Domiciliary care business expands at Nuneaton innovation centre

B24 Healthcare Solutions has moved to larger premises at Warwickshire’s Eliot Park Innovation Centre as the business continues to grow.

Registered nurse Barbara Akoachere established B24 after her experience caring for her sister-in-law, Anke, who was diagnosed with cancer.

Barbara moved from Reading to Nuneaton to help her brother care for his three children following Anke’s death.

She also brought a vision of creating a leading domiciliary care provider to supply experienced staff to the adult social care sector.

It began with a single client in Whitestone in 2022. Barbara then secured her first contract with Warwickshire County Council to provide packages of care – usually for those discharged from hospital – and within a year she’d found a permanent office setting at Eliot Park.

The business now employs 65 staff, necessitating the latest move.

Barbara said she wanted B24 to become known for its bespoke care throughout Warwickshire and Leicestershire.

“When I was helping to care for Anke, the district nurses would often say I’d done their job for them, and to a high standard.

“I wanted to bridge the gap between hospitals and the community to provide personal home care services focused on quality and providing the best possible training for my staff.

“I knew I needed to present B24 with a professional outlook to our providers, service users and staff, and after looking at various premises, I chose Eliot Park Innovation Centre to aid our expansion plans. We moved in last January.”

Tina Silk-Neilsen, who joined the team in July 2023 as registered manager, said that her and Barbara have a passion for providing great care to people who are often frail and elderly.

“We’ve had amazing growth over the last seven months, and have doubled the number of individuals we’re caring for, which is now more than 80 people.

“We soon realised we’d outgrown our office space, and after speaking with the team at Eliot Park, we started on our next chapter by securing a larger office space to meet our growth and needs.

“We have many visitors, including Care Quality Commission inspectors and commissioners from local authorities that we work with, and all have said how lovely the building is and how well Eliot Park caters for its clients.

“We have further aspirations of growing into an even bigger office to take on more staff and have the training space for our staff.”

Cllr Martin Watson, portfolio holder for economy at Warwickshire County Council, added: “The business centres owned and managed by Warwickshire County Council are often a platform for startups and micro businesses to move from their home or garden shed into a more business orientated location.

“We have the space for businesses to start in a small unit and then move to a larger unit as they expand – just like B24 Healthcare Solutions.

“That’s exactly what Barbara, Tina and the rest of the team have achieved at Eliot Park Innovation Centre, and it’s fantastic that we’re part of their future growth plans.”