A home care business opportunity built on culture and people in Redcar and Cleveland
Charles Folkes started his career in hotel management, then moved into business ownership, running multiple ventures, including a franchise business. By the time he discovered Caremark, he was not looking for a lifestyle project. He was looking for a serious, sustainable home care business opportunity with a model he could trust.
That background shaped how he assessed risk. Franchising felt like the right structure for a regulated sector, offering a clearer path and support when it mattered.
“I knew a fair amount about the franchising model and felt it carried less risk. It offered a tried and tested model with support and a network of fellow franchisees.”
Why home care, and why Caremark
Home care stood out because the need is real, the market is long-term, and the impact is tangible. For Charles, it had the ingredients of a strong business as well as a service that matters, which is what a true home care business opportunity should offer.
“Home care offered a growing and sustainable market with a solid business model”
Caremark came through a trusted recommendation, but the decision became clear through early conversations about integrity and values.
“When I met Kevin Lewis, I trusted him and found him to be ethical.”
The early years: building reputation and culture
Like most care businesses, the early stage was about establishment. Getting known, proving reliability, and building a reputation that professionals and families would stand behind.
“Getting the business established and building a good reputation were not easy. But the perseverance was worth it, as I now have the freedom to enjoy my life, leaving the Operations to my MD.”
That perseverance was not just about winning work. It was about building standards that would hold over time and creating a culture that would not slip when things got busy.
Over the years, Charles has been clear on where his focus sits. The role is not about being involved in everything. It is about setting the tone and developing people who can lead.
“My role is about setting the culture of my business and developing a team”
That approach is visible in how Caremark Redcar & Cleveland is led today. The business is run day to day by Managing Director Michelle Jackson, and her story reflects the culture of development that has been built into the organisation.
“My team is led by Michelle Jackson, our MD, who started as a Care Assistant with us 15 years ago. She manages our Care Manager and a team of around 30 office and field staff. We employ around 280 Care Assistants.”
Stability has come from promoting from within and treating the care team as the foundation of the whole business, not a workforce to churn through.
Growth through trust, delivery, and local relationships
Caremark Redcar & Cleveland has expanded over time to meet a wide range of needs, while keeping the core offer strong. That includes local authority work, private customers, supported living, and additional services designed to support wellbeing and reduce loneliness.
As the business matured, growth followed a clear pattern: deliver high-quality care consistently, build strong local relationships, and stay visible in the community. That is how reputation becomes a growth engine in care.
“We are highly successful with excellent penetration in our territory, especially with the local authority. We are the largest provider in our area…We have an excellent reputation and relationship with our local authority”
Retention plays a big part, too. When care professionals feel valued, continuity improves, and continuity drives trust.
“We value our Care Assistants highly, and that helps with retention, which in turn helps with growth”
Renewal and the strength of Caremark’s model
When you build leaders and embed culture properly, the business becomes less dependent on one person. For Charles, that has created the space to step back from day-to-day operations, without standards dropping. Franchise renewal was a reflection of confidence, pride, and belief in the direction of travel.
“Renewal was never in question. We have worked hard to build a great business of which we are proud, especially of the loyal and committed team we have built.”
That confidence is also reflected in the wider family story. Charles’s son, Michael, now owns multiple Caremark territories, influenced by what he saw in the original business and the integrity behind the brand.
“Michael is like me, a natural entrepreneur. He moved to Cheltenham for family reasons about 12 years ago, so when the opportunity arose to purchase the Caremark territory, it was a perfect fit…He could clearly see the success of my business and the integrity of the Caremark Franchise.”
“It shows the confidence we have in Caremark, the home care market and the business model.”
Support that stays practical
Even with franchise and business experience, support matters in care. When something needs a faster answer, access to the right person is key. Alongside that, peer learning remains a useful layer for best practice and perspective.
“Caremark’s Franchise model provides all the tools, systems and structure you need to operate a successful business…When an issue needs additional support. I have always found the FSC* to be responsive.”
*FSC – Franchise Support Centre
Who this home care business opportunity is right for
A home care business opportunity can be incredibly rewarding, but Charles is clear that success depends on honesty, leadership, and resilience. The model provides structure, but the outcomes come from how you lead and what you build locally.
“Being self-employed is not for everyone…It’s essential that people are honest with themselves about whether they have the resources, both personally and financially, to be successful in business… You need to be a natural leader, have stamina, determination and resilience.”
When comparing a home care business opportunity, the advice is to look beyond surface claims and focus on the fundamentals that protect the business long term.
“Look for integrity, financial stability, experience, great resources, systems and people and the ability to look forward and keep up with changing times”
What comes next
Even as a mature business, improvement is still the mindset. The next goal is clear, with the realism that growth becomes harder when a territory is already well served.
Even as a mature business, improvement is still the mindset. The team is focused on strengthening what already works, while pushing for the next stage of growth. The ambition is to move from 6,000 to 7,000 hours, with a realistic view that this is a well-established single territory that is close to saturation, so progress will come through new opportunities as and when they emerge.
And locally, the reputation goal stays simple. Be known for:
“Trust, great care, nice people.”