Australian Unity expands home care services

Care provider Australian Unity is expanding its home care services into regional and country Victoria with the purchase of Ballarat based home care provider Homecare Plus.

Posted December 9th 2015

by Margot White

Providers

Homecare Plus provides home and personal care services to clients throughout the Ballarat and Grampians region and employs approximately 40 support workers and coordinators.

Australian Unity Retirement Living chief executive officer, Derek McMillan, calls the acquisition “a positive move for both Homecare Plus and Australian Unity, and affirms our ongoing strategy to strengthen our Home Care operation, especially in regional and country areas”.

According to Mr McMillan the acquisition will create a stronger presence for Australian Unity in the Ballarat and Grampians region while continuing to deliver the same high level of care to clients.

“The acquisition will also create new and exciting opportunities for our combined staff and expand the existing range of wellbeing services we provide to customers,” Mr McMillan says.

Homecare Plus Director, Clare Irving, who will remain with the business, says: “joining forces with Australian Unity will provide our valued staff with the opportunity to access the training and education possibilities that a large company like Australian Unity can offer”.

“We are excited about the future and together, we are confident that we can grow the business further and create additional employment in the region over time.

“We will be working closely with Australian Unity to ensure the transition is managed as smoothly as possible and clients continue to enjoy the same high level of care during this period,” Ms Irving says.

Homecare Plus has an established client base and provides home care services for a number of health organisations including the Department of Human Services, Ballan District Health, Hepburn Health Service, and Ballarat Health Service.

The purchase of Homecare Plus follows Australian Unity’s recent transfer agreement with the NSW Government to transfer the Home Care Service of NSW to Australian Unity.

The transaction is expected to be completed later this month and existing staff and employment arrangements are expected to remain in place.