What You Need to Start a Residential Care Home in England

Lizzy

Hi, I’m Lizzy, the creator behind FangirlTastic—your new favourite corner of the internet for all things fashion, lifestyle, and unapologetic self-expression. This blog is my passion project, where I blend my love for style with everyday inspiration to help you live your most fabulous life.

Maybe you’ve been saving to start a business and the one thing that comes to mind is opening a care home. You have probably been reading about the real need for more care homes in England, and actually everywhere in the UK for that matter. As the result of tens of thousands succumbing to the pandemic, management and workers in nursing and care homes were quite frankly burnt out. Many have left the industry. With such a great need for registered care homes, this is something that just may interest you if you are looking for a business that meets a need while having the potential to be quite lucrative. So then, what is it you need to start a care home in England? Let’s look at a few of the most basic requirements.

Finding Suitable Locations

The first thing you will obviously want to do is find a suitable location. Real estate can be quite costly at the moment but the profits that can be generated far outweigh the actual cost of property. However, it’s not only the facility to be concerned with. You will also want a good source for affordable care home supplies because your expenses can chip away at profitability. That said, make a thorough list of the furniture, supplies, and any medical devices you may need so that you can factor that into your ‘buying decision.’

Addressing the Legal Requirements

Let’s step back for just a moment to understand that you are probably not looking to open a nursing home staffed with 24/7 nurses. A care home is different in that you will mostly be required to help residents with daily care. If they need medical attention daily, a nursing home would be a better placement. Even so, the legal requirements are quite stringent and so this is something you will also want to investigate prior to buying that property you have your eyes on. This site will explain how to go about registering as a manager of a care home and all the seemingly little things you must do to personally qualify while ensuring the premises meet legal requirements as well.

Staffing Your Residential Care Home

This is something else that you really need to pay careful attention to. Sometimes the most personable applicants are not what they appear to be. It’s rather like the reverse side of never judging a book by its cover. While sometimes the most unlikely applicants can be the very best candidates for working with the elderly or disabled, there are others who, on the surface, seem to be perfect. Upon running a background check, you just might find some form of criminal abuse in their history. In other words, you absolutely must run a criminal background check on all applicants, no matter what the position. Your primary duty is to ensure the safety, security, and comfort of your residents, and this is where it begins.

As a final note, owning and operating care homes really does take a special kind of person who wants more than an income property. If you are looking for something that meets a real need in your community while generating an income, a care home might be just the investment for you.