Catterall House bought by Holywell Care Group

A North West care group has expanded with the acquisition of a 24-bed residential care home in Lancashire in a deal brokered by Montane Care.

Holywell Care Group has bought Catterall House in Garstang, near Preston, from Arrowsmith Care Homes for an undisclosed sum.

Montane Care brokered the sale on behalf of Arrowsmith owner Skanda Rajaratnam.

Jo Clark of Adams and Remers provided legal advice to Arrowsmith, and Daniel Coll of R and B Legal acted for Holywell Care Group.

Holywell Care Group provides residential, domiciliary and specialised care across sites in Preston, Lancaster and Morecambe. It now plans to renovate and upgrade Catterall House.

Sabe Connor, co-founder of Holywell Care, said: “From the moment we stepped into Catterall House Care Home, we felt a genuine warmth and dedication from the team.

"The commitment to kindness, care and outstanding support aligns with our group vision, so we are thrilled to welcome the residents and team into the Holywell Care family.

“The team at Catterall House has done incredible work, and we’re honoured to build on that foundation with the support of our dedicated staff.  

"This is the start of an exciting new chapter for everyone at Catterall House and we can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.

“Working with Montane Care made the process straightforward and efficient.

"We look forward to building on the fantastic foundations already in place and continuing to deliver the highest standards of care.

“The acquisition marks an important milestone in the group’s growth strategy and further demonstrates our commitment to supporting local communities with high-quality care services.”

Robert Connor, co-founder of Holywell Care, added: “Catterall House Care Home has strong foundations and a highly-regarded reputation in the local area.

“We look forward to building on this success and investing in the home’s future, creating more jobs and expanding the care capacity so we can support even more people in the community.”

Montane Care, which provides commercial advice on the sale and acquisition of care homes and childcare facilities across the UK, is part of the Montane group of businesses.

The group has its headquarters in Buxton, Derbyshire, and offices in Chorley, Lancashire, and Winsford, Cheshire.

It includes Montane Finance, an award-winning, independent finance broker, and Montane Insurance, a boutique commercial broker for the hospitality and healthcare sectors.

Darren Edwards, healthcare agent at Montane Care, said: “Catterall House is a respected and long-established care home.

“Under the ownership of Arrowsmith Care Homes, it became known for its compassionate care, dedicated staff team and strong compliance record.

“These qualities, together with a loyal local reputation and consistent occupancy, made Catterall House an attractive opportunity for a quality-driven operator.

“We were instructed to manage the sale through a confidential and structured process, designed to protect residents and staff while achieving the best outcome for the vendor.

“Drawing on our national database of active buyers and an in-depth understanding of the sector, we generated multiple expressions of interest and selected the most suitable and well-funded purchaser following a detailed due diligence process.

“Catterall House is a well-run home with a strong culture, and it was important to find a buyer who shared the same values.

“Holywell Care Group is a growing regional operator with a strong commitment to delivering high-quality, person-centred care and is an excellent fit.

“It has been a genuine pleasure to represent Skanda and the Arrowsmith Care Homes team.

“This marks another successful transaction for Montane Care and reinforces our reputation as a trusted specialist in the UK care sector.

“We continue to see strong demand for well-managed care homes with solid compliance and long-standing reputations.

“Our ability to deliver discreet, structured transactions and our deep connections within the sector allow us to achieve strong results for our clients.”

Skanda said: “Catterall House has been part of our journey for many years, and choosing the right buyer was important to us. The outcome exceeded my expectations and I’m confident the home will continue to thrive under Holywell Care Group’s ownership.”