A national organisation which celebrates successful women in franchising has named Lesley Ballingall, as a finalist in their annual awards. As a member of the senior team at home care company Home Instead SUR Group, operating throughout Scotland, Lesley is being recognised for helping grow the business to the scale it is today and offering quality care across a vast area of Scotland.
Lesley is a finalist for ‘Woman Franchise Employee of the Year’ in the NatWest Encouraging Women into Franchising (EWiF) Awards, which celebrate and recognise the remarkable achievements of women in the franchising industry across the UK.
Beginning her career as a carer, it wasn’t long before Lesley developed a passion for helping others. Joining home care company Home Instead in 2018 as supervisor of the live-in care side of the business, Lesley worked her way up to Group Managing Director. She has spurred the business in its growth journey towards employing 500 people and providing 35,000 hours of care each month to older locals in their own homes, ranging from companionship to specialist dementia care.
Lesley is an advocate for the care professional role, spearheading initiatives to attract and retain talent within the care sector. Her ‘Men in Care’ campaign helped bust the myth that care is only a job for women, which resulted in a remarkable 30% increase in the male workforce.
Care is a sector that offers career progression, and Lesley is keen to nurture the talent across the business. She established a career pathway for the company, giving care professionals the chance to build on their skillsets and take clear steps that enable them to develop.
Lesley says: “I’m so proud of what we have achieved at Home Instead, and it has been an honour to play a part over the past six years. Our care professionals are simply phenomenal, and I can’t think of anyone better to support older people in the area.
“I can’t wait for an evening of celebrating some of the powerhouse women who make the franchise community in the UK so strong.”
Lesley has had an impressive run with awards recently, winning the highly prestigious ‘Leadership’ category in the Scottish Care Awards, the most respected awards in Scotland, as well as the Home Instead ‘Senior Key Player’ award across the whole network.
The glitzy awards ceremony, taking place in October at The Royal Armouries, Leeds, will bring together women from across the franchise sector and acknowledge women like Lesley who are shaping its future.