‘Outstanding’ Fylde home care provider launches recruitment drive
A Fylde-based care business which has received support from Boost; Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub, has launched a significant drive for new staff.
Clifton Homecare, a family business based in Lytham St Annes, provides private, NHS, and local authority-funded domiciliary care services on the Fylde coast including companionship, health visits and end of life care.
It has recently secured a new in-home care contract with Lancashire County Council to deliver services across the Fylde area in places such as Greenhalgh, Singleton and Elswick in addition to its existing care services in South Fylde.
The business is rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and managing director Caroline Cosh contacted Boost at the start 2023 for support as she looked to expand and meet this increased demand, while maintaining Clifton Homecare’s strong reputation.
The business has grown its employee count from 42 to 50 in the past year and is aiming to keep expanding over the coming years. Caroline said the Boost support has helped her to reflect on the company’s growth strategy and assess her priorities in helping the business to expand.
Caroline said: “Taking part in Boost’s support programme has helped me take time out of the business to reflect on our business journey and where the next part of that journey will take us.
“We are actively recruiting and the business is changing as it expands. The support helped me to find the headspace to consider the way we currently operate and whether this is the best way to do so going forward.”
Boost is Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub and is led by Lancashire County Council. It has received £2.6m from the UK Government for its current programme of business support through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund contributions of ten local authorities in Lancashire, in addition to funds from Lancashire County Council and the Department for Business and Trade.
Boost’s mission is to help Lancashire businesses thrive and since 2013, it has supported over 14,000 businesses, helping create 3,500 jobs while adding £100m to the local economy. It offers a range of funded business support services and a team of business advisers Lancashire businesses can talk to.
Caroline initially met with business advisor Mike Reece from Boost’s Business Advice Service, who discussed her ambitions and discussed the right funded support to meet these. She then received Boost support from mentor John Townsend to further evaluate her business priorities and set specific goals.
The Boost support included helping Caroline fully appreciate the value of her own time, both to the business and in general so she can prioritise and focus on the business’s growth.
The company’s growth journey and ambition saw it win Employer of the Year award at the Be Inspired Business Awards (BIBAs) in September 2023, in recognition for its commitment to employees and dedication to providing outstanding care. It has also recently won several local awards for its work in care services.
Andrew Leeming, Boost programme manager at Lancashire County Council said: “This is a growth-focused and determined business. Caroline is a leader and advocate in her field locally, regionally, and nationally. The team clearly love their business, and this is reflected in the recent awards they have received.
“Our Boost advisers are experts in all areas of business growth and Boost also puts businesses in direct contact with the most suitable support from our partners across Lancashire. It’s fantastic to see that the support to help Clifton Homecare is proving beneficial to the company as it grows.”
Caroline added: “I would recommend other businesses consider engaging with Boost. As business owners we can get bogged down with everyday detail and not have time or the headspace to get a fresh perspective on our business, but it certainly proves valuable to do so.”
*This news release was issued on behalf of Boost; Lancashire's Business Growth Hub
Notes to editors
For further information, contact the Boost media office at Freshfield (01772 888400):
- Joel Durkin | joel@freshfield.com
- Jacqueline Ballard | jacqueline@freshfield.com
- Jack Miles | jack@freshfield.com
About Boost:
Led by Lancashire County Council, supported by Government and ten local authorities, Boost is Lancashire's Business Growth Hub, one of 37 Growth Hubs in the UK.
Boost’s mission is to help Lancashire businesses thrive.
Since 2013, Boost has supported over 14,000 businesses, helping create 3,500 jobs while adding £100m to the local economy.
From September 1 2023, Boost is funded by Lancashire County Council, Department for Business & Trade (DBT), and UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) allocations from ten Lancashire local authorities (Boost local authorities partners). UKSPF is part of the Levelling Up agenda and succession to EU structural funds.
Boost’s local authority partners are Blackburn with Darwen Council, Burnley Council, Chorley Council, Fylde Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, Pendle Borough Council, Preston City Council, South Ribble Borough Council, West Lancashire Borough Council and Wyre Council.
Boost offers six core services including:
- Business Support Helpdesk: A service that offers advice and guidance on available local, national and sector business support.
- Business Advice Service: A service that matches a business with an adviser and includes a business review, a business support action plan, business clinics and regular updates.
- Growth Catalyst: A service to help established businesses ready to take their business to the next level.
- Scale to Thrive: An exclusive service for businesses over £1m turnover looking to scale 20% year on year.
- Flying Start: A service that helps people start a new business or grow a young business.
- Access to Finance: A service that helps businesses find and secure the finance and funding they need.
Boost also provides an online directory of all funded business support available to Lancashire businesses, as well as an event directory, a knowledge hub and information about private sector business support.
The Business Support Helpdesk offers advice and guidance to anyone thinking of starting a business and all new and existing businesses in Lancashire. The Helpdesk provides information on local, national and sector programmes, and funding support help businesses start, grow and scale. The Business Support Helpdesk is available to businesses across all Lancashire local authorities.
Businesses located in the ten Boost local authority partner areas are eligible for the Business Advice Service, Flying Start, Growth Catalyst, Scale to Thrive and Access to Finance.
The Boost business support services will be delivered by a number of specialist local and national business support organisations including Growth Lancashire, Selnet and the Growth Company, with Lancashire County Council delivering the Access to Finance service.
The Growth Hubs across England are designed to provide local businesses of any size or sector with access to advice and support via an impartial, funded, single point of contact. They bring together national and local support from across the public and private sectors to help businesses find the right support for their needs, at the right time, at any stage of the business journey.