A former accountant - inspired by his grandparents who are still living at home after more than 60 years - has set up a new independent homecare provider.
Ian Cameron, who lives in Eaglescliffe, spent 10 years in accountancy and finance, finally qualifying as a chartered accountant in 2019.
But it was his grandparents Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Cameron and William ‘Billy’ Cameron, aged 93 and 94, who still live in their own home in Sunderland, who inspired the 30-year-old to start a “different kind of care provider”.
Ian said: “Two of my grandparents out of the four are still alive and they are 93 and 94 - they have been married for 72 years and have lived in their home for the best part of 65 years.
“They live in Sunderland, where I grew up, and would never go into a care home.”
Recognising that, for a large number of elderly people, moving out of their home is not ideal, Ian launched Lago Homecare in 2023 to "deliver exceptional care to your doorstep".
The firm provides a range of services, including personal care, respite care, palliative care, mental health support, reablement care, live-in care, and dementia care.
Ian left his accountancy job in August 2023 and later secured the keys to his new office on Yarm High Street, located just beside the town hall in the centre of town.
It's now got a proud sign hanging outside the building, which was erected over this summer, and has since been approved for registration by the Care Quality Commission.
“Our view is that care should be built around the individual you are caring for", Ian told The Northern Echo this week. “It shouldn’t just be a one-size-fits-all approach.
“We really wanted to be community based - we didn’t want to be in a business park like some other care providers, we wanted to be central.
“Then we also wanted to be independent, and not part of a national chain, so we could build the business around the individuals.”
Ian noted how the care industry had received some “bad rep” in recent years, with issues including “bad practices” and “underpaying staff”.
That’s why one of his key principles was fair pay, and the firm has just last month officially become accredited as a Real Living Wage Employer.
He said: “Then the other real core principle was around being aspirational so that staff can have a full career with us.
“We wanted to build something where you can give people the skills they need to go elsewhere - but actually they want to stay.”
Registered manager Lesley Brady came on board the project earlier this year, having began her career in 1994 working in a care home for people living with chronic neurological conditions.
Ian continued: “We brought Leslie in, who has 30 years of experience working in care homes. She is the crook of what we are doing and the standards we’re applying.”
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Lago Homecare currently cares for several patients across Teesside and North Yorkshire, but hopes to cover as far as Darlington, Northallerton, and to the coast.
He added: “The next two years we will be building our office up and then beyond. I’d quite like to open an office down in Richmond or Harrogate - and keep our independence.”
You can read more about Lago Homecare on the website https://lagohomecare.uk/.
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