Friends turned franchisees mark one-year anniversary by opening new office

Good Oaks Home Care’s Adam Downer and Sam Jones launched new branch on May 1

Two friends who met working in the care sector have celebrated their first business anniversary by opening a new office.

Adam Downer, 34, and Sam Jones, 33, launched their own care franchise with Good Oaks Home Care on April 6 last year, providing live-in and visiting care in the East Dorset area.

And despite the challenges of 2020, the team have been so successful they opened a new office in Salisbury on May 1.

Co-founder Sam worked as a care manager at Good Oaks in Poole before deciding to partner with Adam and start their own franchise.

Sam helps care for his mum who has dementia and Adam helped to look after his father following a brain haemorrhage, an experience that started him on his journey to working in care.

The friends, who both live in the Bournemouth area, say: “We’re really proud of what we’ve achieved in the last year, helping to provide care and support for our community throughout COVID, one of the toughest times we’ve all been through.

“Working in care is hugely rewarding. We both met working in the sector and have looked after family members, so we know what our clients and their families are experiencing.

“Being there for our clients when they need us most makes us very proud and drives us to want to help more people, something we’re delighted to be able to provide with the opening of the new Salisbury office.”

As well as creating 25 new jobs, the new branch will be Salisbury’s first carbon neutral franchised care provider.

Good Oaks works with Carbon Footprint to measure and limit its carbon emissions and takes part in tree planting initiatives in the UK and Amazon rainforest to offset all emissions.