Caremark, one of the UK’s leading homecare providers, held its annual conference on 31st January, bringing together almost 200 of its key suppliers and franchise owners. The conference set a bold vision for transformational growth amid the pressing challenges facing the care sector.
This year’s conference theme, “Incremental Changes Leading to Transformational Growth,” resonated deeply as speakers, including Caremark’s leadership, industry experts, and business partners, addressed the pressing issues facing the social care sector. Notably, Dr. Jane Townson, CEO of the Homecare Association, highlighted the financial impact and pressure on businesses as a result of the impending increase in national minimum wage and employer NI contributions.
Caremark’s leadership emphasised the importance of adapting through incremental improvements to navigate the challenges ahead. They showcased how consistent enhancements across the network have led to increased customer retention and profitability, enabling the company to outperform major competitors even in the current market.
Interjecting the day’s talks were informative breakout sessions with representatives from Skills for Care, The Access Group, PMW Marketing, and the CEO and founder of Care Friends, Neil Eastwood. Whether discussing quality of care, staff retention, customer or business strategy, each expert talk confirmed how making small, incremental yet consistent changes can contribute to sustainable progress that, ultimately, has a big ‘transformational’ impact.
Caremark’s Joint CEO, David Glover, who both opened and closed the conference day, reflected on the network’s collective achievements amidst the sector’s financial pressures:
“Last year, we expanded into ten new territories, generated record care enquiries, maintained a 0% network failure rate, won national awards, and ranked 6th in the Elite Franchise 100. These results demonstrate the impact of our strategy of making incremental improvements. Even a one, two, or three percent change in key areas is driving real progress. This mindset has led to a 20% increase in turnover year-over-year to reach an incredible £151 million, but, honestly, our biggest achievement of 2024 was improving more lives with exceptional home care than ever before. Sustainable growth doesn’t happen overnight, but by focusing on the controllables, we can make a lasting difference to our businesses and the communities we serve.”
Caremark’s Marketing Director, Emma Scholes, also shared the success of the National Marketing Fund (NMF), which launched at last year’s conference, stating:
“The first quarterly campaign of the NMF has delivered excellent results. Our activities of TV and radio advertising, combined with door drops and a targeted digital campaign, have generated in an impressive 13 million impressions and, most importantly, delivered thousands of leads for our network. The NMF has played a significant role in increasing our overall customer numbers and our outstanding financial performance. But the real impact lies in empowering our franchise owners with the tools and flexibility to grow their businesses effectively.
“The success of the NMF, combined with continuous improvements across the board, is reflected in our latest WorkBuzz survey results – which are our best yet. We’re seeing that franchise owners’ satisfaction and trust are rising year after year, keeping us consistently ahead of the industry benchmark. Notably, satisfaction with head office support came in 19% above the benchmark, while satisfaction with Caremark’s marketing support saw an extraordinary 138% increase!
Moving into 2025, with valuable data and insights from the initial campaign, we’re refining and streamlining our approach to deliver even better results for our network.”
The conference underscored the importance of adaptability and continuous improvement as the social care sector anticipates further challenges. With the government’s recent announcement of a commission on adult social care reform, led by Baroness Louise Casey, set to deliver recommendations by 2028, providers like Caremark are proactively implementing strategies to navigate the evolving landscape.
