27 years of care: A celebration of Abbots Care
From the beginning, Abbots Care has played a crucial part in the home care industry. This year, we celebrate 27 years in business and the amazing commitment to the community. In this blog we take a look back at the fantastic work and the milestones that got us to where we are today. So, sit back and grab a cup of tea and listen while we tell you the story of Abbots Care.
Let’s take it back to where it all began, 1995. The year in which Abbots Care would venture into the world of home care and begin the journey in caring for the lives of so many. Steph and daughters, Naomi and Camille, entered into the industry after Steph decided to hang up her nursing uniform and continue her love for giving back.
It all started with a mobile and a fax machine from their home in Kings Langley and this is where Abbots Care was born. The very first package was awarded from the council and NHS back in 1996, starting with a handful of care workers and service users. The hard work continued for Abbots and after a few years in business the company was shortlisted for small business of the year with NatWest Bank in 1998.
In 1999, Abbots Care relocated to a new office on Watford High Street which was quickly outgrown, when business began to boom. So it was time to buy the first office for Abbots Care in Garston.
After years of hard work, contract wins, office relocations and huge growth in the business, Abbots Care was awarded lead provider across Hertfordshire county, and we still hold this title today.
There have been many milestones over the years, some more challenging than others. Hard times came when Naomi parted ways with Abbots to pursue a career in nursing and Steph made the decision to retire a few years later. But with the knowledge from both her Sister and Mother as well as a fantastic team behind her, Camille would go on to achieve great things for Abbots Care. Not to mention Steph returning to support the training team and pass on her care knowledge to all at Abbots Care.
Fast forward to 2018, and Abbots Care opened a new branch in Dorset, continuing the Abbots Care brand in the south of England. We now care for a number of clients across Dorset and have a fantastic group of care workers to support the service users’ needs.
The year 2020 came around after what had been a tough few years of battling the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though it was a tremendously tough time for everyone, much to our delight, Abbots Care were awarded their very first CQC outstanding rating, which would be the first of 2 outstanding ratings in the space of 18 months.
2021 came around fast and this would be a fantastic year for Abbots. Camille was paid a surprise visit by Professor Deborah Sturdy OBE, Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care in England from the Department of Health and Social Care. She was awarded the first ever Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care Gold Award in recognition of her outstanding achievements in the social care sector. This year also boasted 2 Finalist spots in two different award ceremonies, 1 in which was successfully won at the HCPA Awards.
This year we mark 27 years of Abbots Care and what a journey it has been! There have been ups and downs, tears and laughter and moments of hardship but most importantly there has always been a passion for the people. We now proudly employ 80 office staff members, nearly 500 care workers and offer our outstanding 1000 care service users.
We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Abbots Care and we hope the next 27 years are bring joy and success to all those involved.
