A leading domiciliary care provider which aims to transform the way in which care services are delivered across the region is on course to bring 50 new jobs to East Yorkshire’s healthcare sector after successfully securing investment from NPIF – BEF & FFE Microfinance, part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF).
A.R.U Recruitment Limited t/a A.R.U Home Care was launched by former healthcare recruitment specialist Umar Anwar in January 2017, after he began thinking about the way in which domiciliary care is provided to elderly and incapacitated individuals. He felt there was a better way of helping vulnerable individuals to live in their own homes, so set about challenging the traditional care delivery model by pioneering his own ideas.
Equipped with an investment of £45,000, which was secured with the help of alternative lending provider Finance For Enterprise, Umar secured premises, a contract with the Local Authority and registered his new business with the CQC. Drawing on his experiences of working in the healthcare recruitment sector, he quickly sourced experienced carers who shared his vision of providing high quality healthcare which placed the needs of his patients first.
Umar recognised that the quality of care delivered could vary significantly. To take his business to the next level, Umar implemented a robust system to help patients receive the vital care and support they needed – from checking tablets are administered at the right time each day, to ensuring specific care needs such as help with washing, getting in and out of bed, and even ensuring patients receive regular meals – all of which can be accessed by ARU Care’s via a state of the art tablet.
Working with an experienced Finance For Enterprise Investment Manager, Dan Wilkinson, Umar was able to access the vital funds his business needed, enabling him to invest in developing and implementing a unique system designed to improve the way in care is delivered. All staff are equipped with a tablet, which allows specific needs and care duties to be met and shared across the team. Umar has also invested in a bespoke online training programme, which carers can access outside of the office.
Since launching ARU Home Care, Umar has successfully seen his business enjoy significant growth. Within less than twelve months since starting his business, Umar has seen his staff numbers increase to 22, including 20 carers and he is on track to see his numbers of staff rise to more than 50 by the end of 2018. However, he is keen not to rest on his laurels and he is setting his sights on opening his first dedicated residential care centre within five years.
Umar Anwar, Founder, ARU Home Care, said:
“Before I founded ARU Home Care, I was an entrepreneur working in healthcare recruitment. I had big ideas and recognised that with an ageing population and a shortage of skilled staff working in the care sector, something needed to be done.
“I discussed my ideas with an experienced care manager who was sceptical of my plans, but like most successful people, I’m the sort of person who spots solutions and opportunities. Undeterred and after spending time researching and developing my ideas, I felt I was ready to start my own business.
“The main goal when launching ARU Home Care was to provide the highest possible care in the familiar and comfortable surroundings of an individual’s home. I know I have achieved that and with the help of Finance For Enterprise, I was able to go one step further.
“Without the funding which Finance For Enterprise helped me to secure, I would have been unable to take the business to the next level and I would have faced larger struggles and challenges than I anticipated and prepared for in my first few months in business. My Investment Manager not only supported me with my funding application but also provided jargon free, positive and transferrable knowledge and skills on a range of business aspects and over a year later, is still on the end of the phone whenever I need advice.”
Dan Wilkinson, Investment Manager, Finance For Enterprise, said:
“When Umar approached us for help with securing finance, he had a clear plan of what he wanted to achieve and when he wanted to achieve it by, as well as setting himself ambitious goals for the future. It’s been over a year since I first met with Umar and during that time he has built and developed a successful business, created over 20 new jobs in the healthcare sector and has implemented cutting edge technology and training to support staff and help them gain new skills.
“As an Investment Manager, it’s my role to work alongside clients to ensure they are receiving the right support and advice not just in regards to finance, but in all aspects of business. The loan supplied to ARU Home Care allowed Umar to launch the business he knew would be able to provide a better service to those who require the help of a carer, as well as allowing him to put the provisions in place to create further jobs within the region and expand the business to provide a wider range of services.”
Mark Wilcockson, Senior Relationship Manager, British Business Bank, said:
The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund was created to enable entrepreneurs and business owners to access funds which would allow them to launch, develop and expand their business at the right time. Finance for Enterprise were able to use NPIF – BEF & FFE Microfinace to help Umar secure a loan package to enable him to launch the business and further develop the structure to implement new services and technology and target expansion in the future.”
The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.
