North Essex-based residential care and homecare provider Healthcare Homes has made its first acquisition outside the East of England.

The group, which has its head office at Langham, near Colchester, has completed the purchase of the Malthouse Residential Home at Gillingham in Dorset, bringing its portfolio of residential and nursing homes to 25.

It is Healthcare Homes’ second acquisition of 2016, following the purchase of the Park House Nursing Home in Peterborough in January.

This brought the group’s estate in the Cambridgeshire area to four, joining 10 homes in Suffolk, nine in Norfolk and one in Bedfordshire, and the latest acquisition in Dorset – the value of which has not been disclosed – means it now has places for more than 1,100 residents.

The group also owns Manorcourt Homecare which provides homecare services through 17 branches in Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. Across its two division, the group employs more than 2,000 people.

The Malthouse provides long-term care, respite care and supported living for up to 33 older people. Following an unannounced inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in January, the home was awarded an overall rating of “Good”. It has also been awarded “Commend” status under the Gold Standards Accreditation for End of Life Care scheme.

David Bates, chief operating officer at Healthcare Homes, said: “The Malthouse has an excellent reputation for providing exceptional care to its residents.”

“The CQC’s latest report on the home is proof of this, with an extremely positive write-up on all aspects of the care and support provided to its residents.

“We very much look forward to working with the existing team to continue delivering the same high standards of care that residents are accustomed to.”