Quality homecare provider Right at Home swept the board at the franchise industry awards this week, picking up three national accolades including the prestigious Franchisor of the Year Gold at the bfa HSBC Franchise Awards.

This year saw UK franchising’s two leading national awards presented at the same event – the British Franchise Association (bfa)’s annual conference – after their organisers launched a new partnership earlier this year. The conference took place at the Vox, Birmingham, on 30 November and was attended by more than 280 members of the industry.

And after picking up the WorkBuzz Best Management Franchise Award in the morning, the celebrations continued at the gala dinner that evening: Right at Home franchise owner Alastair Shanks won the Local Focus Franchisee of the Year Award, and the national support team collected the top-tier Gold Franchisor of the Year Award.

Franchisor of the Year Gold

The bfa HSBC British Franchise Awards are dubbed ‘The Oscars’ of the franchising industry, celebrating the very best in ethical franchising.

The judges recognised that in the face of adversity, Right at Home has not only survived, but truly thrived. Despite an undeniably difficult year for the social care sector, its network of 70+ franchises has demonstrated incredible resilience; upholding quality standards, committing significant investment and fostering a family-feel ethos to achieve sustainable growth.

From left: Pip Wilkins, CEO of the bfa; Lucy Campbell, COO of Right at Home UK; Ken Deary, CEO of Right at Home UK; Kate Dilworth, Amy Moulsdale, Jenny Jones and Simon Osborne from the RaH UK support team, and Andy Brattesani, Head of Franchising HSBC.

Pip Wilkins QFP, CEO of the British Franchise Association, said:
“It was my absolute pleasure to crown Right at Home winners of this award. The Right at Home model is built, as they say, on trust, and the company understands that profitability only comes from being the best at what they do. A truly deserving winner, whose core values set them apart.’’

Right at Home UK’s CEO, Ken Deary, said:

“To say I am proud would be an understatement. This award is a true testament to the hard work and dedication that has been demonstrated by the network over the last 12 months. This tremendous achievement is a reflection of our unwavering commitment to upholding franchising standards. It is wonderful to see that the brave steps we have taken to innovate and future-proof our network are receiving this recognition within the franchising industry.’’

Local Focus Franchisee of the Year

The evening kicked off with the Franchisee Award categories, and the team were thrilled to see Alastair Shanks, owner of Right at Home Guildford & Farnham and Right at Home Twickenham, commended for having gone the extra mile to make a difference to the lives of staff, Clients and members of his local community.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Alastair and his team identified a need for additional support for vulnerable people in the local community. The Friends of Right at Home scheme, set up as a voluntary service, recruited 176 volunteers and supported over 130 people per week with shopping and phone companionship.

Kate Shanks and Alastair Shanks, Franchise Owner of Right at Home Guildford and Farnham.

Best Management Franchise 2021

The WorkBuzz Best Franchise Awards are based on independent, anonymous feedback from thousands of franchise owners on the service and support they receive from their franchisor. Franchisors are benchmarked against each other based on this feedback, and the brands with the best results are then judged on their performance by a panel of experts to crown the award winners.

Right at Home UK’s COO, Lucy Campbell said:

“The WorkBuzz Best Franchise Awards mean a great deal to us as they are based on real feedback from across our network. I am extremely proud and honoured to know that our network values and appreciates the support we provide.

“This year we have significantly developed our support offering, adapting our approach to ensure we consistently strive to be an employer of choice and a consistently successful franchise system. This latest achievement is the well-deserved recognition for our National Office team, who help us to deliver on our promise to provide the best support to our network. A massive well done to you all.”

This year’s survey saw Right at Home retain its Five Star Franchisee Satisfaction accolade for the ninth consecutive year, with an overall score of 92/100. It is the only care provider to have achieved this impressive track record.

WorkBuzz CEO Steven Frost said: “These last 18 months have been really testing for even the best businesses and their people, so there’s never been a more important time to celebrate how great franchisors have supported their franchise networks. Every winner and finalist demonstrated great leadership and resilience throughout the pandemic. By prioritising their people and innovation, many have emerged even stronger. I would like to congratulate them all on what they’ve achieved and the difference they’ve made.”

Suki Dehal, Head of Franchising at Lloyds Banking Group, said, “Lloyds Bank are delighted to support WorkBuzz with the Best Franchise Conference & Awards once again this year. It has been inspiring to hear how franchisors priorities have shifted from surviving in 2020 to thriving in 2021, with so many entries detailing phenomenal growth and performance within their networks. It is clear that the feedback received from the surveys has helped brands to tailor their support to the needs of their franchisees, which has reflected in fantastic growth coming out of lockdown.”