A SMALL family-run home care agency in Middlewich is putting the care back into the profession.

Spiritual Inspiration, which looks after people in Middlewich, Holmes Chapel and Sandbach, has not only been rated ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission but was also nominated for a Middlewich Oscar for its contribution to life in the town.

Nicola Blackwood, registered manager at the agency based in the Victoria Buildings on Lewin Street, said: “It’s fantastic to be acknowledged for getting it right. It shows our staff that what they’re doing is valued, and that they’re getting it right.

“Our team is made up of really lovely, caring people and that’s what makes the difference. We have a really rigorous application process, but we always say that as long as you’ve got a kind heart that’s really all you need – we can train you to do the rest.”

The agency was set up in 2013 by former NHS nurse Tracy Ault at her home in Kingswood Crescent, Cledford.

She said: “I’d recently been made redundant and was wondering what direction to take next. At the time there was a lot of bad press about people being mistreated in care and I just felt that it was possible to set up an agency to ensure that people got proper care and support.”

From humble beginnings, with just one other carer and one customer, the business now employs 16 carers and currently looks after 40 people in their homes.

Tracy said: “We invest a lot of time in our staff in the belief that if they are looked after, they in turn will treat people with dignity and respect. It’s a philosophy that works.”