Whitwood bought out 
by Care UK

The business, with a head office in Leeds and three care homes in Castleford, recorded a turnover of £5.3m in its last financial year and has 140 employees. Whitwood Care, a subsidiary of Michael Wheatley Holdings, was established in 1996 and has a total of 48 beds, catering particularly for adults with learning disabilities.

Care UK, a major provider of heath and social care services, was founded in 1982 and has 17,000 employees. In the six months ending March 31 2012, it recorded revenues of £247.5m.

Following a management buyout in 2010, private equity group Bridgepoint became a major shareholder in Care UK. The company de-listed from the stock exchange and changed its name from Care plc to Care UK.

Libby Eastley, of Care UK, said: “We are really pleased to welcome the Whitwood Care team into our community services division.

“The three homes from Whitwood Care are a natural fit with the rest of our services for people with learning disabilities. We are busy getting to know the people who live in the homes and the teams that support them and at present we have no plans to alter the way that the service is run.”

Leeds-based independent corporate finance firm Park Place Corporate Finance acted as the lead advisor on the disposal of family-owned Whitwood Care to Care UK. David Hardless and Ben Peacock led the deal for Park Place. Mr Hardless said: “The business is a very good fit for Care UK, who are seeking to develop a complete service user pathway across the UK.”