can take now to benefit from an ageing workforce, such as conducting an age audit to identify patterns of discrimination, and introducing reverse mentoring to upskill senior employees in areas such as digital. Businesses can also tailor their benefits in line with the wants and needs of the older generation, such as more flexibility.”
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BusinessFranchise.com | September 2017
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