News
Ark Care Homes buys seventh Devon property
Family-run Ark Care Homes has purchased Bodmeyrick Residential Home in Holsworthy, Devon.
Registered to provide residential care to up to 28 residents with dementia, mental health conditions, and physical disabilities, the home occupies a period detached property which is located in the market town of Holsworthy. During a confidential sales process with Christie & Co, the home generated multiple offers. The winning bid was made by Ark Care Homes, a family-run care business with homes across Devon. Bodmeyrick marks the seventh Devon care
home in Ark Care Homes’ portfolio, which also includes three specialist younger adult learning disability care homes in North Devon and three elderly dementia homes.
Rebecca Marks, director at Ark Care Homes, said: “Being a local, family-run business, we are absolutely delighted that we have brought Bodmeyrick into our family of high-quality and specialised care homes across Devon. The team and the values demonstrated at Bodmeyrick match those across the rest of our business, and we are very proud to be working alongside [registered manager] Keeley [Marshall] and her team to implement the exciting investment plans we have at the home.” Simon Harvey, senior director at Christie
& Co, added: “We are delighted to have acted on this sale and to have assisted the continued growth and expansion for Rebecca and the team at Ark. The confidential marketing of this home generated interest from a wide range of purchasers, including existing operators and new entrants, which continues to show not only the strength of the market in the region but also the appetite that still exists for ‘older style’, converted care homes when they are well located, with strong trading performance and longstanding local reputations. Despite the challenges towards the end of last year, our experience suggests a continued positive outlook for well-run care homes.”
ACI Care fills skills gap with overseas workers
Care homes group ACI Care is sponsoring overseas workers to work in its homes in the South East. ACI Care, which operates four care
homes specialising in residential, respite, and dementia care, is offering Certificates of Sponsorship to overseas workers, with the aim of decreasing its use of agency staff by 70 per cent.
The Certificate of Sponsorship is open to
both overseas workers and those within the UK who require a visa, including those coming to the end of their studies on a student visa and those who have already been sponsored by another employer in the UK. Launched last year, the new visa makes it easier to sponsor staff from other countries while also providing an exemption from the healthcare surcharge. Already, ACI has sponsored 20 staff members with qualifications including a master’s in business administration and pharmaceutical sciences, degrees in nursing and pharmacy, and diplomas in nursing and midwifery. Ravi Sodha, director of ACI Care, said:
February 2023
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com
“While we prioritise hiring staff local to our care homes to help benefit the local community, the current staffing shortage means we also have to look to overseas sponsorship. This process allows for new experiences, approaches and cultures, to ensure consistent and high-quality care for our residents across all homes. “Unlike some sponsorship programmes,
we don’t require our sponsored workers to sign contracts stating a minimum term to work with us. We believe that by creating the best working environment possible, the staff we sponsor will want to stay with ACI long-term without the need for contractual obligations.”
Oakland Care CEO Joanne Balmer named ESG Champion
Oakland Care CEO Joanne Balmer BEM has been named ESG Champion at HealthInvestor’s Power Fifty Awards. Joanne was the inaugural winner of the newly introduced ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Champion award for demonstrating exemplary commitment to delivering positive change on environmental, social and governance issues in the sector.
Since joining Oakland in August 2019, Joanne has navigated the provider through the COVID-19 pandemic and helped pioneer Oakland Care’s sustainability agenda. She received a British Empire Medal in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her services to social care. Joanne has pioneered Oakland’s position as the sector’s sustainability leader, retaining the providers status as the only carbon neutral care group in the UK for the second year running and achieving Level 3 certification by Green Mark, the highest grade awarded by the sustainability specialists. Reflecting on her win, Joanne Balmer BEM said: “I am extremely honoured to receive this award which represents not only a huge personal success, but is also a testament to the industry-leading efforts of all those I work alongside at Oakland Care.
“As I reflect on my journey, I am proud
we have shown what is possible for care homes across the country. Whether that be for the people who work in social care, residents we support, or even the real contribution we can make towards wider global issues. At Oakland Care we are committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible on environmental, social and governance issues, and I look forward to maintaining Oakland Care’s position as an influential leader on these topics.”
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