Specialist recruitment firm Sanctuary Personnel has reported its ninth consecutive year of turnover growth.
Ipswich-based Sanctuary, which was last month named overall Business of the Year at the East Anglian Daily Times Business Awards, is a major supplier of staff to the social work, healthcare and criminal justice sectors.
Accounts newly filed at Companies House show that, in the year to October 31, 2016, Sanctuary’s turnover grew by 4.8% to £110.044m, from £105.018m the previous year.
Operating profit dipped from £4.147m to £2.127m, largely reflecting increases in depreciation, lease rental and pension costs.
However, gross profit margin remained broadly flat, at 13% against 14% the previous year, and in their strategic report the directors say they are “extremely satisfied” with the company’s financial performance.
Sanctuary’s key non-financial indicator, the weekly average number of workers on placement, also grew by 11% compared with the previous year.
“This has been the company’s ninth consecutive year of turnover growth,” the report says.
“This reflects continued growth of the company’s renowned social work business including an increase in the amount of work undertaken by special project teams.
“The rate of growth is particularly pleasing given the continued pressures on public finances,” it adds.
Sanctuary, led by managing director James Rook, has grown from its original team of just eight people 11 years ago to employe a current workforce of more than 250.
The EADT Business of the Year title is a “winner of winners” accolade, the recipient of which is chosen from among the winners of the other award categories.
Sanctuary qualified by winning two other awards – the Large Business category (for firms with annual turnover of more than £5m) and The Youth Pledge award (for organisations helping young people into work).
Sanctuary Personnel is the umbrella company for the specialist recruitment brands Sanctuary Social Care, Sanctuary Health and Sanctuary Criminal Justice.
Sanctuary Social Care is the largest independent provider of social workers in the UK, providing recruitment services to more than 160 local authorities and private organisations.
It also includes Sanctuary Executive, offering a bespoke recruitment service to those leading social work departments, and a social work delivery service through its Skylakes division.
Sanctuary Health provides mental health, health science service, doctors and nursing professionals throughout the UK and is apreferred supplier to the NHS.
Sanctuary Criminal Justice provides staff to support the UK’s criminal justice system, including those working within youth offending, probation and substance misuse services as well as roles in social care.
Sanctuary Personnel also operates a specialist training division, Sanctuary Training, offering a comprehensive range of courses to assist professionals with their Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
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