A premium East Anglian nursing homes owner has expressed delight after taking over another home.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Roger Catchpole, boss of Stow Healthcare Ltd, is confident he can turn Cedars Place into one of the best care homes in Essex Picture: STOW HEALTHCARERoger Catchpole, boss of Stow Healthcare Ltd, is confident he can turn Cedars Place into one of the best care homes in Essex Picture: STOW HEALTHCARE (Image: Holly Riggs)

Fast -growing family-owned Stow Healthcare has snapped up Halstead-based The Cedars Care Home from care operator QH The Cedars Ltd.

It brings the firm’s nursing home portfolio up to six — following the recent purchase of Halstead Hall, also in Halstead.

The group is owned by the Catchpole family which launched the business after a care home on its farm — Stowlangtoft Hall Nursing Home near Bury St Edmunds — went out of business. The family decided to take it on and has continued to expand across the region, buying up historic homes in attractive settings.

MORE — Firm’s legacy ‘will be honoured’ after being bought out by directorsStow Healthcare now has a bed capacity of 330 across its homes, which also include Ford Place Nursing Home in Thetford, Brandon Park Nursing Home near Brandon and Melford Court Care Home in Long Melford.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Cedars Place - a nursing home in Halstead which has been snapped up by Stow Healthcare Picture: STOW HEALTHCARECedars Place - a nursing home in Halstead which has been snapped up by Stow Healthcare Picture: STOW HEALTHCARE (Image: Stow Healthcare)

The Cedars is currently registered for 63 residents and offers the business the opportunity to expand its premium care brand in Essex.

The building is described as “an elegant 19th century house which retains many of its original features”. It lies on the edge of the historic north Essex town of Halstead and provides long-term, respite and convalescence dementia and nursing care to the elderly.

Stow Healthcare managing director Roger Catchpole said of the deal: “We are delighted to have agreed the purchase of a care facility with such great potential.

“Despite the home struggling for many years, I am confident that with the support of Essex County Council, the Care Quality Commission, and the local Halstead community, we can turn this home into one of the best care homes in Essex.”

Mr Catchpole said he was committed to providing the highest quality care to the residents at the home, which is to be renamed Cedars Place, and has taken over the running of the home following regulatory approval by the Care Quality Commission.

Over the coming years Stow Healthcare said it plans to invest “significantly” in the renovation of this care facility and staff training.

“I am determined to continuously improve the quality of care on offer at The Cedars, and in East Anglia more generally. Our residents deserve the best care possible, and we have a responsibility to support them.”

Stow Healthcare’s legal advisers for the deal were Ashtons Legal.

Geoff Hazlewood, who heads the corporate and commercial team at Ashtons, said: “We are delighted to be able to assist Stow Healthcare as they continue to expand their group of award-winning care homes in Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex. It is rewarding to be able to work with a company which is clearly committed to providing a much-needed high quality resource in the region and has found a highly successful formula for doing so.”