A HOME care company is starting a major recruitment drive after being named as the number one preferred provider of home care services in the Redcar and Cleveland area.

Caremark (Redcar and Cleveland) is seeking to create dozens of new jobs in response to a new contract awarded by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.

This follows a competitive tendering exercise which resulted in Caremark being ranked first of nine local providers accepted onto the new Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council Community Care and Support Services Framework.

This means the company will now have first refusal on all care packages referred by the council.

To ensure it can take on the extra work the new contract will generate, Caremark is now busy recruiting more staff to add to its existing 250-plus team.

Caremark (Redcar and Cleveland) Managing Director Michelle Jackson said: “We are delighted to have been ranked as the number one preferred provider of home care in our area.

“It’s an amazing achievement and testament to the hard work of our fantastic care team and the great support we receive from our customers and their families.”

Michelle said the new recruitment drive will target a range of people, from experienced carers through to new job seekers and those looking for a change in career.

She added: “We are aiming to create the new jobs so we can meet the increase in care hours that this new contract will bring.

“With people unfortunately losing their jobs to the Covid-19 situation, this could be a great opportunity for them to jump immediately back into a job and no previous care experience is necessary as all training is provided.

“We are one of only a handful of companies to be able to offer 30-hour fixed contracts, which gives people security and is a rarity in the home care sector.”