An Aberdeen domiciliary care business plans to go the extra mile to ensure clients and the carers it employs enjoy Christmas.
Sheila Forbes set up her business, Peaky Minders, a year ago.
She was inspired to do so by a well-known Aberdeen surgeon known as the “father of remote healthcare” who became her first client and the company’s patron.
Ms Forbes has also enlisted her daughter Catriona Forbes Grant in the business.
Care 365 days a year
She said she and her daughter will be working together to offer care for those who can’t be with their own families this Christmas in order so that Peaky Minders staff can spend time with their own loved ones.
She said: “Some of our clients we don’t see because that is the time they spend with their families, but we have some clients that don’t have the same family connections or don’t have family.
“It is also important at that time for carers to spend time with their families.
“This year I’ll be working myself and my daughter. We plan to spend the time that clients need – go in and play a game of Scrabble or chess. We will have a gift for them and try to make it feel a bit special for them.”
As a long term carer herself, she believes in being a hands-on leader: “I go out and I scrub toilets and do whatever I have to do alongside the carers. Because if you are going to be a boss you have to lead from the front.”
Inspiration
She credits consultant surgeon Professor Nelson Norman as the “driving force” behind her decision to establish Peaky Minders.
Prof Norman, who died in September age 90, pioneered remote healthcare for workers in the North Sea and across the globe and had a “passion” for care, she said.
“He was actually my first client,” said Ms Forbes. “He said caring should be at the heart of it all. You can teach people the mechanics and the theory but if they don’t care, it all falls apart. He was a brilliant man. We became close friends.”
He met Ms Forbes when she was a carer for his wife, Morag, who died in November 2021.
His daughter Sarah Mackie has now accepted the role as patron of the business.
She said: “It was clear from the start that her character and the relationship she built up with my mum and my dad.
“She was there in that last week of my mum’s life when it was really hard
“When my mum passed away she decided to start up her own company and that was Peaky Minders.
“My dad really pushed for her to do it because he knew how successful she would be – he told her to go for it.”
The small company is a team of eight, and Ms Forbes celebrated her first year in business hosting an afternoon tea at Norwood Hall Hotel in Aberdeen.
Ms Mackie joined them. “When I was sitting at the table having afternoon tea with the Peaky Minders staff it was very comforting to hear them talk of their every day job,” she said.
“I just though if I was at the age where I was needing the care, my goodness, it would be wonderful to have these people in my life. That is the time in your life when you need people who are compassionate and caring.”
Ms Forbes aims to ensure Peaky Minders is different – the business provides carers with a car to drive to clients and they are allowed sufficient time to care for customers.
“We don’t have anybody going into somebody’s home and rushing back out,” said Ms Forbes.
The service costs a little more than that allocated by government to pay for domiciliary care but her company is able to support those who can’t afford to pay more.
“The government pays just under £21 an hour towards care. Our clients pay the balance We have a couple of clients we don’t charge.”
The firm holds an advisory group meeting with includes the carers, and clients or their representatives.
“We agreed we would have a couple of clients who just paid the base level. That seems to work.”
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