Care UK and Signature Senior Lifestyle to take over Sunrise Senior Living UK and Gracewell Healthcare

Company news

Jul 20, 2021

Leading care providers Care UK and Signature Senior Lifestyle (Signature) have announced that they will be taking over the leadership and management of all of Sunrise Senior Living UK and Gracewell Healthcare’s homes in the UK.

The news comes after a decision from Sunrise Senior Living US to focus its growth and development within North America. Signature will welcome 20 homes (18 Sunrise and 2 Gracewell), with Care UK welcoming the other 26 (7 Sunrise and 19 Gracewell) to their portfolio.

Care UK and Signature are an excellent fit for the Sunrise and Gracewell portfolios given their focus on providing the highest standards of care and operational excellence, and their complementary geographic footprints.  Sunrise and Gracewell residents and their families will continue to benefit from a high standard of service. 

The three parties are now working together closely, and the transfer of the homes is anticipated to take place towards the end of the year. Providing exceptional care to residents will remain the focus throughout the transition.

Care UK is a rapidly expanding provider offering high quality care for both funded and private residents.  As well as having a strong reputation for care quality, Care UK has invested heavily in developing a market-leading hospitality and lifestyle product reflecting similar focus areas to the Sunrise and Gracewell approach.

Signature is recognised as a premium south east operator providing exceptional care for seniors within market leading luxury environments and continues to expand its south east network of homes with further investment planned in its facilities and services.

Andrew Knight, CEO of Care UK, said:

“The Sunrise and Gracewell homes provide an exciting addition to our portfolio and will enable us to extend our reach into new local markets and continue our mission to provide safe and stimulating environments in which residents are supported to lead fulfilling lives.

“The teams in the Sunrise and Gracewell homes have a strong reputation for delivering excellent care and we have a huge amount of respect for the work they are doing.  We are looking forward to working closely with the team over the next few months and are excited to welcome residents and colleagues into the Care UK family.”

Aidan Roche, CEO of Signature Senior Lifestyle, said: 

“Adding 20 new homes to our portfolio is the latest stage of the growth story that began when we started the business in 2006 and is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire Signature team.

“Since day one, Signature has pursued a relentless focus on quality, with the resident at the heart of everything we do. We will be working towards a seamless transition for staff and residents and are hugely excited to be taking these next steps together.”

Dr Natalie-Jane Macdonald, UK CEO of Sunrise Senior Living and Gracewell Healthcare, said:

“Sunrise has been proud to serve thousands of residents over the past 20 years in the UK and to provide a great place to work for our team members.

“Most recently, the commitment and resilience of our entire team throughout the pandemic, and the support of our residents and their families, has been outstanding.

“We are delighted to be working with two high quality providers to ensure a smooth transition process to benefit our residents, families and teams. I have every confidence that Care UK and Signature will build on our strong foundations, ensuring our homes continue to be wonderful places to live and work.”