Award-winning home care services agency SweetTree is celebrating its 15th anniversary this month. The company, launched in March 2002 by Founder Barry Sweetbaum and Operations Director Nicki Bones, marked 15 years of providing exceptional care to the elderly and individuals requiring support at home on 29th March 2017. They celebrated with a party for all of the team and carers at the Priory Tavern in Belsize Road, London.
Barry Sweetbaum launched the company with Nicki after seeing the difference a compassionate and highly experienced carer made to his late mother’s final months. “My mother’s carer understood care brilliantly, as well as my mother’s needs,” he says. “She was an excellent carer with a real passion for what she did. When we launched SweetTree, I envisaged a business that would improve people’s lives. We set out to be the best from day one and as a North London-based business we very quickly got a reputation for delivering amazing care.”
The company, which has been based in Swiss Cottage, North West London, since the beginning, has worked hard to build relationships with the local community, offering its staff extensive training to ensure they have the knowledge and understanding required to manage a variety of care needs and different cultural backgrounds.
“We built a service that was responsible and flexible, designing services around individual needs as opposed to a typical model of care,” adds Barry.
SweetTree provides a flexible range of care options for a variety of clients, including older individuals requiring help with personal care to those living with brain injuries, disabilities, dementia and end-of-life care. It has a range of clients, with the company’s youngest client aged just 18 years of age and the oldest aged 104. The company’s longest-standing client has been receiving care for over 11 years – a testament to high standards the company achieves.
Staff are well supported in their career development, as the SweetTree provides extensive training for carers looking after specific needs. It is the only home care service agency with a trained Admiral Nurse on hand to provide training and support to dementia carers. The company continues to pride itself on exceptional quality of its staff. “From day one the aim has always been about identifying and hiring people with a real passion to care for others and then supporting them in their growth and development to be the best carers they could be,” says Barry.
SweetTree’s high standards have been noted by the local community and the care industry as well as the UK media. In 2014, SweetTree became the first home care provider in the UK to achieve a highly-regarded AIMS Awards Quality Mark for its in-house training programmes, which is awarded to organisations with a proven track record in delivering highest standards of training.
In 2016 it was named 35th Best Company To Work For in the Sunday Times’ Best Companies League table, beating stiff competition from over 1000 businesses. That same year, it was highlighted as an example of best practice and praised for its implementation of the Care Certificate to provide support and training for new carers working within a health or social care setting. SweetTree currently employs almost 600 staff and is an Investors in People Gold Standard organisation. The company’s Care Training Academy offers personalised in-house training to ensure its team members achieve its own high standards as they grow their skills and careers. Employees are offered free ongoing training, including a 12-week care Certificate, specialist short courses covering learning disabilities, end-of-life care and AIMS Awards for diabetes and dementia, as well as Diplomas and further study. All its staff are encouraged to grow and develop their skills alongside an experienced team of experts.
A number of key team members have been with the organisation for many years and have been noted for their loyalty. This will be celebrated at an Anniversary Party at the end of the month. As SweetTree celebrates it remains committed to striving towards providing the best possible care.
For more information on SweetTree Home Care Services, or for an interview with Founder Barry Sweetbaum, please contact Healthy Content. SweetTree also has a range of carers on hand to provide expert advice on any aspect of home care, as well as tips for coping with dementia, brain injury and autism.
About SweetTree
SweetTree Home Care Services is an award-winning business providing the highest quality care and support for individuals in the home. With a compassionate, highly trained team of experienced carers, SweetTree delivers outstanding domiciliary care spanning a wide range of needs from basic through to more complex requirements. Areas of expertise include dementia care, learning disabilities, acquired brain injuries, neurological conditions and end-of-life support. The company has been twice recognised in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work for in the UK and an Investor’s In People Gold Award Winner. For more information, visit http://www.sweettree.co.uk
