Dereham firm's £6m deal

The healthcare arm of a Dereham-based recruitment company has clinched a three-year deal in Northern Ireland worth £6m.

Jark Recruitment has been named master vendor by nursing and care home specialist Four Seasons Health Care.

The contract will see Jark Healthcare's Downpatrick, Lisburn and Belfast offices supplying staff to all 65 Four Seasons sites in Northern Ireland, as well as the creation of eight new jobs at Jark to help service the account.

“We are delighted to have been named master vendor,” said Jark chairman John Buckman.

“Our Northern Ireland teams are in a great position to facilitate supply and have embarked on a major campaign to assist the migration of existing staff to ensure the stability of the homes.

“They will also be working to attract new staff, all of whom will benefit from our extensive experience, excellent training services and support system. This win further supports our long-term growth plan of achieving turnover of £250m within five years, making us a top 10 recruitment company.”

Jim McCall, managing director for Four Seasons in Northern Ireland, added: “This is a very exciting time as we embark on a major programme of resource centralisation.

“It is crucial that we maintain continuity of high-quality care and we are happy that Jark Healthcare will enable us to deliver this effectively within the specified implementation period.”

Four Seasons operates 330 homes across the UK, caring for more than 15,000 people. In Northern Ireland it employs 3,500 staff, making it one of the province's largest employers.

Jark, which employs 50 people at its Dereham head office, pays about 7,000 temporary staff a week across its five divisions.

In April, Jark announced the acquisition of the Aptus Group, putting it in the top 40 recruitment companies in the UK and increasing its annual turnover to £105m.

Jark's other divisions are construction, commercial, driving and industrial. The company has 40 offices across the country as well as operations in Spain and Poland.

Courtesy of EDP

27 August 2008