Wakefield based care-in-your-home firm to create 150 jobs

Blossom Homecare, based in Wakefield and owned by Asuquo Asuquo and his wife Mercy, has already created 12 jobs before it opens its doors on last month.

Asuquo says he’s finding it easier to recruit carers, despite the national shortage, because of the pay they offer, along with travel expenses, and their longer visits with clients.

“Some of the people who’ve applied to us for jobs were surprised to find we pay £12 an hour instead of minimum wage and were astonished to discover our visits to clients are always at least 50 minutes long,” Asuquo said.

“So many care companies expect carers to deliver care in 15-minute visits then dash off to the next one, leaving them hardly time to say hello and goodbye to the people who depend on them for their daily needs.

“But we at Blossom put the client at the centre of everything, enabling them to develop a trusting relationship with their carer and allowing them time to sit and chat or do whatever improves their quality of life.

“That makes a huge difference to them and give fantastic job satisfaction to our carers, who go home knowing they’ve improved lives rather than spending the day rushing from one unsatisfactory visit to another and wondering if they’ll even get their petrol money back.

“This way of doing things, instituted by John Leggott, co-founder of the Blossom Homecare network, is what attracted me and Mercy to invest in the Leeds and Wakefield franchise.

“It’s an ethical business that puts people first, so we’re recruiting carers who buy into that and will be happy to give our clients the premium service they’re paying for.

“We want our carers to progress, take NVQs with our support, and have structured careers, which will also give our clients continuity.

“And to show we mean business, we’ll be giving our carers a £300 starting bonus once they’ve been with us long enough to show commitment.

“After three years with us, we’ll give them a free holiday, all paid for by us, and even pay for them to take a degree.

“We want to grow the care managers of the future and give people reasons to be proud to work in the care profession.”

Asuquo’s own caring nature is evident from his track record as the head of a hate-crime unit in London where he distinguished himself as a champion of the vulnerable, was nominated for an award, and even shared his expertise with both Houses of Parliament.

Mercy worked in front-line customer services in London’s transport network, so will be bringing her troubleshooting experience and people skills to Blossom.