A provider of home care services has expanded its operational centre in Southampton.
Action24 Healthcare relocated to a larger office within the city’s Ocean Village Innovation Centre (OVIC) at Ocean Village Marina.
Incorporated at Companies House three years ago, Action24 Healthcare started out with two staff in Southampton.
There are now six staff in the port city and 10 in London to care for vulnerable adults in a London borough for a local authority.
Among the new intake is Jude Mmone as a physiotherapist/trainer, who joined as care practitioner at OVIC.
Grace Dzikushie, a director at Action24 Healthcare, said: “Due to a growing private client base, including Southampton, the New Forest and Winchester, we have been able to expand our operational base at OVIC, which has been supportive of our growth journey since we arrived in 2023.
“We focus our home care services on supporting ageing clients who prefer to live independently in the comfort and familiarity of their own home rather than being elsewhere. Service demand is increasing, reflecting national and local demographics.
“Having a larger workplace here at OVIC also means we can now provide care practitioner training for other independent home care providers in the region as well.
“Best-practice training includes how to move clients safely, including using a bed or chair hoist, how to administer medication and catheter care.”
According to industry figures, there are 641,000 people in England receiving domiciliary care, with the number set to rise as the UK’s population ages.
Based on data from the Office for National Statistics, there were nearly 13 million people aged 65 or over in the UK in 2022, with just over 22 million forecast by 2072, an increase to 27% of the population from 19%.
Grace said: “The population continues to age, with more than one in six people across England aged 65 years and over on Census Day in 2021, a higher percentage than ever before.
“By way of local example, in the New Forest, with a population of just over 176,000 and a median age of 52, there has been a rise of nearly 17% in people aged 65 and over from 2011.”
Stephen Deller is Centre Manager at OVIC, which has 67 serviced offices, coworking spaces and six meeting rooms, one of which was booked by a Canadian flying over to the UK on a business trip.
He said: “Action24 Healthcare, which has been with us since starting out in 2023, joins a number of other resident companies moving into larger offices on site thanks to growth.
“Such is the demand, the ground and third floors at OVIC are full, with just two available offices on the first and second floors – and one of those on each floor is already under offer.
“The fourth floor also has two spaces under offer, both in excess of 500 sq ft.”
As well as serviced offices and meeting rooms, OVIC, which celebrated its 15th anniversary in December, provides complimentary strategic business support for occupiers.
Meanwhile, the business hub has launched a free, monthly networking group called OVIC Networking Hub.
Managed by Oxford Innovation Space on behalf of MDL Marinas Group, OVIC is part of a network of 31 innovation centres across the UK and Ireland, creating thriving ecosystems where businesses collaborate and accelerate growth.