The Sandstone Care Group has acquired three homes from Orchard Care Homes.

The homes – St Helens Hall and Lodge, Longridge Hall and Lodge, and Fleetwood Hall – are situated in the Northwest of England, close to Sandstone Care’s head office in Birchwood, Warrington.

As part of the acquisition, Orchard Care staff will transfer across to Sandstone Care.

The acquisition follows Orchard Care’s decision to reduce its portfolio by around 25%.

Sandstone Care, which was established last year, expects to acquire further homes this year and is also considering additional sites for new-build care facilities; the company has already opened its first purpose-built care home in Powys, Wales.

Sandstone Care director James Parkin said: “We are excited to have been able to add three of Orchard’s homes to our portfolio. Orchard has a similar commitment to ourselves to provide residents with the best possible care within a vibrant community setting.”

Hayden Knight, chief executive at Orchard Care, added: “Sandstone Care’s team shares our culture of delivering high-quality, compassionate care. We have been working closely with their operations team to ensure a smooth transition. The transfer of the three homes is part of our strategic plan announced earlier in the year. Other homes in the Orchard Care Homes portfolio will continue to operate as normal.”