Mears Group

Mears Group is a housing and social care provider. It repairs and maintain over 700,000 social homes across the UK.[1]

History

The company was founded in 1988 in Gloucestershire, where it is still based, and floated on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange, as Mears Group Plc in 1996. In 1999 it acquired Haydon & Co and in 2007 Careforce. In 2008, the group had 8000 employees, and moved to the main market at the London Stock Exchange, with a £420m turnover. In 2011 it took over more than 20 Home Improvement Services from Anchor and in 2012 acquired Morrison. In 2012 it acquired Independent Living Services Scotland[2] and launched Mears Nurseplus, enabling the company to offer health services as well as social care. In 2014 it acquired Omega Group, the largest provider of temporary accommodation and homelessness prevention schemes in England. In October 2014 it took over Omega Group Ltd, a private sector provider of residential lettings and management services to the social housing market.[3] In June 2015 it bought Care UK's home care division, with about 6,000 employees for £11.3 million. It was renamed Mears Care. It looks after about 13,000 people.[4]

Performance

Profits in the first six months of 2014/5 were £18.7m, an increase of 11%. Total group revenue was down 3% from £439.1m to £428.1m.[5]

Nurseplus was awarded a place on the NHS framework contract to supply staff into NHS establishments across Scotland in November 2014. Nurseplus specialises in the care of adult and paediatric service users who have a range of complex health conditions, both acute and chronic that require clinical intervention and management.[6]

The Group is creating 100 new support jobs in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire areas in October 2014.[7]

Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust named the Group as the preferred bidder to run its Living Well@Home Services contract which will integrate IT systems and deliver a range of community-based services for a minimum of five years.[8]

Political involvement

The group, with the Local Government Information Unit, supported a report, in December 2014 by former care minister Paul Burstow calling for home care workers to be given key workers status and a living wage.[9]

It is one of the companies nominated as Social Mobility Business Compact ‘Champions’ as a signatory of the Social Mobility Business Compact, set up by the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in 2011, to encourage employers to offer young people fair and open access to employment opportunities.[10]

Staffing

The company holds annual fun days for between 7,000 and 10,000 staff and their families. In July 2014 this was held at Drayton Manor Theme Park.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Mears Group to oversee Flowgroup microCHP boiler installations". Heating and Ventilation News. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  2. ↑ "Mears acquires domiciliary care business". HealthInvestor. 22 April 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "BPE Solicitors named as legal experts in £40m Mears Group plc takeover deal". Gloucestershire Echo. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  4. ↑ "Mears Group acquires Care UK’s domiciliary care service for £11.3m". Health Investor. 1 June 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  5. ↑ "Six month-profits rise to £18m-plus at Gloucestershire business Mears Group PLC". South West Business. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  6. ↑ "Mears Nurseplus to provide Nurses and Healthcare Assistants for NHS Scotland". 24 Dash.com. 3 November 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "Mears Care to create 100 new support jobs in the North East". Daily Record. 9 October 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Mears Group named preferred bidder on NHS contract". Health Investor. 15 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  9. ↑ "Home care nearing ‘crisis’ point warns report". Local Government News. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  10. ↑ "UK employers set a new benchmark for social mobility". Business Quarter. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  11. ↑ "Mears Group picks Drayton Manor for 10,000-strong staff event". Conference and Incentive Travel. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.

External links

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