WorkNest, one of the leading providers of outsourced Employment Law, HR and Health & Safety services for businesses, has strengthened its expertise by acquiring Care 4 Quality. WorkNest is part of the Marlowe group and has made several acquisitions over the last few years. Notably, in July, the company spent £6.1 million on Kettering-based HR Solutions adding 750 customers to the Worknest portfolio. Neither party disclosed terms initially for this latest deal. Care 4 Quality will bring an additional 650 customers to Worknest as it continues its expansion.
What is Care 4 Quality
Based in Cornwall, Care 4 Quality provides health and social care quality compliance consultancy to customers across England, Scotland, Wales, and the Isle of Man. Customers include Britishhome, Capital Homecare and Fortis Care, some of the largest care home operators in the country.
The acquisition extends the Worknest reach into a sector that is growing in importance with an ageing population in the UK. The ONS predicts that the population of over 65s will grow in every region within the UK by 2028. The East Midlands is the fastest growing, with the proportion growing by 7%. Care 4 Quality will strengthen Worknest, which already includes CQC Compliance.
Gavin Snell, CEO at WorkNest, said: “Welcoming the Care 4 Quality team into our group marks yet another significant milestone for us as we continue to strengthen our offering within the health and social care sector. We see this as a key growth area with the industry continuing to become more tightly regulated and our customers asking us to support them in new and different ways daily.
“WorkNest and Care 4 Quality share a common commitment to delivering the very best services to all our clients. We very much look forward to working with our new Care 4 Quality colleagues, to learn from their market knowledge and to identify new opportunities together.”
Acquisition but no changes
In the press release, Worknest states, “There will be no change to how services are provided. “ What isn’t clear is whether the Founder and Managing Director at Care 4 Quality, Helen Fuller, will remain at the firm and whether the leadership team will undergo any changes. Although Worknest has made several acquisitions, the risk is that the firm’s culture will evolve during the integration process.
Fuller noted: “I founded Care 4 Quality ten years ago, using my 25 years of experience in the care sector to form a loyal customer and consultant base.
“Over this time, Care 4 Quality has continued to support care sector clients nationwide, and we are thrilled to be moving into the next chapter for the business. We have always prided ourselves on going the extra mile in support and advice for our clients. In addition, being agile in our structure has enabled us to meet evolving sector needs flexibly.
“We are delighted to join the WorkNest group and be part of the wider Marlowe family. There’s a clear synergy not only in the offering that Care 4 Quality provides but in the ethos around what we do and how we do it.”
As Fuller infers, there are benefits to customers. Care Homes will have access to a wider pool of expertise, simplifying their supplier list and who to call when they have an issue, whether around care home management, employment or health and safety issues.
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
Worknest, as part of the Marlowe Group, is becoming a powerful force across several sectors. This latest acquisition makes sense. According to the UK government, the Care Home sector is worth about 15.9 billion annually. In addition, the report states: “The Office for National Statistics predicts a 36% growth in persons aged 85+ between 2015 and 2025, from 1.5 million to 2 million. This is expected to lead to a substantial increase in demand for care home services.”
In this context, the acquisition by Worknest seems like a very sensible strategy. It will be interesting to see whether it continues to invest in the sector.
