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How Specsavers Home Visits has grown from its base at The Business Village
Most people know Specsavers as a high street name, a familiar logo, and a shop you can call into between errands. But unless you’ve seen the TV adverts, you might not realise that part of the business now happens far from the high street – in living rooms, kitchens, and care homes across the country.
Specsavers Home Visits exists for people who can’t get to a shop on their own. Some are older or living with long-term illnesses. Others struggle with anxiety or find busy environments overwhelming. What they share is a need for the same eye care everyone else receives, delivered in a way that works for them.
For South Yorkshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire, that service is delivered by Emma Taylor, Customer Services Director for the Sheffield 2 Home Visits franchise. Emma has been with Specsavers for 19 years and knows the business inside out.
“I’ve done a lot of roles over the years,” Emma shares. “That really helps when you’re leading a team.”
Emma didn’t plan a career in optics. Earlier in her life, she trained in beauty therapy and holistic treatments. After a serious car accident left her with a broken neck, that career path was no longer possible. She needed something different and Specsavers gave her an opportunity.
She trained as a dispensing optician and soon found she enjoyed the work. Over time, she built experience and strong relationships within the business. When a director role became available in the home visits side, Emma stepped into it.
Today, Emma is a shareholder in the franchise alongside her business partner. Like every Specsavers business, the home visits service runs as a franchise. But, instead of a shop, each business covers a set of postcodes. Emma’s team travels out to patients across a wide area of Yorkshire, rather than waiting for people to come to them.
The business has changed a lot over the years. Originally, it operated under the name Healthcall and focused on care homes. When Specsavers acquired the business and rebranded it as Specsavers Home Visits, marketing increased and awareness grew.
“That made a big difference,” Emma says. “People understood what the service was and that it was part of Specsavers.”
The service itself is straightforward. Patients who meet NHS criteria receive a full NHS sight test at home. An optometrist visits with a dispensing optician or experienced optical assistant. They carry a wide range of frames and take time to talk through everything. Glasses are ordered there and then, delivered and fitted around two weeks later.
“It’s the same experience you’d have in a store,” Emma explains. “Just without the stress of getting someone out of the house. Most of our patients are older, but we also see younger people. Some children struggle with busy shop environments and others have anxiety, finding it difficult to go out alone.”
As the service expanded, so did the team. What started as a smaller operation now covers a wide geographical area, employing a large group of clinicians and support staff. The Business Village has supported that growth in a very practical way.
“We’ve been at The Business Village for around 12 years,” Emma says. “That’s been under different directors and through a lot of change. I’ve worked from six different offices here, and we’ve just moved again.”
The latest office move marks a new chapter for the team. With business growth and team changes, they were ready for the space to change too. New furniture and office layout means a chance to reset how the office feels and works. It also makes financial sense, especially with rising wage this year.
“The Business Village team were really helpful,” Emma says. “I went in asking about extra storage and came away with a better solution that worked for us. That flexibility is one of the reasons we’ve stayed here so long. As the business changes, the space can change with it, and everything is managed in one place.”
Day to day, the practical benefits add up too. There’s free parking, an onsite reception for deliveries, and meeting rooms for when the team comes together. Reliable internet and immediate onsite support also mean the team can stay focused on their customers.
The location also works well, with direct access to the M1 and EV charging points. “We bring people together from different areas,” Emma says. “Being close to the M1 makes that much easier and we can use the Bistro for meetings. I love that dogs are welcome in the offices too.”
There’s also a wider benefit to being at The Business Village. “We can raise awareness of the service among other businesses and people on site. Our audience isn’t always the people we see,” Emma explains. “It’s their family, neighbours, or carers. Everyone knows someone who might need this service.”
Looking ahead, Emma is clear about her ambitions for Specsavers Home Visits. Market share is growing, but there’s more work to do. The company’s values sit at the centre of that growth, giving consistent care and treating people well.
“Our vision is to treat everyone as if they were a member of our own family,” Emma says. That’s at the heart of what we do.”
