EPISODE · Feb 26, 2026 · 1H
Scaling Care with Heart
from The Inclusion Bites Podcast · host Joanne Lockwood
In this powerful episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood is joined by Amrit Dhaliwal to explore how compassionate care can be scaled across the UK through entrepreneurial innovation. The discussion begins with the personal motivations behind entering the social care sector and quickly moves into the structural challenges facing both providers and recipients, including unsustainable government funding, the undervaluing of care workers, and the complexity families face when navigating the care system. Joanne shares first-hand experiences as a family member procuring domiciliary care, painting a vivid picture of the gap between intention and reality, while Amrit outlines the shifts needed to professionalise and rebrand the care sector, elevate care careers, and centre dignity, independence, and quality of life. Amrit is a dynamic entrepreneur and the CEO and founder of Walfinch, one of the UK’s fastest-growing home care franchise networks, with more than 30 territories nationwide. A former franchisee turned franchisor, he is the author of Time to Thrive: The Home Care Revolution and host of the Walking With Walfinch podcast. Inspired by both his wife’s and his own family’s lived experience, Amrit moved away from traditional hospitality ventures to build a successful home care franchise rooted in quality, values-based recruitment, and sustainable business practice. He has been named in the Social Care Top 30 and recognised as Emerging Franchisor of the Year. His work is driven by the belief that scalable, high-quality care should empower both those receiving care and those delivering it. Joanne and Amrit dissect the root causes of care sector instability, from restrictive 15-minute local authority contracts to public misunderstandings about the breadth, skill, and professionalism involved in social care roles. They highlight the importance of prevention, workplace flexibility for family carers, and the need for policymakers to shift their focus from lifespan to healthspan. Amrit also discusses franchise-led solutions that empower new entrants into home care, grounded in community engagement, robust training, and equitable business models. A key takeaway from this episode is that transforming social care requires disrupting outdated paradigms while recognising the human side of scalable, compassionate services. For listeners navigating care for loved ones, working in the sector, or interested in innovative, values-driven business models, this conversation offers practical insights and a rallying cry for meaningful social change.
What this episode covers
<p>In this powerful episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood is joined by Amrit Dhaliwal to explore how compassionate care can be scaled across the UK through entrepreneurial innovation. The discussion begins with the personal motivations behind entering the social care sector and quickly moves into the structural challenges facing both providers and recipients, including unsustainable government funding, the undervaluing of care workers, and the complexity families face when navigating the care system. Joanne shares first-hand experiences as a family member procuring domiciliary care, painting a vivid picture of the gap between intention and reality, while Amrit outlines the shifts needed to professionalise and rebrand the care sector, elevate care careers, and centre dignity, independence, and quality of life.</p> <p>Amrit is a dynamic entrepreneur and the CEO and founder of Walfinch, one of the UK’s fastest-growing home care franchise networks, with more than 30 territories nationwide. A former franchisee turned franchisor, he is the author of <em>Time to Thrive: The Home Care Revolution</em> and host of the <em>Walking With Walfinch</em> podcast. Inspired by both his wife’s and his own family’s lived experience, Amrit moved away from traditional hospitality ventures to build a successful home care franchise rooted in quality, values-based recruitment, and sustainable business practice. He has been named in the Social Care Top 30 and recognised as Emerging Franchisor of the Year. His work is driven by the belief that scalable, high-quality care should empower both those receiving care and those delivering it.</p> <p>Joanne and Amrit dissect the root causes of care sector instability, from restrictive 15-minute local authority contracts to public misunderstandings about the breadth, skill, and professionalism involved in social care roles. They highlight the importance of prevention, workplace flexibility for family carers, and the need for policymakers to shift their focus from lifespan to healthspan. Amrit also discusses franchise-led solutions that empower new entrants into home care, grounded in community engagement, robust training, and equitable business models.</p> <p>A key takeaway from this episode is that transforming social care requires disrupting outdated paradigms while recognising the human side of scalable, compassionate services. For listeners navigating care for loved ones, working in the sector, or interested in innovative, values-driven business models, this conversation offers practical insights and a rallying cry for meaningful social change.</p>
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Scaling Care with Heart
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