Jan 6, 2020
On this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent speaks to James Halstead from Freetime Care
Freetime Care started in 2002 - the company was actually started by James’ parents - and looked to provide support and care for individuals with learning difficulties and complex needs.
James came onboard in 2010 and has taken it to a multi-service company, with options for residential, full-time care or respite care.
This is a little different to many of the conversations that we’ve had in the past. I know that I’ve said that before - but this is a situation and type of company that we’ve never really talked about before.
For instance, unlike most companies, there is no marketing with Freetime Care. All of the service users, or clients, find out about the company through word of mouth or referrals from social workers.
Also, as you’ll hear, the bottom line - the profit - is certainly not at the forefront of James’ mind when he’s running the company, or making decisions about it’s future.
As always, we cover plenty of ground, including:
- What makes Freetime Care special compared to other care services in the area?
- The trick of finding the right people, down to getting enough applicants to go for the job in the first place!
- The advantage of taking on people who might not have worked in the care sector before.
- The delicate process of changing the processes of the business that had been put in place by your parents.
James is clearly passionate about Freetime Care - and he’s incredibly ambitious about where it’s headed, and this is a fascinating conversation with someone who confesses to not being much of a businessman - but the results he’s achieving tell a different story.
James can be contacted on www.freetimecare.co.uk
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