Care Provider Forms Key Part Of Merger
Two leading Midlands-based housing and care providers have joined together, creating a new Group employing 600 people and generating a turnover of around £65million.
Shropshire-based Severnside Housing and the Staffordshire-based Housing Plus have united to form the Housing Plus Group.
The new group includes care and support specialist Care Plus, which provides flexible, appropriate services designed to help people maintain their independence in retirement. Care is delivered in the home and Care Plus also manages retirement living accommodation on behalf of the housing association.
Care Plus was established in 2010 and has been managing 13 retirement living schemes in Staffordshire. Four purpose-built extra care developments have been launched in recent years, including the £14million Pencric, named Midlands Development of the Year by the Chartered Institute of Housing and crowned Best Care Complex in the Pinders Healthcare Design Awards.
The merger has brought management of additional retirement living apartments in Shrewsbury and ambitious plans to extend care and support services across Shropshire.
Les Clarke, director of care and support in the new Housing Plus Group, said that there is a growing need for specialist services aimed at helping people to live fulfilling, independent lives in their own homes.
“The ageing population and pressure on NHS health services highlight a huge gap in the support available to older people who want to stay at home in their own communities but who need some care and support to allow them to retain their independence.
“In the new Group we want to make sure that more people in towns and rural villages throughout Shropshire and Staffordshire have all the options, opportunities and reassurance that they need.”
Sarah Boden, Severnside Housing’s chief executive of ten years, has been appointed to the post of Group chief executive.
“By coming together we have combined our strengths so we can achieve more than we could have accomplished alone,” she said.
“Now we are looking forward to our future, with an increased capacity and capability to deliver care and support across both counties as well as offering more choice of housing options to all our customers.”
