“One very independent client said she didn’t want carers. Now she sees her carers like daughters and wants them to be in her 100th birthday pictures,” says Leena Bector, Managing Director of the Walfinch care service in Windsor and Maidenhead.

One of the reasons for her change of heart was the active involvement of Leena and her care team.

“She could not get out without help and was getting bored, so we suggested to her family that she might like to be taken to a day centre, and they agreed,” says Leena Bector, Managing Director, Walfinch care, Windsor and Maidenhead.

“Once there, she was chatting and laughing as she got involved with the activities, and at the end of the day booked herself in to go again,” says Leena. “After her first visit she asked her carer for a haircut and mani- and pedicures before her next visit. She’s getting back to normality.”

Simple things like this may look small to outsiders, but can transform lives, says Leena.

“I know how much small things can mean,” Leena says. Before she started her Walfinch care service office she was one of a team running Sunrise Radio, a 24-hour commercial radio station focusing on entertainment, music and news from the Indian subcontinent.

“I did a bit of everything , including answering calls from listeners. Some of them were really grateful for someone to talk to when they were alone at night. They told me how much it meant to them to hear a friendly voice – so I understand how small things can be very important in enhancing the lives of the people that my team and I now care for.”

Leena decided she wanted her own care business, and then met Walfinch CEO Amrit Dhaliwal through a friend. “I liked his approach – he prioritised care for clients and support for his franchisees. We share the same vision and there was a sense of belonging. Becoming a Walfinch franchisee was not just about making an investment.”

Leena now provides a highly bespoke care service. “We have a limited number of clients and each of my 14-strong care team works with a maximum of two. New carers are matched with clients individually and get intense training from me and the existing carer, so as to deliver care designed specifically around their client,” she says.

“I meet all of my clients often, and they know that they can call me directly. There’s no red tape or bureaucracy. We also have a What’sApp group for clients, their next of kin, carers and me. It’s reassuring for them all and rewarding for me to deliver one-to-one service.”

Leena wants to grow her business without sacrificing the focus on one-to-one care. “I would rather lose a client than provide anything less than 30 minute calls, because rushed care is poor care,” she says. “We will grow slowly and steadily.“