Home care firm a winner in Guardian Angel Carers awards
Home care company Guardian Angel Carers has won a prestigious Guardian Angel Carers Future Ready ‘Community Engagement’ award.
AJ Jane, who established the business with her sister Debbie Burchall in 2023, commented: “We’re in a small market town, a very rural, historic location. So it’s been very important for us to demonstrate that we’re part of the community.
"For example, it’s been important that people know Debbie and I are sisters, together in business. We’re not just a faceless corporation. We really value the feeling of community, and so we support the community as much as we can. We’ve made a real effort to go out and make ourselves known.
“I’m always walking around talking with people. Everyone knows me, and my dog! And not just Debbie and me. Our carers – who we call CareAngels – are doing a fantastic job of representing us and embracing that responsibility.
“And because, we’re now well known locally, we’ve been called up at the last minute to offer urgent care. We’ve collected people from hospital. We sponsor the Saint Leonards’ Hospice Light up a Life Carol Service. We organise coffee mornings at local assisted-living residences where they had stopped providing that. We go along and offer cupcakes!
"For us, it’s trying to prove that we want to remain part of our local community and be helpful to people locally.
“We also ensure we listen to what our community tells us they need, and then supply it”, says AJ. “It’s made a difference because now we’re finding that most of our new clients come from local word of mouth.
“We really love the community we’re in, and we’re proud to have quickly created a trusted, professional service, based in Easingwold, close to York,” says AJ. “And we’re delighted to have been recognised for our efforts by our peers in the care industry.“
As a franchise of the award-winning Guardian Angel Carers, the York branch benefits from a broad range of training, marketing and administrative support. That enabled Debbie and AJ to hit the ground running, and quickly establish their presence and reputation in the Easingwold area. It also gives them sufficient autonomy to tailor their in-home care services for the locality and to adopt the behaviours and values that only a small, local business can truly offer.
The Future Ready Awards are made each year by Guardian Angel Carers national office, based on peer nominations and submissions. As well as Community Engagement, awards include ‘Carer of the Year’, ‘Business Growth’, and ‘Bright Ideas’.