From a business formed round the kitchen table, to one that now supplies over 600 nurses across the UK
When Janet Smith set up 247 Nursing at her kitchen table in 2000, she never imagined that it would grow to its current size and employ 17 members of staff. The agency helps supply Health care assistants and support workers to the private sector and NHS. They are an approved NHS framework supplier to all 3 national contracts for the supply of Agency Nurses to the UK.
Now based in Brook Street, Ilkley, the family-run business is a busy, specialist agency providing highly qualified and experienced temporary staff, including nurses and healthcare professionals to the UK healthcare sector.
The business quickly grew, something that Owner and Managing Director Janet attributes to her time in the nursing profession. She explains how she set up the business: “When I left school, I moved into a career of nursing before becoming a midwife. I also ran a nursing home in which we would use agencies, I discovered that some were not as good as I wanted. I knew I could do better so I set up my business from the kitchen table when my youngest child was just 2 years old.
Due to my nursing background, I know the industry very well. I insist on providing highly skilled, experienced nurses with excellent levels of training. It’s also very important to manage client expectations, with my experience I know what it’s like to be a client as well as an agency nurse.”
Initially Janet chose to locate her business in Ilkley because local nursing homes in the town would find it difficult to recruit nurses from the cities to come and work with them. By using local people, Janet was able to meet her client’s requirements and provide local employment. Now, with modern technology, any distance issues are easily resolved, and Janet and her team can easily manage nurses remotely.
Janet goes on to explain the continuing benefits of being based in Ilkley; “Being located in the town centre benefits all of our employees that work in the office, all but one lives locally. That means we offer local employment opportunities and help to improve the environment, with employees being able to walk to work. When our trainees visit, they enjoy the town and spend money in the local economy.”
The coronavirus, like many others has impacted the business, however Janet is keen to point out that the business has throughout its history been successful in adapting and evolving and will persevere.
