Suffolk-born entrepreneur Tom Brooks and business partner Pete Dowds are rolling out their latest venture.

The duo, friends from university, previously created Mopp, an online platform for booking prefessional cleaning services, which they sold to US company Handy in a multi-million pound deal in 2014.

Now they have launched Elder, another online platform (www.elder.org), providing access to high-quality live-in care for the elderly and infirm.

Having achieved rapid growth in London over the past year they are now expanding the service more widely, including East Anglia.

Tom, who was born and raised in Suffolk, where his family still owns a farm, said: “In recent years, as our own grandparents have got older, Pete and I have experienced first-hand the problems families face when trying to find reliable care and support.

“We observed the lacklustre way that traditional companies often treated their carers, and were inspired to create a more flexible model focused on individual needs and high quality live-in care, benefiting both clients and care professionals across the UK.”

Elder matches vetted care professioinal with customers within 24 hours, for a rate covering full wrap-around live-in care.

“Those in need of care, and their families/friends, can access Elder to find flexible, round-the-clock home support, and connect with experienced and background-checked care professionals who have the correct skills for every individual’s requirement,” says Tom.

“The Elder platform caters for all needs, from moving around the home, bathing, toileting, regular bedtime help and meal preparation, to grocery shopping and social activities, as well as emergency situations, such as last minute hospital appointments.

“The affordability and flexibility of the service ensures that people can keep living in their own homes for longer, and can tailor the level of support as and when they need it,” he adds.

“The easy-to-use platform hosts a range of features which allow customers to experience the best quality support, such as care ratings, check in/check out functions, daily task lists, customer-carer messaging and online payment facilities.

“With the £7bn care industry in desperate need of new technological advancement, Elder is fast becoming the go-to online platform for selecting quality live-in care.”