2/21/2023 | Care

Leading Northwest homecare agency sold to Optimo Care Group

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has announced the sale of Northwest homecare agency, Stepping Stones Services.

Stepping Stones Services


Stepping Stones Services is a ‘Good’ rated homecare agency and supported living business which provides high-quality specialist support services for people with learning disabilities, complex care, and supported living needs across Bury, Oldham, and Rochdale. The business was established in 2011 and has since grown into one of the region’s leading providers, delivering around 3,300 care hours per week to over 30 clients.

The business was previously owned by Arzoo Mahmood and, following a sales process with Christie & Co, has been purchased by Barnsley-based, home help service agency, Optimo Care Group, which comprises a number of subsidiaries and delivers over 18,000 hours of care per week across the North of England.

Stepping Stones’ staff will remain with the business, with plans established to further increase the size of the team through the expansion of its services.

Arzoo Mahmood, previous owner of Stepping Stones Services, comments, “Having developed and grown the business over the last 13 years, I decided to sell to concentrate on other business interests and enable a new owner to grow the business further.”

Ben Hales, Head of M&A at Optimo Care Group, comments, “I am delighted to announce our latest acquisition of Stepping Stones. I would like to welcome the Stepping Stones teams into the Optimo family and also say thank you to Arzoo for all her work over the past 13 years in developing the company to what it is today. This deal further develops and supports our current growth strategy in supported living and complex care services. We have made a number of recent appointments into our senior management team during the winter period, and the group is now positioned to continue our growth on the back of last year's performance.”

Julie Kitson, Director at Christie & Co who handled the sale, comments, “I am very pleased to have been instructed to help Arzoo dispose of her business. The remit was to find a buyer who understood the sector and had the capacity to take on the staff and growing pipeline. Optimo, an established domiciliary care operator, understood this, and I am sure they will continue with growing the business further. I wish Ben and his team every success.”

Stepping Stones Services was sold for an undisclosed price.


For further information on this press release, contact:
Phoebe Burrows, Corporate Communications Manager
P: 07540 063 598 or E: phoebe.burrows@christie.com

Contact the agent:
Julie Kitson, Director – Care and Childcare & Education
P: 07870 917 854 or E: julie.kitson@christie.com

Visit Christie & Co’s Business Search page to find out more about current care listings.