Home Instead Dartford, a local home care company was recently ‘Highly Commended’ at the Home Care Awards 2021, which recognises the best home care providers across the UK.

The company based in Swanscombe, was ‘highly commended’ in the category of ‘Best start-up home care service or new franchisee’. Having only opened their business in June 2019, owners Christina Uppenkamp and Ram Chandra Thapa have seen fantastic initial success since they launched.

Since launching, the business has expanded its care services, currently employing 40 members of staff who have collectively provided 20,000 hours of care to elderly people in the local area. They have also enrolled 25% of their staff on NVQ levels 2 and 3 training. The company is also an active local employer, currently looking to take on a number of new caregivers throughout the area.

Throughout the pandemic, the company started various initiatives to keep up the morale of clients and caregivers during a difficult time. They distributed care packages to their caregivers, with Christina knitting face-mask extenders to keep caregivers comfortable in PPE, as well as arranging wellbeing sessions for employees.

They were recently recognised as a 5* employer by independent research company WorkBuzz due to the overwhelmingly positive feedback from an employees and clients.

Christina comments: “Ram and I are overjoyed to have been named as ‘highly commended’ for this category in the Home Care Awards 2021. We launched our business with the aim to extend our family values to the local community, providing care we would want for our own family members to individuals across Dartford and the surrounding areas.

“We are so pleased that our hard work and dedication has been recognised through these national awards which hold so much importance in our sector. We look forward to continuing caring for seniors across the local area for many, many more years!”

For more information about Home Instead Dartford and the home care services they provide, please call 01322 923750 or visit www.homeinstead.co.uk/dartford