Harrowells helps launch of new care company in East Yorkshire

A chance meeting between a care worker and the entrepreneur daughter of a woman she looked after has led to the launch of a new care business in East Yorkshire.

Care worker Andrea Brooksby’s meeting with Liz Gericke, while looking after her elderly mother in an East Yorkshire care home, has led to the launch of At Home – Specialists in Care Ltd which will support elderly and vulnerable adults living independently in their homes.

At Home – Specialists in Care Ltd, Pocklington, has been launched by its three directors, Andrea Brooksby, Gail Knott and Liz Gericke, with legal support from Harrowells Solicitors.

The company, which has gained accreditation from the Care Quality Commission, is providing a range of support to adults who are vulnerable through illness, age or infirmity and need assistance to enable them to live at home.  Its services include preparing meals, laundry, personal care assistance, shopping, cleaning, errands, and overnight stays to give other carers a break.

Andrea Brooksby, who has worked in the care sector for 15 years, says: “Liz is from Pocklington but is also a successful business woman in South Africa and divides her time between the two.  I met her when caring for her mum in an East Yorkshire residential home and we soon became friends.

“Liz wanted to put something back into the local community and has become our start-up investor. Along with our colleague, Gail Knott, who has commercial expertise and more than 20 years care experience, including having worked with disabled adults and children, we can provide badly-needed services in an area which initially focuses on Pocklingon, Market Weighton and surrounding villages.

“Our business, which works alongside district nurses and MacMillan Nurses, will help meet the needs of an ageing population and follows the coalition government’s call for people to be able to live at home for longer because they do much better in familiar surroundings.

“Harrowells has been excellent in enabling us to get our venture off the ground and, particularly, with addressing the complex regulatory issues involved in applying to the Care Quality Commission. We could not have done it without them.”

At Home – Specialists in Care Ltd is registered with East Riding Council and, as demand grows, aims to extend its services to Driffield, Bridlington and Scarborough and develop its offer to provide respite care so relatives with sick or elderly partners, parents, children or siblings can have week-long breaks.

Legal services provided to the venture by Harrowells' commercial division solicitor Matthew Rowley included advising on the best corporate structure, setting up the limited company, overseeing the Care Quality Commission application and advising on other regulatory obligations including data protection registration and information security. Employment partner Marie Horner advised on aspects such as appropriate employment contracts and staff handbooks.

Matt Rowley says: “It was rewarding to be involved in a truly local venture from the very start and, particularly, one motivated by a desire to improve access to, and the quality of, home care. I hope the success of this venture shows enterprises in Driffield, Pocklington and Market Weighton that they can gain quality legal support without having to go to Leeds or Hull.”