News: New owner for established Rotherham care home

A residential care home in Rotherham has a new owner following a purchase by a first-time entrant in the sector.

West Melton Lodge is a well-established care home registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide long-stay residential care for up to 32 residents. It is located in the village of West Melton in the North of the Rotherham borough.

The home, previously owned and operated by Stephen Oldale and Susan Leigh, was brought to market to allow them to pursue a well-earned retirement.

Following a confidential sales process with Jonathan Wickens at Christie & Co, it has been purchased by first-time entrant in the sector, Sriya Care Limited.

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Rahul Sood, Director at Sriya Care Limited, said: “We took over the West Melton Lodge care home in the Rotherham area at the end of June with a clear commitment to continuing the warm, resident-centred ethos that had been built over the years. We approached this as a long-term responsibility and are focused on ensuring residents feel safe, respected, and well cared for. In these initial weeks, we've been assessing all aspects of the home and have begun laying the groundwork to raise standards across care, environment, and systems over the coming months.

“The transition went very smoothly, and we’re grateful to the previous owners, who were retiring and incredibly supportive throughout the process. Their cooperation made the handover seamless. All existing staff transferred under TUPE, and we were especially pleased that Tania, the Registered Manager, chose to stay on. Her experience and calm leadership have been central to ensuring continuity and stability for both staff and residents. We’ve inherited a fantastic team - compassionate, capable, and genuinely committed to the well-being of the residents. It’s been a pleasure getting to know them and beginning to support them with resources and structure to help them thrive further. Our focus now is on steadily bringing the home up to the highest standards in every area, from compliance and care planning to resident engagement and family involvement.”

Jonathan Wickens, Director – Care at Christie & Co, added: “This is the fourth care home property we have sold for Stephen and Susan, and we wish them all the best in their retirement. It is good to see the home sold to somebody who approaches the care sector with such passion, and we are sure that Rahul will continue to support the great team at West Melton Lodge.”

West Melton Lodge was sold for an undisclosed price.

Christie & Co website

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News: Rotherham care home acquired

A freehold 60 bed dementia home in Rotherham has been acquired by one of the UK’s leading healthcare groups specialising in age-related conditions.

Specialist UK lending and savings bank, Shawbrook provided a seven-figure sum for the Pristine Care Group to add the Broom Lane facility to its portfolio.

Pristine Care Group is a joint venture company controlled by the Younas Family. The family provide quality care and services to individuals with often challenging care demands related to dementia and other age-related conditions. The Younas group now own over 30 residential homes and more than 70 supported living units across the country fully focused on patient outcomes.

Previously part of the Wood Care Group, Broom Lane is a 60-bed new build care home in Rotherham with an excellent service quality and regulatory track record.

The Younas family had worked with Shawbrook previously having refinanced an adult mental health unit plus the acquisition of two more units in Stoke on Trent. They recently approached the Healthcare Finance team again, securing a 7-figure commercial loan to complete their latest acquisition.

Tanzeel Younas, Owner and Managing Director of Pristine Care Group said: “The acquisition of Broom Lane is an exciting next step for our family. It is a well-respected, high-quality care home with dedicated staff, which will seamlessly join our family business.

“We are looking forward to working with the current care and management team to further enhance the quality and breadth of their operations as part of the wider family.

“Shawbrook’s amazing support and their extensive knowledge of this sector were key elements in their ability to deliver the right funding we needed to acquire Broom Lane.”

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Christos Christodoulou, Senior Director of Shawbrook’s Healthcare Finance team said: “The elderly care sector in the UK remains underfunded and we expect to see further headwinds in 2023. Taking the time to understand the dynamics of the sector and our clients’ ambitions has been the secret to our success over the past few years. This has been another excellent opportunity to strengthen our partnership with the Younas Family who have an excellent reputation in the care industry.

“We are living in an ageing population and with a clear lack of supply and a huge demand so we look forward to continuing to build the relationship and hopefully fund a few more acquisitions for them in the near future.”

Dasos Kirtsides, Head of Healthcare at Shawbrook added: “I have known the Younas family for a number of years and they are an outstanding family business offering a top-class service to vulnerable individuals who badly need support at this crucial time. I am delighted for the team and am thrilled to have backed them in this acquisition, which is within a sector that we are keen to continue supporting.

“Chris & Stefanie from my Healthcare Finance Team have done a fantastic job and pulled out all the stops to get this deal completed on time, which not only benefits the Younas Family but also the wider elderly care sector also. Shawbrook fully supported the healthcare sector throughout the pandemic, and we continue to back the best-in-class operators and partners in the industry.”

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News: Funding boost for Arquella and its unique app for the care home sector

Rotherham-based company Arquella, who have developed a cost effective and cutting edge app for the care home sector that eases red tape, has secured an £850,000 investment to aid further growth.

The Dinnington firm offers a unique "moment of care app" which is designed to replace outdated and unintegrated pager and paper systems that much of the industry relies on.

The investment comes from two entities – Leeds-based Traditum Private Equity and the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) which is managed by Mercia Equity Finance which focusses on supporting businesses in Yorkshire, Humber and Tees Valley.

The funding coincides with a care sector study released this month, which showed that 86% of respondents felt the industry was weighed down by red tape and that ‘vital aspects of care provision are suffering at the hands of outdated and time-consuming procedures, with many staff struggling to fulfil their day to day roles’.

Arquella’s unique technology provides a time efficient management system for care homes teams. The app integrates data through ‘touch of a button’, one of a kind, cloud-based tech to not only create and deliver planned care but to accurately record and monitor reactive care in real time, in line with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards.

This second round of funding will enable Arquella to continue to expand and target the rapidly expanding residential care home sector across the UK and Europe.

Founded in 2017, Arquella received funding of £350,000 from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance in 2020 to enable them to develop the technology.

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Steven Holmes, Commercial Director at Arquella, said: "We built Arquella to resolve problems that we face as a society with a rapidly ageing population and increased demands on the care home sector. We know that the (UK) 60+ population will increase by 260% by 2050. Arquella has been designed to be at the forefront for creating solutions.

"We are excited about our new partnership with Traditum, and are extremely proud to have received further funding from Mercia, who have supported us and enabled us to develop our proprietary technology.

"To have our progress and vision recognised by such investors is a huge compliment. The new funds will enable us to scale more quickly by growing our sales and marketing activity and our international sales channels.

"Traditum Private Equity enables flexible investments for clients and investee companies across sectors such as Healthtech, Sustainability and Agriculture. Taking a more traditional approach to investments, Traditum aligns experienced Investors with known sectors and businesses to add value to each transaction, applying a flexible, innovative and unique equity structures which are sympathetic to long term business planning."

Iain Marlow, Head of Investment at Traditum, added: "The investment in Arquella is the first from Traditum’s dedicated health technology team. Arquella have created a unique solution to the problem that faces the care sector, a single AI driven, integrated technology platform that automates activity to reduce administration, whilst providing management with information that exceeds CQC demands."

Dan Thomas, Investment Manager at Mercia, added: "Care homes are a fast growing market but the sector still relies largely on outdated technologies. Arquella’s next-generation systems offer huge potential to reduce the burden on carers and use data to improve safeguarding and efficiency. Having supported the Sheffield based company since 2020, we are delighted to welcome Traditum as a new investor. Mercia has been set up to invest in innovative business with a focus on Yorkshire, Humber and the Tees Valley."

Mick Morris of Compellor provided fundraising advice to Arquella on the latest investment. Andrew O’Mahony and Daniel Hayhurst of Brabners provided legal advice to Traditum. Jim Gribbon and Andy Sims of Venture Axis provided software diligence advice to Traditum.

Arquella website
Taditum website
NPIF website

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News: Care home plans back in for former Rotherham fire station site

New plans have been submitted for a new 66-bed residential care home on the site of a former fire station in Rotherham.

LNT Care Developments, the UK's leading purpose-built residential care home developer and constructor, wants to resurrect a scheme for Knollbeck Lane in Brampton where a similar scheme was approved in 2014.

The 1.31 acre site is currently vacant, cleared after the empty fire station suffered a large fire in 2011.

LNT has developed 130 care homes specifically for the care of older people, for third-party clients as well as its own subsidiary.

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Plans for Rotherham show a 33,000 sq ft purpose built care facility for older people - a two-storey building with single room accomodation with ensuite facilities plus internal and external amenity spaces and a 25 space car park.

The plans state: "The care homes built by LNT are designed with resident's comfort at heart, and provide excellent day-to-day amenities, services and comforts in-house. In this case, this includes main lounges / dining rooms, café/bars, quiet lounges / family rooms, a garden room, a cinema room, a shop and hair studio."

If approved, the development would create 42 full time and 20 part time jobs.

In its latest accounts for the year ending 31 March 2020, LNT Group said that, due to strengthening investment appetite for care home assets, the number of developments and selling prices have increased.

LNT website

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News: Former nurse links up with Launchpad

A former nurse who put her life-saving skills to good use after her husband experienced a heart-attack,is now helping new parents and families to master essential life-saving skills after calling on help from Launchpad.

The Sheffield City Region Launchpad programme helps individuals who are thinking of starting their own business as well as providing ongoing support and guidance during their first three years of trading.

Claire Knight's life changed overnight when her husband Thomas suffered a heart attack. With a young family to care for while her husband recuperated, Claire began re-assessing her work-life balance and decided to leave the security of the NHS and make plans to launch her own business.

With a clear idea to help parents learn essential first aid skills,built around her teaching knowledge and nursing experience, Claire began researching the assistance available to help her transform her ideas into a reality. She contacted the Sheffield City Region Launchpad programme and, with some trepidation, attended her first workshop. After several months planning, developing and refining her ideas, the Whiston-based entrepreneur launched Rotherham-based Links Care in June 2019.

Claire realised she needed to build a customer base for her business. Selling her company’s services and charging individuals for the skills and expertise was something which did not come naturally. Working with an experienced Launchpad business adviser, Claire was able to access a range of workshops, training events and one-to-one support, helping to build her business confidence and identify new ways of securing customers for her fledgling business.

As the new entrepreneur began attending networking events, Claire spotted a unique niche in the marketplace. She realised that many new parents turned to A&E simply because they were unsure how to spot the signs of common childhood ailments. She realised by helping parents to master basic first-aid skills, it could not only help to reduce worry, but also avoid unnecessary trips to A&E.

Like many businesses this year, Links Care was affected by COVID19. Claire began re-assessing her business model and moved her training workshops online – something she felt initially would not be practical. She was particularly concerned about teaching skills like Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, however her fears proved to be unfounded. Since launching her live online training sessions, Claire has been able to teach a minimum of two sessions a week and expand the geographical reach of her business.

With COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown measures beginning to ease, Claire is hoping to grow and develop her business further by providing parents with the flexibility to attend online workshops as well as returning to delivering face-to-face sessions.

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Claire Knight, managing director of Links Care, said: "I had enjoyed my career working with the NHS, but I always liked the idea of working for myself. When a colleague mentioned she was thinking of setting up her own business, I decided to join her at a Launchpad training event to find out more about self-employment.

"I was excited about the prospect, but I knew starting a business would be a huge time commitment. When my husband survived his heart attack, I began to re-evaluate my working life and spending time with my family and being able to work flexibly around the children was the most important thing to me.

"One of the greatest lessons I've learned since working with the Launchpad team has been the flexibility and opportunities which are open to you as an entrepreneur. When Covid-19 forced me to stop delivering my face-to-face sessions, I knew it would have a significant impact upon my business. I been considering moving some elements of my training online, but I felt my business was not quite ready, for example, I was unsure whether resuscitation could be taught remotely. All that changed overnight and since launching our online live training sessions, demand for my services have risen significantly.

"The support I've received from Julia and the Launchpad team has been invaluable to my business. The workshops have helped me to develop a stronger grasp of the reality of running a business and the advice and support has helped me to unlock the potential in my business and as a result I’m now hoping to recruit additional nurses to help me delivery of my training services and grow the business further."

Julia Millea, business adviser at Launchpad, added: "Claire saw an opportunity to build a business around the skills she had developing during her nursing career. Like many people, she was initially apprehensive about leaving the security of employment, but when her circumstances at home changed, she began to realise running her own business could help her to achieve a better work-life balance.

"Through her work with Launchpad, she has successfully laid solid foundations for her business, as well as being quick to spot and respond to changes in the marketplace.  COVID-19 was potentially a huge stumbling block for many businesses, including Links Care. However, Claire successfully changed adversity into opportunity and by moving her training sessions online, she was able to open up new markets to her business. As a result, her business hasn't just survived, but it's been an incredible success story."

Links Care website
Launchpad website

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News: Rotherham care home set to reopen following sale

New owners of a care home in Rotherham are hopeful of reopening this summer.

Greasbrough Residential and Nursing Home closed after entering administration. Rotherham Council terminated its contract last year following a damning report by inspectors.

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co has now sold the site to a first time buyer in the sector.

Initially built in the 1960s, the home was extended in the 1990s and continued to operate until its closure in Autumn 2018. The home has retained its registration with the CQC for 60 residents and is set over two floors, comprising 60 en suite bedrooms, a dining room, residents lounges, hairdressing salon and a secure wing for dementia patients. The property sits on a site with a fully enclosed lawned garden and parking for 15 vehicles.

The property has been sold to Mr Alexmon Baby, an experienced business owner, who intends to refurbish the property and rebrand the business as Jubilee Care Home, before reopening for residents.

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Alexmon said: "We are delighted to have acquired the former Greasbrough Nursing Home on Potter Hill. We are in the process of completing a £300,000 refurbishment and will then be opening the new Jubilee Care Home which will provide luxury accommodation for the people of Greasbrough and surrounding areas. Staff recruitment is well under way and we are hopeful of opening the doors by the end of July."

Jonathan Wickens, director at Christie & Co who handled the sale, added: "We completed a comprehensive marketing campaign for the sale of Greasbrough Nursing Home on behalf of administrators, which resulted in numerous viewings and multiple bids.

"The home offers an excellent opportunity for Alexmon and his team to establish a quality care facility for the people of Greasbrough and surrounding communities."

Christie & Co website

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News: Adult day-care centre opens in Rotherham

Vintage Years, an adult day-care centre that provides respite for the Elderly – in particular those suffering from dementia – has recently opened at the Unity Centre on the edge of Rotherham town centre with the support of UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE).

Launched by friends and former dementia support workers at the Alzheimer's Society, Debbie Wilson and Helen Hermoso, the centre welcomes visitors three days a week to enjoy activities - such as crafts, games, light exercise and quizzes - in order to combat loneliness, support wellbeing and meet friends.

UKSE, which supports businesses in areas affected by changes in the steel industry, awarded Vintage Years £500 as part of its Kickstart Grant scheme which the duo put towards the design and printing of exterior signage as well as marketing collateral to raise awareness of the new service in the community.

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Co-founder Debbie said: "Together, Helen and I are committed to making a difference to the lives of the people we work with and launched Vintage Years to support both the individuals we serve as well as their families.

"Caring for someone with dementia can often prove difficult and so we wanted to create a warm and friendly atmosphere that families are welcome to join.

"We were delighted to receive the funding from UKSE and hope that, by investing it in marketing materials, we can open our doors to more and more!"

Looking ahead, the pair hope to be able to extend their opening times to five days a week and, if demand rises, take on a number of employees to support the running of the centre.

Alan Stanley of UKSE said: "It's great to see that Debbie and Helen are working to provide the much-needed support that many individuals and families in the area rely on, especially since Rotherham has seen a number of its adult day-care centres close down over the last few years.

"I'd like to wish them both the best of luck with achieving their vision for the future of Vintage Years!"

Vintage Years website

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News: All change at Rotherham guest house

A change of use planning application has been approved to enable a guest house in Rotherham to be converted into a specialised accommodation for adults with learning disabilities.

The application is from Chesterfield-based care company, The Heathcotes Group, one of the most experienced providers of residential care for adults with over 300 bespoke placements at over 60 specialist services across the UK.

The group is rapidly expanding and already operates a site in Rotherham - Heathcotes Knollbeck which has eight ensuite bedrooms and provides twenty four hour support.

The new site is set to be at the Fernlea Hotel, a 12 bedroomed guest house in the Moorgate area, and the proposals involve making internal alterations for six single bedrooms with en-suite facilities and three self-contained single person flats. All the accommodation is ancillary to the care home business so won't let or sold separately.

The redevelopment of the Gerard Road property is expected to create 20 jobs as the service users will be supported by non-resident staff.

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In addition to changing the use from C1 to C2, the proposals also include demolishing the existing garage to the rear and erecting a two storey side extension.

Approving the application, planning officers at Rotherham Council, said: "It is considered that the proposed use would be compatible with the existing uses within the locality and in consultation with the Environmental Health Officer, it is considered that the proposed development would not result in any adverse impact on the neighbouring amenity by way of general disturbance.

"In consultation with the highway officer, it is considered that nature of the use would not generate significant parking demand."

The freehold of the property was sold by Merryweathers and South Yorkshire Property Auctions for £350,000.

Heathcotes Group outlined a £20m expansion plan in 2015 and secured further financial backing in the form of a syndicated loan from HSBC and Yorkshire Bank last year. It said it would allow the business to support increasing demand from local authorities for smaller facilities that are integrated into the community.

Heathcotes Group website

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News: Respectful Care launches new branch in Rotherham

Respectful Care, an innovative homecare provider, has expanded by opening a new branch in Rotherham.

Following the success of its first branch based in Mansfield,the company opened a new office at Bradmarsh Business Centre in Templeborough in order to cover the Rotherham area and deliver homecare services.

Martin Sieder, managing director, and registered care manager Samantha Woodward, are heading up the new operation.

Vacancies are currently available for support and care workers.

Having gained its registration from the Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of health and social care in England, Respectful Care works in partnership with all of the major health and social care organisations, local government and charities, and not-for-profit organisations, ensuring a unique and dedicated approach to care services is accessible to all.

Martin Sieder, managing director at respectful Care, said: "This is great news for people who need care and support in the Rotherham area. I know from family circumstances how important it is to get the right care and support in place.

"More so than in any other business, it is important to get the right people onboard; those who share your passion and belief that the people receiving the care and support are the most important people.

"We are recruiting for support and care workers and, our recruitment process requires people to be able to meet a very strict criteria as we demand very high levels of customer care and attention to detail."

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Respectful Care, founded in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire just a couple of years ago, has already expanded across Nottinghamshire and into Derbyshire, with branches in the Nottingham area and in Chesterfield.

Scott Marsh, who founded Respectful Care with friend and business partner Mark Docherty, said: "We're a business that wants to be the best. We want to not only meet the standards, but set them for others to follow

"There's a reason for this; our clients deserve the best care and support. It's as simple as that. It's something Mark and I feel strongly about, and we know Samantha and Martin do too. We're confident that we can build an organisation centered around people those who work for us, and those we provide a service to."

Samantha Woodward, registered care manager at Respectful Care, said: "I wanted to work with a company who were proud of their reputation and of the care and support they delivered to both the people receiving their services and their staff teams. In Respectful Care, I have found that company.

"With it being a new branch, I look forward to implementing quality person centred working practices to ensure people are receiving the right type of care and support, in the way they wish to receive it. Along with new policies and procedures to support every member of the team so that we set the high standards right from the start."

Respectful Care website

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News: Expanding horizons for care firm

Rotherham-based Horizon Care has unveiled a state-of-the-art care facility in Worksop, signalling the completion of the first phase of a multi-million pound investment to create the first new care village to be launched in the town.

The family-run business turned tragedy into an opportunity to help others and is based alongside its Waterside Grange development in Dinnington.

The new centre, Greenacres Grange, will provide state-of-the-art living accommodation designed to support individuals with both short and long term care needs. The centre will house four custom care units, which will each support up to 20 individuals and deliver specialist care provisions to support a range of care needs including assisted living, dementia support, rehabilitation and specialist support services aimed at helping individuals with complex care needs to live as independently as possible.

Inside the centre, Horizon has invested in creating a new hydrotherapy suite as well as a range of on-site facilities include a beauty parlour, café and music room. Accommodation within the centre has been carefully designed to provide spacious modern living environment with each room benefitting from its own en-suite facilities. Outside of the centre, Horizon Care has invested in the development of a sensory garden, creating a relaxing environment which residents can enjoy all year round.

Situated close to Bassetlaw District Hospital. Greenacres Grange will create up to 200 full and part time jobs and marks the beginning of a multi-million pound investment into Worksop by Horizon Care.

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Aiming to replicate the success achieved at sites in Sheffield and Dinnington, all of which have been rated as "Good" by the Care Quality Commission, the company believes its unique approach to the delivery of care will not only help to reduce pressure on existing primary care facilities within Worksop, but will crucially help individuals to enjoy a high quality of life in safe and comfortable surroundings.

Laura Higginbottom, managing director at Horizon Care (picture,right), said: "The opening of Greenacres Grange marks the completion of the first phase of what we hope will become our flagship care village. We have built our reputation within the care industry upon providing tailored accommodation, resulting in a safe, comfortable environment which is capable of meeting the needs of individuals with very different care requirements, whilst enabling patients to live as independently as possible.

"We recognised there was an acute shortage of high quality care provisions within Worksop and we wanted use our skills, knowledge and expertise to help individuals living within the town. Over the past two years we have invested significantly in transforming the site of the former Greenacres Training Centre into what will become the first purpose-built care village within Worksop.

"We have spent many years developing our offering and the opening of opening Greenacres Grange marks a significant milestone in our bid to provide high quality care and support for people living in Worksop.

"We're proud to bring our unique formula which has helped so many people throughout the Sheffield City Region to Worksop. In doing so, we're helping to create new skilled jobs within the local economy, but perhaps much more importantly a safe, comfortable environment where residents are treated dignity and respect in a caring and supportive environment."

Horizon Care was launched in 2009 after a member of the Higginbottom family was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and as the condition progressed, the family quickly realised many care providers did not provide the level of service or support they expected for a family member. The family soon realised they weren’t the only ones in this difficult position; drawing upon expertise of working in the construction, legal and healthcare sectors, they set about making plans to create the first nursing care centre to be built in Sheffield for more than 15 years.

Horizon Care website

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News: Exemplar MBO backed by Agilitas

Rotherham-based specialist residential healthcare provider, Exemplar Health Care has been acquired by London-based private equity house Agilitas as part of a management buyout (MBO).

Established in 1999, Exemplar began life as a training company, coordinating courses for care home workers and helping operators to remain compliant with regulations. It went on to open a number of its own properties, but it wasn't until 2002 that the company identified a gap in care home provision that would become its major focus.

With offices in Ferham, the firm operates 25 specialist nursing homes and employs 2,100 staff across Yorkshire, North West and the Midlands. Turnover totalled £55m in the year to March 31.

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Agilitas focus on "making transformational investments in defensible businesses," working with management teams to develop a transformational business plan aimed at improving, growing and strengthening the business.

The deal is though to be worth £150m and Exemplar has an investment program that includes plans for approximately 12 new homes. It also intends to create a number of step-out units linked to existing homes that will extend care pathways for adults who are ready for more independent living, but still require close care supervision nearby.

The new homes are expected to create more than 1,500 nursing and care jobs.

Euan Craig, managing director at Exemplar, said: "We are dedicated to bringing an end to cycles of failed placements by carefully tailoring the care we offer to meet these highly complex needs. We are proud that the outcomes we achieve enhance people's lives and better meet the needs of the CCGs (clinical care groups), trusts, local authorities and families that we serve.

"Exemplar staff are committed and highly motivated and they make our homes extraordinary places, and we will continue to invest in their skills and training as we grow. Everyone at Exemplar is looking forward to bringing our high standards of care to far more people suffering acute illness and injury."

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Martin Calderbank, managing partner at Agilitas, added: "Exemplar is one of the regional leaders in the care of individuals who live day to day with these complex conditions. We are excited by the opportunity to help Euan and his team expand their operations and make Exemplar's high standards of care available to many more people."

Exemplar opened the first of its specialist homes in 2003 - Greenside Court at Greasbrough in Rotherham, which specialises in adults with Huntington's disease and complex physical and mental health needs. In 2008 it was given the opportunity to buy the freeholds of a number of its care home properties and was backed with a £41m facility from Santander.

In 2015, the company decided to focus on its homes for young adults with complex care requirements and the elderly services were taken over by other care providers.

Exemplar Healthcare website

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News: Care UK to end GP service at Rotherham walk in centre

The future of the £9.9m Rotherham Community Health Centre looks uncertain after bosses revealed that Care UK will end its provision of GP services next year.

The centre on Greasborough Road was developed by St Paul's Developments and built by Morgan Sindall. It opened in 2009 and provides GP and walk-in services and also provides modern and accessible facilities for most of the primary care services that were based at Doncaster Gate Hospital.

Proposals have recently been approved for a £12.2m Urgent Care Centre to be built at Rotherham Hospital, which involves the closure of the Town Centre Walk in Centre and transfer of the GP out of hours service to the hospital site. The NHS has now written to patients registered for GP services at Chantry Bridge Medical Centre, based in the same town centre building, to inform them that Care UK's service is due to end on September 30 2015.

A private company owned by private equity group, Bridgeport Capital, Care UK is a leading provider of health and social care services, working with local authorities and the NHS. It provides a range of NHS GP services including clinics, walk in centres and out of hours support.

Operated by Care UK, the Rotherham Community Health Centre sees around 4,000 patients a month and it was previously thought that a town centre GP surgery would remain on the site. An estimated 50% of current activity will transfer to the new emergency centre at Rotherham Hospital with Care UK set to continue as provider. All of the other NHS and community services are expected to remain on site, including family planning/sexual health services and clinics. Some other non‐acute provision could be relocated to the town centre.

Construction on the new facilities is set to begin in the spring of 2015 and it could start treating patients in April 2017. The current contract with Care UK for the Walk in Centre and GP Out of Hours provision expires in May 2016.

Options for the future of the GP practice at the Rotherham Community Health Centre have been explored. Currently, there are two options that are deemed viable - closing the GP service with patients registering at another practice, or procuring another provider of GP registered patient services from a site close to Chantry Bridge, until the Urgent Care Centre opens in Spring 2017. A branch surgery could be established at Chantry Bridge when the Walk in Centre closes.

The Rotherham Community Health Centre was acquired in a £14.1m deal in 2012 by a wholly owned subsidiary of Primary Health Properties, an AIM-listed company that specialises in the ownership of freehold or long leasehold interests in modern purpose-built healthcare facilities.

The 4,636 sq m property is wholly let to Rotherham Primary Care Trust (now called the The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust) and had 16 years remaining on the lease when the deal was secured. The building, on the former Bestobell Valves site next to Bailey House, was designed by JM Architects to follow the same curve shape as the adjacent Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation and a slanted wall has been shaped to look like the bow of a ship.

Care UK

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News: Kier selected for Rotherham Urgent Care Centre

Kier Construction has been selected as the principal supply chain partner for the £12.2m Urgent Care Centre that is set to be built at Rotherham Hospital.

The Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group, which buys in services from providers, has signed off the final business case for the project which secured planning permission earlier this year.

The proposals for a new NHS Urgent Care Centre in Rotherham involve the closure of the Town Centre Walk in Centre on Greasborough Road and transfer of the GP out of hours service to a new purpose built Urgent Care Centre on the Hospital site.

Patients who currently walk into Accident & Emergency (A&E) at the hospital will in future access care through the proposed urgent care centre. It is set to operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This coincides with the increased use of the NHS 111 telephone number as a single point of access to care so that telephone triage will play a greater part in directing patients to urgent or GP care.

Earlier this month, the Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, that serves the health needs of the borough and delivers care at Rotherham Hospital, reported that it is currently under extreme pressures with a high volume of patients attending A&E, a department that is currently operating at a £1.1m deficit. The current A&E department was built to accommodate 55,000 attendees each year but activity now exceeds 75,000 patients. One of the main drivers of the new urgent care centre is to reduce recurring costs by reducing admissions to A&E by five per day.

Plans were drawn up by Gilling Dod Architects, working with Kier Construction who where selected via the ProCure21+ National Framework, and the new integrated service will comprise a two storey development with an overall floor area of approximately 1,850 sq m, linked to the main hospital. The ground floor will provide clinical accommodation and the upper floor will provide office and staff supporting accommodation. The new extension has been designed to complement the hospital's existing main entrance that was redeveloped in 2011.

Staffed by highly skilled clinicians across the emergency department and primary care, the integration of skilled staff is expected to ensure that the most appropriate clinician will see the patient, reducing the need for handovers between staff and improving the patient flow. However the options proposed involve cutting the recurring costs for clinical staff from £5.5m to £4.6m. The Trust expects to be in a position to employ additional advanced care practitioners (ACPs) in place of middle grade doctors.

During consultation, concerns were raised by the council and members of the public regarding transport and parking issues at the hospital site. The proposals include a total of 122 car parking spaces, for use by staff, being provided on the former mental health site at the Eastern side of the hospital site, close to Moorgate Road. This is set to free up spaces in the main public car park.

The business case states: "While travel times and expense for patients will, on the whole, slightly increase as a result of relocating urgent care from a town centre location, but this is outweighed by the quality benefits that will result."

The existing £9.9m building operated by Care UK on the Greasborough Road site, which sees around 4,000 patients a month, will continue to offer a town centre GP surgery. An estimated 50% of current activity will transfer to the new emergency centre with Care UK set to continue as provider. All of the other NHS and community services are expected to remain on site, including family planning/sexual health services and clinics. Some other non‐acute provision could be relocated to the centre.

Construction on the new facilities is set to begin in the spring of 2015 and it could start treating patients in April 2017.

Adjacent to the Moorgate site, Kier Construction is also leading on the multimillion pound rebuild at Oakwood High School.

Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group website

Images: Gilling Dod Architects

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News: Home Instead wins gold at national business awards

At-home care company, Home Instead Senior Care is celebrating after the company was named as the British Franchise Association HSBC Franchisor of the Year.

The national network of offices, including an expanding base in Rotherham, specialise in the provision of non-medical care to the elderly. The company has been named as the British Franchise Association HSBC Franchisor of the Year and collected the Gold award at a glittering awards ceremony in London.

Home Instead Senior Care provides affordable non-medical home care services to older people including companionship, home help, personal care and other domiciliary care. Its home care service enables older people to remain independent and avoid residential care homes.

Home Instead was recognised for business growth, the Rotherham office is one of 141 offices located across the country, and for the work it has done campaigning for better standards in the elderly care sector and working to directly influence and shape the way care is delivered.

David Coldrick, managing director of Home Instead Senior Care in Rotherham, said: "The work we do locally brings peace of mind to our clients and their families and it is hugely satisfying to receive national recognition for the work we do.

"We are thrilled to be part of such a successful and award winning company. The award bears testament to the excellent work we do with our clients."

"Our caregivers deliver exceptional quality of care and are totally dedicated, I would like to think that this award is in a large part down to their efforts."

Home Instead Senior Care was set up in the UK in 2006 and the Rotherham office opened in early 2012.

The company has created 36 jobs in the local area to date and is looking to recruit 50 caregivers in the coming 12 months.

Home Instead Senior Care website

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News: Home Instead success in spot inspection

The Rotherham office of Home Instead Senior Care has proved itself as a great source of quality care at home following a recent unannounced inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Home Instead Senior Care provides affordable non-medical home care services to older people including companionship, home help, personal care and other domiciliary care. Its home care service enables older people to remain independent and avoid residential care homes.

The CQC checks whether hospitals, care homes and care services are meeting national standards on aspects such as respecting and involving people who use services, the care and welfare of people who use services, safeguarding people who use services from abuse, supporting workers and assessing and monitoring the quality of service.

Home Instead was found to meet all these standards and received some glowing praise from clients and their families who were visited by the Care Quality Commission.

Staff were equally positive about working for the company.

David Coldrick, managing director and owner of Home Instead Rotherham, said: "We believe the Care Quality Commission report confirms that our client centred ethos is really delivering what people want - good old fashioned, companionship based, one to one care at home.

"It is an excellent testament to the great efforts, willingness, flexibility and teamwork of all our staff."

Home Instead Senior Care website

Images: homeinstead.co.uk

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News: Waterside Grange Care Home opens in Rotherham

A new £5m nursing and residential care home has opened in Rotherham after securing funding from the Co-operative Bank.

Waterside Grange Care Home in Dinnington is set to create up to 100 jobs when fully operational and 14 residents are already on the waiting list for rooms in the first phase.

The home can accommodate 78 residents in luxury suites of ten people. The home provides services for clients aged 55 and over with a range of conditions including bariatric needs, dementia and infirmity.

Developed by local company, Horizon Care Homes Ltd, the home has seen empty office space on the Waterside Business Park brought back to life.

Laura Higginbottom, managing director of Horizon Care, said: "We are extremely pleased to announce the opening of our second care home, Waterside Grange, which will provide excellent care facilities to the people of Dinnington and, we hope, a welcome job boost.

"As a family we set up Horizon in 2009. We had been looking for a suitable home for a relative with dementia and found that there was a real lack of high quality facilities in the South Yorkshire area, and so we decided to set up our own.

"We would like to thank The Co-operative Bank as an organisation and Steve Clarke in particular for their ongoing support of our plans and the expert advice that they offer."

Steve Clarke, senior relationship manager at The Co-operative Bank, added: "The Higginbottom family, via Horizon Care, offer top class care facilities to their clients.

"We have a longstanding relationship with the family and are extremely supportive of the expansion of their care home facilities across South Yorkshire."

Horizon Care website

Images:

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News: Work underway on £15m care project in Rotherham

The modernisation of Rotherham General Hospital continues with work begining on a £15m Older People's Inpatient Unit.

Once built, the development will house 42 beds and a treatment suite on a 9,630 sq m site at the rear of the hospital.

Chairman of Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber (RDaSH) Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Madeleine Keyworth said: "The Trust is recognised by the Care Quality Commission to be one of the best trusts in the country for the quality of our services and for the way we use our financial resources.

"This new facility in Rotherham is an excellent example of how we are investing in modernising and developing new services for the communities we serve."

Contractors Laing O'Rourke are scheduled to finish constructing the new facility in 2011.

The £15m scheme is part of the Foundation Trust's major programme to modernise mental health services for adults in the Rotherham area.

The development is being built under the Procure 21 framework, which represents construction industry best practice and helps NHS Trusts to achieve better results than those associated with traditional tender procurement.

The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust has also begun work on the hospital's ambitious redevelopment plans to create a "Hospital of Tomorrow" which could see £46m of construction work take place on site.

RDASH website
Rotherham

Images: rdash.nhs.uk

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News: Marketing director John takes up new role at Rotherham housing regeneration specialists

A director at one of England’s largest social housing specialists has taken up a new role to focus on the major social and market challenges affecting the industry. Bramall Construction’s marketing director John Wilcox has started a consultancy role at the South Yorkshire-based company after retiring from the board in the autumn. His new responsibilities will see him build partnerships to develop housing strategies for older people, grow Bramall’s operations in eastern England and mentor other employees. "Part of my job is to look at how we can solve the future challenges of the housing industry by working to address them," said John. "The challenge of building housing for older residents is as big as that facing the sector in the late 1940s and early 1950’s, when the problem was availability of homes and schools. We are an ageing population, and our needs are changing. Councils, social landlords and providers need to come together to meet the challenge head on. I am looking forward to being involved in this work." During his 17 years at Bramall, 12 of which have been as marketing director, John has seen the company grow from a locally-based housing company to one with a turnover of around £140 million and 800 staff working from dozens of sites. Neil Baxter, Managing Director of Bramall in Yorkshire and the East Midlands, said: "John’s experience with this company over the years means he is perfectly placed to help us meet the challenges faced by modern housing providers."
Bramall website
Rotherham

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News: Rotherham employee wins national award

Gary Fuller, a care assistant at a Rotherham care home has won the individual award for outstanding achievement in learning and training at the first annual Local Employment Partnerships (LEP) Awards organised by the Department of Work and Pensions. Stephen Timms, Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, said: “I would like to extend my congratulations to each of the winners. Each of the winning employers has gone that extra mile to help some of the most disadvantaged jobseekers back into work, and is an example to other employers of the way that local businesses and communities can benefit from Local Employment Partnerships. Particular congratulations go to Mark Farrell and Gary Fuller on the personal achievements they have made to win their awards, which are true inspiration to others.” As a single parent, Gary had been on benefits over eight years and Lonnen Grove's Keeley Rowley said: "As soon as Gary started at Lonnen Grove it was evident he was going to be a real asset to us. He’s a very calm and consistent person. And if we hadn’t got this Local Employment Partnership, maybe his potential would have been undiscovered."
LEP website

Sheffield Telegraph article

Rotherham

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News: Rotherham employee in running for national award

Gary Fuller, a care assistant at a Rotherham care home has made it onto the shortlist for the first annual Local Employment Partnerships (LEP) Awards organised by the Department of Work and Pensions. Gary has benefitted from Rotherham based Exemplar Healthcare's partnership with local Jobcentres to work together to help long term benefit claimants into work. As a single parent, Gary had been on benefits for about eight or nine years but through his employment has seen his confidence and self esteem grow and he is now nominated in the Individual award for outstanding achievement in learning and training catergory. Lonnen Grove's Keeley Rowley said: "As soon as Gary started at Lonnen Grove it was evident he was going to be a real asset to us. He’s a very calm and consistent person. And if we hadn’t got this Local Employment Partnership, maybe his potential would have been undiscovered." Exemplar has gained national recognition for the LEP in The Telegraph with co-founder Julie Quarrington discussing the positive impact on the business. Exemplar has employed over 40 care assistants, in catering and maintenance during the past year and has another 20 on training courses that started this month. The company has hired 80% of the individuals who have completed it. Julie told the paper "Anybody that needs to recruit staff should certainly look at it. The way that we have been helped and supported through the process, any employer that does not give it a chance needs to think again. It really is so helpful."
LEP website
The Telegraph article
Rotherham

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