Caring for the Elderly

"WELCOME to our Tardis!" the boss told guests attending an opening ceremony at the newly-enlarged offices of an organisation currently caring for 1,000 elderly people.

Daniel McDowell's words echoed the surprise of guests who were to discover how big an organisation they were visiting.

Care At Home Services South East is one of Little Common's business "secrets," as Town Mayor Cllr Patrick Douart and his wife and Mayoress Maureen discovered on Wednesday morning.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

By adding an additional floor to its Cooden Sea Road offices, Care At Home has transformed what is the headquarters of a business currently offering 6,500 hours of care a week to service-users across East Sussex and part of Kent.

Wednesday's guests were invited to sign the visitors' book before the mayor cut a symbolic ribbon at the front door.

The town's civic leaders were given a conducted tour of accommodation which in addition to offices and interview space has its own staff training room.

The family business has been established in Bexhill since 1993. It was started by Peter Stanion and his wife Sally. For the last 10 years it has been built up by Peter's daughter, Deborah McDowell, whose husband Daniel has been a partner since 2001.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Care At Home provides care which enables older people or those with physical disabilities to remain living independently in their own homes.

It started as a franchise of Community Careline Services but has traded as a separate entity since 2003.

It now employs about 300 people in total '“ 140 of them in Bexhill and Hastings - and has three other offices, including one at Tunbridge Wells serving service users as far afield as Sevenoaks.

Care At Home is lead provider for East Sussex Social Services for home nursing and domestic care and also provides identical services for private clients.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It is one of the largest suppliers of domiciliary care to the county council, having won five block contracts to supply services in 2007.

It was short-listed in the finals of this year's Kent Business Awards and in 2007 won the BTC Training Award for firms employing more than 250 people.

Congratulating the firm on the expansion of its headquarters, the Mayor said good working conditions for staff were an important means of ensuring the best performance.

"My wife and I are carers ourselves and we do understand the need to provide proper care for those who are in need.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"I thank you very much indeed on behalf of Bexhill for having this as your headquarters. We could do with more businesses like yours.

"Thank you very much indeed for what you are doing."

Thanking the Mayor and Mayoress for attending, Daniel McDowell also thanked the staff, some of whom had been with the organisation from its inception.

"We could not have built this organisation without you.

"This business has been built through your efforts and your toil and we are very grateful for it, as the people we provide care to are grateful for it

"When you see the mailbox and the letters of comment we receive in our favour we are obviously doing something right!"

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He congratulated Peter Stanion. "Peter started this business 15 years ago and expanded it until Deborah took over. Not only has he led the refurbishment of this building he has actually built this building. It's been his own toil and sweat."

Daniel McDowell concluded by inviting guests to take part in champagne party.

In doing so he reminded them of the words of Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates: "Successful businesses have parties. Unsuccessful businesses have meetings..."

Related topics: