News
Deal activity gathers pace as regional operators pursue growth
Care home transaction activity remained robust throughout the summer, with operators across England and Wales using acquisitions to expand regional footprints, enter new markets and strengthen existing portfolios. One of the largest deals saw Holmwood
Care Group acquire Milkwood Care’s eight-home portfolio, adding 237 registered care places across Hampshire, Berkshire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire and increasing Holmwood’s total estate to 25 facilities. In Wales, Caron Group expanded its
portfolio to 19 homes through the acquisition of the 80-bed Ysguborwen Care Home in Aberdare, while Oakwood Care Group completed the purchase of Forest Gate Healthcare, adding three homes and 105 beds across South Wales. Regional consolidation also continued with Numada Healthcare acquiring the 26-bed
The Grange Nursing Home near Basingstoke, taking its Hampshire portfolio to six homes, while Devon Care & Living expanded into Cornwall through the purchase of Penhellis Nursing Home in Helston. Meanwhile, Kingsley Healthcare Group
strengthened its South Coast presence by acquiring both St George’s Nursing Home and St George’s Home Care in Milford-on- Sea, Hampshire, adding a 56-bed nursing and residential care home alongside a domiciliary care business. Smaller independent acquisitions
included the sale of Rostley Care Home in Pembrokeshire and the continued expansion of Care Legacy South West, which completed its third acquisition of the year with the purchase of Lyme Bay View near Seaton. At the luxury end of the market, Hallmark
Luxury Care Homes acquired the newly opened Loveday Esher home, renaming it Hallmark Esher Residences and describing the deal as the first step in a wider growth programme targeting a further 15 homes by 2030. And, alongside operator acquisitions,
investment activity gathered momentum, with US investor CareTrust REIT reporting it has invested almost £300m into UK care homes during 2026 so far, amounting to 139 facilities comprising around 8,200 beds. The government has proposed new Mayoral planning intervention powers, that could see care home development decisions affected of they’re part of wider residential schemes. A consultation is due to be published shortly.
Market update: New builds
Luxury brands’ continue to step-up Midlands and South East purpose-built care homes expansion.
Dunham Care Homes and Aspire- LPP agreed a joint venture to deliver two care homes in Kent, providing a combined 146 bedrooms, following announcement of fresh £13m Virgin Money investment. Meanwhile Lovett Care confirmed its 60-bed Chelmsford Manor development is nearing completion ahead of an expected autumn opening, and specialist lender Paragon Development Finance revealed it has backed Macc Care’s plans for a new purpose-built scheme in Birmingham. Meanwhile, construction activity moved ahead, with Care UK and Barchester Healthcare progressing four developments worth a combined £47m and set to deliver 274 beds across southern England.
Openings included Barchester Healthcare’s 62-bed Weystone Manor home in Woking, while Boutique Care Homes welcomed the first residents to its 70-bed Martello Manor in Hythe, Kent. The wider market also saw activity beyond traditional care homes, with a 60-apartment extra care housing development on the site of a former residential care home opening its doors in Porth.
Central care services at the LA backed scheme will be provided by Radis Community Care.
First Ofqual backed health and social care catering qualification gets underway
A new Ofqual-accredited qualification designed specifically for catering teams working in health and social care has kicked off with 15 participants beginning the Level 2 Award this term. Developed jointly by the National
Association of Care Catering (NACC) and the Hospital Caterers Association (HCA), the qualification is the only regulated award to support the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative framework and other specialist diets, according to the
organisations. The course combines online learning,
workplace assessment and a practical examination, and is aimed at care home staff, as well as those working in hospitals, hospices, ‘meals on wheels’ services and other health and social care settings. It covers menu planning, nutrition and hydration, food hypersensitivities, texture-modified diets and patient safety. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) requires providers to ensure people receive
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www.thecarehomeenvironment.com October 2026
adequate nutrition and hydration to sustain health and reduce the risk of malnutrition and dehydration, while food and drink must meet individual dietary, cultural and clinical needs.
Supporting workforce development NACC national chairman Neel Radia said the qualification would provide both a benchmark skills standard for new staff and a career-development pathway for existing teams.
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