Last Minute Care & Nursing opens 'social care café' in Heswall

Last Minute Care & Nursing is a national provider of staffing to the Health & Social Care sector operating across the whole of the UK. 

Joseph Willis, the company's Managing Director, spoke about his reasons for setting up the business in 2015. 

He said: "I had a background in franchising and a background in recruitment. My mother was always ill when I was a child with a variety of different illnesses as well.

"I had an insight into the care sector with my mother being ill. I knew a lot more about the industry than I first realised."

Joseph originally opened an office in Liscard, grew his business and then moved to Neston in 2017, which is now Last Minute's head office.

Currently, the business has franchises in Essex, Buckinghamshire, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Dorset, Nottingham, Hertfordshire, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Hull, South East and Lancashire.

They specialise in dementia care and provide community support – supporting those with mental health conditions, learning disabilities, and autism. They are currently providing workers to 250 care homes and employ 3,000 carers across the country.

The company provide social care across the country (Image: Cherish Forever Photography)

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From realising that engaging with people in the community, could take someone from a 24-hour care package to no care package at all, Joseph came up with the idea to open a free café in Heswall.

He said: "One thing that I thought was lacking from people we support was providing them with opportunities for volunteering and work-based placement schemes.

"There's not a lot of opportunities for people with special needs, autism, or dementia and we've got to get them out in the community to engage with others."

The café

Joseph and his wife, Hannah, had a vegan tapas restaurant in Heswall during the pandemic which they closed down due to staffing issues and lack of money in the sector, however, they kept the premises and will be the location for Joseph's new 'social care café'.

The café will be a non-profit and a basic, comfortable, and warm environment where you can get a cup of tea and read a book or chat. 

To come into the café, the only rule is that you have to say hello to someone when you arrive.

Joseph said: "We don't want to pigeonhole it as a social care café which may make people embarrassed to use it.

"It's a chance to help people who are socially isolated in the community, who may live on their own or have early onset dementia for example.

"By saying hello to someone, that may be the only conversation they have all week, so it is really important."

Joseph explained that his aim is to create a safe space for people his company supports.

He said: "I love the idea of people in social care who are on their break being served a free cup of coffee by the people they get paid to support.

"It's like a roll reversal and a way to give back to social care staff because they have it bad." 

The café will be called 68 Pensby Road, and the opening date is planned for September.

If you would like to be a volunteer for 68 Pensby Road, contact Joseph at md@lastminutenursing.com