What is homecare?
A multi-billion pound sector looking after people in their own homes. Care visits and live-in care transform the lives of clients and their families by helping them with medication administration, getting washed and dressed, companionship, meal prep, respite care and more.
Why homecare?
If you’re reading this page, you’re probably already considering starting your own business and building something for yourself.
Why choose homecare, over the million other things you could do? It’s a very personal decision, but here’s our top 3 reasons:
- Building long-lasting relationships with clients and families by providing a genuinely essential service gives a strong sense of pride and purpose.
- Long-term growth – Demand is huge and rising, awareness is increasing and care at home is seen as the optimal model of care delivery at all levels of government and society.
- Scalability – Relatively lean start-up costs married with huge upside potential for those brands who genuinely care for and their clients and colleagues.
Why franchise vs. going independent?
We could write a whole webpage on this question – and we have. You can read that here.
Top level, franchise brands give you start-up, marketing, and regulatory compliance support; as well as initial and ongoing training, a proven system, a network of fellow caring entrepreneurs, access to Care Sector Subject Matter Experts and much more.
They let you move quicker, reduce risk and focus on what truly adds value rather than reinventing the wheel. That’s why franchise businesses have much lower failure rates than equivalent non-franchised businesses.
What to look for in a homecare franchise
It can be hard to know where to start. Lots of elder homecare franchise brands say similar things.
You’ll sometimes talk to a elderly care franchise sales person who’ll be looking to make a sale rather than genuinely understand whether this is the best opportunity for you.
We’d recommend talking to a few franchise brands before making a decision.
To narrow down your search, here’s some key factors to consider:
💷 Initial investment and ongoing fees
Every franchise requires an initial investment, which typically includes franchise fees, training costs, and setup expenses. Ongoing fees such as royalties and marketing contributions should be factored into your financial planning. Does the expected return on investment align with your budget, and personal and business goals?
📞 Support and training provided
A good franchise should provide thorough initial training for franchisees and their staff.
Ongoing education in areas such as care standards, business operations, and regulatory changes can help keep your business competitive.
It’s hard to know until you’re in the network, but you can get a sense of this by a franchisor’s communication throughout the discovery process, as well as by asking detailed questions.
📍 Territory availability
Some networks have sold almost all their available territories, whereas younger franchisors might have better availability or larger territories.
Every homecare franchise brand should offer exclusive rights to your territory, but it’s good to check.
Good franchisors should be able to talk you through socio-economic demographic insights in your selected area to help you understand which territory is right for you.
💚 Brand
This is a big one – do you feel an affinity towards the brand
You’ll be representing the brand, and the brand will be representing you, so is the franchise’s brand something you’d be proud to be a part of?
To work this out, research their brand reputation and success stories. Look at the care franchise’s website, awards, and media presence.
Read reviews from clients and families who use their services, and whether they feature on homecare.co.uk; the check trade of the care sector.
📃 Flexibility in the franchise agreement
Review the franchise agreement carefully. What are the options to renew or extend?
Can you open additional locations if the business thrives? What happens if you decide to sell or transfer ownership?
🤝 People
One of the most overlooked (and hard to assess) elements is the people behind the brand and support.
Making sure that you respect, work well with, and understand them is key – Franchise agreements are a long-term commitment (our term of 7 years + 5 years is almost the same length of time as the average marriage!).
To find this out, ask to talk to the key players, engage with existing elderly care franchise owners to understand their satisfaction and challenges. Find out if the franchise offers dedicated business coaches, marketing advisors, or other consultants.
🇬🇧 UK Brand
Some prefer an American homecare brand whereas others choose UK born-and-bred care brands.
Brands not owned in the UK might have access to international expertise, but can be more expensive due to the Master Franchise Agreements that transfers 1-2% of your revenue each month across the pond to our American friends.
There is also a danger of overseas decisions impacting your business – think global rebrands, unknown investors, pressure to hit certain targets etc.
The best homecare franchises 2025 at a glance:
- GoodOaks for lower start-up costs, partnership approach and territory availability
- Home Instead for resales and multi-unit franchisees
- Right at Home for a US and global brand
- Bluebird Care for established systems and trading history
- Caremark for a local authority care focused model
- Promedica for a live-in care only model
How we researched…
To create this guide, we researched a range of trusted sources to ensure that we are providing as much accurate and useful information as we can.
We started by reviewing the websites of leading care franchise brands, where we gathered details about their services, costs, and the support they offer to franchisees. This gave us a clear understanding of what each franchise provides and how they operate.
We also looked at industry listing sites like Homecare.co.uk and Care Choices, which offer reviews and ratings from both franchisees and customers. We also checked information from the British Franchise Association (BFA), which accredits ethical franchise businesses (like us).
Each brand has their own unique offering which may or may not suit you. We hope this is a helpful insight to support your decision making.
Homecare Franchise Comparison Chart |
Initial Fee | MSF | Estimated Total Investment |
Estimated Break Even Point
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
GoodOaks Homecare
A homecare network with 25-30 offices across England and Scotland. Winner of the 2025 Grand Prix Award at the National Homecare Awards
|
£22.5k | 5.2% | £85k-£100k | 9-12 months |
|
Home Instead
Mission: “To change the face of ageing”
|
£41k | 6.5% | £130k-150k | 12-24 months |
|
Right at Home
Mission: “To provide exceptional quality value-based care.”
|
£33.5k | 6.25% | Up to £145k | [Not publicly available] |
|
Bluebird Care
Mission: “To provide high-quality home care services that allow individuals to remain in their own homes for as long as possible, while maintaining their independence and dignity.”
|
£45k | 6% | £115k | 10-12 months |
|
Caremark
Mission: “To deliver the highest standard of care to each individual, making them feel valued, improving their quality of life and enabling them to continue living in their own homes.”
|
£37.5k | 4.5% | £118k | 10-11 months |
|
Promedica
Mission: “To improve your health and well-being and fulfilling that Mission is our purpose.”
|
£25k | [Not publicly available] | £75k- £125k | [Not publicly available] |
Elderly Care Franchise Deep Dive
GoodOaks
Key Facts:
📅 Established: 2011 (Franchise Pilots in 2016)
🗺️ Number of locations: 25
📍 HQ location: Bournemouth, UK
Founder/CEO: Ben Ashton and Darius Mitkus
UK Owned Brand: ✔️
ℹ️ About:
A younger franchise with market-leading support ratios and modern system, GoodOaks stands out for their partnership ethos.
Franchise partners are treated as partners and the senior leadership team are actively engaged with partners on a daily basis. There are regular regional briefings, training sessions and brainstorming meet-ups.
GoodOaks is the only homecare franchise in the UK to centrally measure and offset the network’s office and care professionals’ carbon emissions, at no additional cost to franchise partners.
Franchise partners joining now benefit from an Early Adopter Discount of up to £15,000, allowing that capital to be put towards turbo-charging business growth. Territory availability is good, with many franchise partners going on to acquire neighbouring territories of their choice.
A focus on the private market ensures recruitment and retention is strong, leading to positive client feedback, good capacity to grow and regulatory compliance.
💚 Mission:
”To be the go-to provider of quality care at home by valuing, developing and rewarding the caring people who work with us”.
🏆 Recent awards:
Home Care Awards 2025
- Grand Prix
- Marketing Expertise
- Finalist – Sustainability Initiative
- Finalist – Team Support Expertise
- Finalist – Live-in Care Expertise
Home Care Awards 2024
- Training and development expertise
- Nutrition and hydration expertise
BFA HSBC UK British Franchise Awards 2024
- Finalist – Franchisor of the Year – Expanding
Dorset Care Awards (HQ) 2024
- Excellence in social care training
- Sustainability and environmental award
Elite Franchise top 100 2025
BFA HSBC UK British Franchise Awards 2023
- Finalist – Trailblazer Franchisor of the Year
📱 Discovery Process:
Fill out an online form with your information, or schedule a convenient time to chat with a Founder with a discovery call – a great opportunity to talk through all things homecare, start-ups, and franchising.
Home Instead
Key Facts:
📅 Established: 1994
🗺️ Number of locations: 255 UK
📍 HQ location: Omaha, Nebraska (UK Office: Warrington, United Kingdom)
Founder/CEO: Paul and Lori Hogan
UK Owned Brand: ❌
ℹ️ About:
Home Instead is one of the most well-known homecare franchises globally, with a strong reputation built over decades.
With thousands of franchisees worldwide, this American brand has a considerable presence throughout the UK. Home Instead offers immediate name recognition.
For those looking to expand their business portfolio, Home Instead encourages successful franchisees to consider multi-unit franchising.
This involves owning and operating multiple elderly care franchise territories, allowing for greater market reach and potential revenue growth.
Purchasing a resale franchise allows you to acquire an established Home Instead business with an existing client base, experienced staff, and a recognised presence in the community.
💚 Mission:
“To enhance the lives of ageing adults and their families, and to pioneer greater professionalism within care work”.
🏆 Recent awards:
Leaders in Care awards 2024.
- Homecare Provider of the Year
Home Care Awards 2024
- Multiple wins across categories
Best Buy in Franchising 2023
📱 Discovery Process:
Fill in a simple form on the website and one of the team will get in touch to discuss available opportunities.
Right at Home
Key Facts:
📅 Established: 2010 (UK) 1995 (USA)
🗺️ Number of locations: 80+ in UK
📍 HQ location: Omaha, Nebraska (UK Office: Liverpool)
Founder/CEO: Ken Deary (Master Franchisor, UK)
UK Owned Brand: ❌
ℹ️ About:
Originated in the United States where the company has 600 locations, and has since expanded internationally.
Right at Home is a prominent homecare franchise in the UK that offers quality in-home services. Known for its strong reputation, Right at Home has received recognition from clients, regulatory agencies, and franchisees.
A significant portion of its branches (34%) are rated as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Right at Home provides elderly care franchisees with a structured, sustainable model, and claims high gross profit margins and revenue potential. Their website states that you need to hire a Registered Manager before you can apply for registration with the regulator.
💚 Mission:
“To improve the quality of life for those we serve”.
🏆 Recent awards:
Home Care Awards
- Most Outstanding National homecare Provider – Gold
BFA HSBC UK British Franchise Awards
- Franchisor of the Year – Established
Leading Women in Care Awards
- Excellence in Empowerment
📱 Discovery Process:
You can attend a group discovery session to learn more about the business opportunity. The sessions are face to face and held in Liverpool.
Bluebird Care
Key Facts:
📅 Established: 2004
🗺️ Number of locations: 220
📍 HQ location: Petersfield, Hampshire
Founder/CEO: Paul Tarsey & Lisa Tarsey
UK Owned Brand: ❌
ℹ️ About:
Founded in 2004, and named after the founding couple’s family connections to a very fast car, Bluebird Care have been around for many years in the UK and have built a good reputation as a homecare provider offering personalised care services in the UK and Ireland. They have strong brand awareness.
In 2013 Bluebird Care was acquired by Interim Healthcare, an American franchisor that provides home health, senior care, and other services.
They provide a variety of services, including live-in care, domiciliary care, and respite care. Franchisees receive comprehensive support, including an onboarding manager for the first 12-18 months, and regional marketing, business development, and quality & compliance managers. Franchisees also have access to a network of over 200 businesses for shared expertise.
💚 Mission:
“To empower people to maintain their independence by supporting them to live comfortably at home, preserving familiar routines and giving them control over their own lives.
🏆 Recent awards:
Great British Care Awards
📱 Discovery Process:
Simple fill out a form on their website or give them a call and someone will talk you through the process and answer any questions. You can also download a prospectus online.
Caremark
Key Facts:
📅 Established: 2005
🗺️ Number of locations: 130
📍 HQ location: Worthing, West Sussex
Founder/CEO: Kevin Lewis
UK Owned Brand: ✔️
ℹ️ About:
Caremark is a homecare brand that has a greater focus on local authority commissioned care than others on this list.
They have over 19 years experience and operate as an care franchise business, offering entrepreneurs the opportunity to own and run a Caremark office in their local area.
Providing local authority commissioned care has both pros and cons; with large volumes of work available, but at historically lower margins than the private sector.
If you are not comfortable with marketing, sales, and business development, or feel like you want to provide care for everybody no matter their financial situation, this may be a good option for you.
Franchisees benefit from a full induction programme covering operational, regulatory, and care delivery aspects. Assistance in business development, marketing, and maintaining compliance with regulations. They have a trusted reputation within the homecare sector.
💚 Mission:
“To provide excellent homecare to everyone, regardless of age, race, religion, gender or social standing. We aim to improve the quality of life of every single customer we care for.”
🏆 Recent awards:
Homecare.co.uk
- Top 20 Homecare Provider – North East Region
EF100 2024
- 6th position in the Elite Franchise top 100
📱 Discovery Process:
You can schedule a call with the Caremark care franchise team. On the call you will discuss potential franchise opportunities and have any questions answered allowing opportunity to get to know one another.
Promedica24
Key Facts:
📅 Established: 2004
🗺️ Number of locations: 9
📍 HQ location: Warsaw, Poland (UK Office: Watford)
Founder/CEO: Grzegorz Wrzosek (Country Manager)
UK Owned Brand: ❌
ℹ️ About:
Promedica24 is one of Europe’s largest providers of live-in care.
Promedica is competitive on live-in care pricing and franchisees do not necessarily need to develop a large office team.
They provide live-in care services for people who want to remain in their homes. Their carers can help with daily activities, manage medications, and provide specialised care for conditions like dementia or limited mobility.
Their franchise package offers ongoing training and continuous support, and you can utilise carers trained in Europe and flown in to the UK for placements.
An initial five-day training course takes place at their UK head office in Watford, followed by being flown to their office in Warsaw, Poland, for a further three-day training programme.
💚 Mission:
“To be the leading live-in homecare provider in the UK by delivering a genuine and affordable alternative to residential care.”
🏆 Recent awards:
Home Care Awards
- Shortlisted as finalists in 2023 in live-in care expertise
📱 Discovery Process:
You can enquire through a form on the website, call HQ or arrange a phone call via an online call back booking calendar.
Disclaimer: the information provided in this blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. While we strive to ensure accuracy on the best elderly care franchises in the UK, franchise opportunities and rankings may change over time. We recommend conducting independent research and seeking professional advice before making any business decisions. GoodOaks Homecare does not endorse or guarantee the success of any franchise mentioned.
Homecare Franchise FAQs
Of the non-exhaustive list provided here, GoodOaks is the cheapest homecare franchise. The cost of homecare franchises varies depending on the age of the brand, support, and reputation. Although GoodOaks Homecare may not have the lowest MSF in the whole sector, it offers excellent value by combining high-quality training and support and a proven business model and modern, distinctive brand. Investing in a reputable care franchise like GoodOaks can increase your chances of long-term success and profitability.
The best homecare franchise depends on what you’re looking for. This could include having the right territory available, values that align with your goals, profitability, or level of support in a particular area you need more support in. For some people, GoodOaks stand out for our commitment to high-quality care, our partnership-led franchise model, and our rapidly expanding reputation in the sector. With a focus on sustainability and premium services, GoodOaks is a fantastic choice for those wanting to build a successful and ethical care business
The investment required varies between elderly care franchises, but with GoodOaks, you’ll need an initial investment starting from around £80,000, which includes franchise fees, setup costs, and working capital. While this is a sizeable investment, the strong support, proven model, and premium positioning of GoodOaks help our franchise partners build a thriving business with excellent long-term potential. Just as important as financial investment is investment in time, energy and emotion into the long-term success of your project.
To research elderly care franchise options, here’s what we’d recommend:
- Review the whole market using directory sites or google search, looking at their websites, elderly care franchise prospectus, reviews, etc.
- Shortlist 3-5 franchise brands to talk to.
- Arrange visits to their HQ to meet their senior team and get a sense of their culture, openness, and fit with your values and support needs.
- Ask to talk to existing franchisees. Ideally, a mixture of relative newbies and more experienced franchisees to get a sense of people’s perceptions of the support at different stages.
- Reserve your ideal territory while you use the business planning process to get to know the franchisor, sector, local competition and realities of running a care business in granular detail.