HAMILL Homecare is a care service provider with a mission to help people stay at home longer. Louise Hamill, a former doctor, set up the business after spotting a gap in the market for more care in the community to look after people with complex care needs.
Name: Louise Hamill
Position: Founder
WHAT IS THE BUSINESS CALLED?
Hamill Homecare
WHERE IS IT BASED?
Glasgow
WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?
MY background is that I was a hospital doctor for 12 years. In the hospital I saw there was a need for more care in the community to look after people at home with increased care needs. I needed staff who were very skilled to allow us to look after clients with complex care needs.
Our care co-ordinator was a senior charge nurse for 20 years, so she brings that element of experience to the business. We only take on people with recent care experience and if they don’t have complex care training we offer it to them.
We offer a wide range of care needs like personal care – washed, dressed or bathing needs – at home. We work hard to have a good continuity of care and we have small care teams. All care visits are an hour-long – we don’t do 15-minute ones.
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We have scored a six from the Care Inspectorate for the past two years which is the highest you can get. We work with a complex care nursing team and have had referrals from them. It’s a small company but that’s intentional because I am mindful of the fact that I don’t want the quality to drop – I don’t want to compromise on that.
I always wanted to run my own business from a young age. It came at a time when I recognised an opportunity to solve the challenges of clients leaving hospital. I knew what staff I wanted to recruit. That’s what makes us stand out, not my medical background, but each member of our care team is skilled and has a phenomenal approach towards care.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
THE very initial premise was that I recognised an issue with patients completing medical treatment and then going home. They had to wait for care at home as it was not readily accessible if all staff did not have a range of care skills. Other companies work to a tight schedule so it is not easy to take new clients on board, especially if they have complex care needs. Ours is more tailored to the individual. We ask what they need and tailor it to them. I wanted to start a premier care service that is uncompromising on quality.
The pandemic has been a challenge for everyone recently but part of the joy is rising to the challenge. Coronavirus has altered our day-to-day working practice. We’ve been using increased PPE since early last year.
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We haven’t had any clients or staff with coronavirus and staff have been vigilant in their day-to-day lives because they understand the responsibility they have. We feel like part of a family so everyone wants to do the right thing.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?
WE have highly skilled staff and I wouldn’t take someone on with no experience in care as clients have complex care needs. What we’re looking for is an X factor in a carer, someone who we would want to care for us or our own family and has an understanding of people with daily care challenges.
IS SCOTLAND A GOOD PLACE FOR THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS?
YES. There is a good focus on quality care in Scotland. I have worked in East Renfrewshire, West Dunbartonshire and Stirlingshire. There is a real focus on people at home having quality care. Anyone over the age of 65 has financial support for care. I’m proud to be part of that industry.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUNNING THE BUSINESS?
THERE is a huge amount of job satisfaction. As a team the work they do makes a huge difference to clients and families every day. It’s a pleasure to be an employer and create a supportive working environment.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?
I AM looking to increase the client base and the care team to support that. I want us to continue to grow as we have in the past four years and maintain the Care Inspectorate rating of excellent.
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