Lincoln care agency in administration, but all jobs safe says CEO

A care provider with offices based in Lincoln, and offering services across the county, has been placed into administration, but all jobs are safe according to the firm’s CEO.

Anneka Mansell owns 11 businesses, including Annicare Ltd, which has an offices at The Forum in North Hykeham.

Annicare is a provider of qualified, verified nurses, carers and support workers to the NHS, residential schools, forensic and non-forensic secure wards, the prison service, care/nursing homes, along with individual clients.

Sarah Bell and Steven Muncaster of Duff & Phelps Ltd were appointed as Joint Administrators of Annicare Ltd on November 13, 2019, prompting speculation that it could close, but the CEO said this is not the case.

There are 33 office staff in Lincoln and 400+ temp staff and contracts, which have all since been transferred over with no loss of hours. It has transferred over to another of Anneka’s businesses Annicare North Limited, which has five branches covering Lincoln, Nottingham, Sheffield, Leicester and Birmingham.

Annicare North Limited continues to trade as normal.

Anneka, who is from Lincoln, told The Lincolnite that she offered HMRC a CVA and asked for a 12 month period, but claimed it was declined in October. She then applied against a judge to stop a winding up order and administrators were appointed.

Anneka Mansell owns 11 businesses, including Annicare Ltd.

She said: “All the business are ran individually. There was one bad debt at Annicare Ltd, so that side of the business had to go into administration.

“All the staff and contracts transferred over to my company Annicare North. They were given the choice to transfer over which they all did.

“My business will assist in collecting the debt over the next 12 months and we are not allowed any further debt, then Annicare Ltd will become insolvent.

“There have been and will be no redundancies. We still continue to be committed to be the biggest and best healthcare provider in Lincolnshire.”

A further statement from the company added: “In order to protect our employees from unscrupulous competitors or detractors we confirm that we will act upon any misleading statements or calls to our current and prospective client base.

“The previous management team have left the organisation and have since been replaced by industry leading professionals who are committed to taking the AnniGroup forward into the future with 2020 just around the corner.”

A statement from the administrators said: “A sale of the business and certain assets of Annicare Ltd was completed on November 13, 2019 to Annicare North Limited via a pre-packaged Administration sale. Annicare North Limited is a connected party by way of common directorship and shareholding.

“All staff of Annicare Ltd transferred across to Annicare North Limited under TUPE regulations as at the date of the sale and Annicare North Limited continues to trade.”

Anneka Mansell set up Annicare Ltd after her brother suffered an extensive brain injury.

Annicare Ltd has been going as a group since 2012 and was established on the back of Anneka’s brother, Matthew Steel, suffering an extensive brain injury at the age of 12 in a crash in October 2009.

He spent the next three years in hospital and a care package was needed for him, but as he was so complex nobody would take this on so Anneka took it on herself until he became an adult and transitioned over to adult services.