Pictured above: (l-r) Worcester MP Robin Walker,
residents Doreen Davies and Ann Thomson, activity coordinator
Araminta White and Sanctuary's Group Director - Care and Support
Steve Wood
Today marks the start of a new era for nine Worcestershire care
homes as they join leading UK housing and social care provider
Sanctuary Group.
Heart of England Housing and Care Ltd was acquired from Orbit
Group by Sanctuary Group this week and will be managed by Sanctuary
Care, one of the Group's subsidiaries which manages 50 care homes
across the UK.
The acquisition was celebrated yesterday at Hastings Care Home
in Barnards Green Road in Malvern, where Heart of England staff and
their residents united with new colleagues from Sanctuary Group and
Sanctuary Care to mark the occasion.
David Bennett, Sanctuary's Group Chief Executive said: "We are
delighted to be welcoming the staff and residents of the Heart of
England Care homes to Sanctuary Group.
"With statistics showing that the UK population is aging, there
is a growing need for specialist care homes and services. Our
vision is to understand the changing needs of older people and
develop a range of care services to meet those needs, especially in
Worcestershire which has a higher than national average number of
older people residing there.
"We believe this acquisition is just one of the ways we can
achieve that vision. In partnership with the dedicated staff from
Heart of England, we aim to provide quality care and support, not
just to residents in the nine homes in Worcestershire but also to
older people across the region who may be in need of a little extra
support."
"Paul Tennant, Orbit Group Chief Executive says: "The decision
to sell Heart of England Housing & Care Ltd was not an easy one
to make. However, we felt that the move would benefit staff and
residents alike; ensuring their future well-being was important to
Orbit.
"Sanctuary Care is an established and respected care provider
already providing essential services to older people in the
Worcestershire area. We felt that Sanctuary was best placed to
continue the excellent level of care found at the homes."
The nine homes, which will continue to operate under the name
Heart of England, are Beechwood in Upton-upon-Severn, Brambles in
Redditch, Breme in Bromsgrove, Cranham and Regent in Worcester,
Hastings in Malvern, Heathlands in Pershore, Ravenhurst in
Stourport-on-Severn and Westmead in Droitwich. Together they
provide residential and specialist dementia care for over 450
residents, as well as day care services.