East Staffordshire in-home care company wins national business award for best in Britain

Local in-home care company, Visiting Angels East Staffordshire, is celebrating after being recognised as the best office in the UK. Andrew and Helen Lofts, who launched the in-home care company less than two years ago, secured the Franchisee of the Year award for supplying the highest-quality care to people in the region. Meanwhile, Arnna Alley won Registered Care Manager of the Year for the North region at the Visiting Angels’ annual conference.

Managing Director of Visiting Angels East Staffordshire, Andrew Lofts, said, “It was genuinely unexpected to be recognised like this, but it’s so pleasing. I’m proud of everyone who’s contributed; that’s the whole team, they’ve all been exceptional since we started delivering our essential services in the height of the pandemic.

“We went to the awards knowing there was an award for Registered Care Manager of the Year, so we had our fingers crossed for Arnna, but we certainly didn’t expect to win an award that singles out our team as the best in the country!

“Every day is so busy and always filled with challenges, but everyone here knows they can rely on each other as our whole network is so supportive; it only makes sense that a care company cares for each other as well as our clients. Considering we began delivering care in people’s homes in September 2020, we’re immensely proud of where we are today.”

Visiting Angels’ carer-centric approach sets it apart from other in-home care providers. Carers working for Visiting Angels feel valued and respected for their commitment to the sector. Through both financial rewards and opportunities for career development, Andrew and the Visiting Angels team are determined to continue countering issues plaguing the industry, which often leaves carers feeling unappreciated and unmotivated.

Speaking about East Staffordshire’s plans to build on their success, Andrew said, “This coming year we will be building on quality not quantity. The reason this company works, is because of the person-centred care we supply to our clients, getting to know them well, their individual needs and their character. We supply the best available care in the region, but this part of our business only works when our carers feel both motivated and cared for. They are our angels and without them feeling happy and enthused, it can’t work.”

Andrew was also congratulatory of Arnna Alley, who won ‘Registered Care Manager of the Year’ for the North. “I couldn’t be less surprised at her award. She’s a key part of the management team, always implementing new ideas into the business to help us deliver the highest-quality care. Visiting Angels’ carer-centric approach coupled with her skillset and knowledge of the industry makes Visiting Angels East Staffordshire a truly enjoyable place to work and a set apart from its competitors.”

Reflecting on her award, Arnna Alley says, “Despite what Andrew says, it was a really big shock for me - I certainly wasn’t expecting the award. I’m proud of myself, but I couldn’t have done it without the team. I’ve worked in several care companies, but Visiting Angels is by far the best I’ve ever worked with. It’s my job to make sure that all the carers and clients are well looked after, so to be recognised with this award for doing that successfully gives me so much joy.”

If you would like to find out more about the care supplied by Visiting Angels East Staffordshire, please visit https://www.visiting-angels.co.uk/eaststaffs/

Notes to Editors

For more information on this story, or to speak to Andrew or Helen Lofts, email Laurence at laurence@revpr.co.uk or call 07725 071128
Images Available: High-res images of Andrew & Helen Lofts with Arnna Alley at the awards event and in their office


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About Visiting Angels

In 2017, the Visiting Angels brand came to the UK under the expert leadership of Dan Archer. A franchise veteran and passionate ambassador for quality care at home, Dan launched the first UK office in October 2017. In less than 12 months, Visiting Angels Sheffield proved to be one of our most successful new franchises. Ever. Dan and his team were awarded ‘Best International Office’ at our 2018 Annual Conference in recognition of their exceptional performance and commitment to the Visiting Angels UK mission. Most care businesses, and in turn, most care franchises, will tell you that they put their clients first. And whilst we don’t disagree with the sentiment, we take a slightly different view on how to achieve it. We believe that to truly be successful in this pursuit, and to change the future of social care in the UK, we must actually put our carers at the heart of the business. For without them, there is no business. We describe this approach as "carer-centric".