It has been an exciting time for Sareet Shah and Priya Desai and their team at Caremark (East Hertfordshire & Broxbourne), who have been rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after their very first inspection – a remarkable achievement for a new care provider!

Sareet and Priya opened the doors of their Caremark franchise in May 2018. Prior to this, Priya worked as an optometrist and Sareet had a career in the underwriting industry, dealing with extreme events such as earthquakes and floods. The pair’s first experience with the care sector, when a relative needed care, left them with the drive to deliver a better, higher quality care service that puts people first – something their Caremark franchise has allowed them to do.

The CQC inspector reported that “people’s lives were changed for the better because of the care they received from the service.” The office was also highly praised by its clients, with comments including: “The care given has been absolutely first-class”, and “We have nothing but praise. They are fantastic people.”

Sareet and Priya have built a culture of trust, valuing their staff and encouraging loyalty. They have developed a fantastic team working towards one goal: delivering exceptional care to the local community. Sareet explained his approach by saying: “If I build that trust with them, they will trust me.” This approach paid off, as staff members said the support they received from Sareet and Priya made them feel part of a “family” and “loyal” to the business.

Sareet and Priya’s business also goes beyond by playing an active role in the community. One of the initiatives taken by them and their team includes a recently launched befriending service that enables clients to sign up for a weekly 15-minute telephone chat with a care worker. The service helps reduce loneliness in the community and the team have plans to open it to other people living in the area.

They also partnered with a local college to promote careers in social care and offer opportunities for students to expand on their studies. In one instance, students were involved in developing a new electronic records management system.

Commenting on his ‘Outstanding’ rating, Sareet said: “We ensured that the ethos of our business resonated through all levels, from office staff to carers, to clients and their families. We promote transparency and working together, a sense that we are all on the same team and part of something much bigger.

“Our own experience with a relative receiving a poor standard of care means that we are extremely diligent in giving our staff as much training as they need and ensuring that they are the right people for the job. 

“Some care providers hire people, give them a bit of training, have them shadow for one day and then send them out in the community. We let our new recruits shadow for as long as needed, two weeks or even a month, before they go out to provide care alone. They feel better supported and get a sense of teamwork.”