A COMPANY specialising in home care has expanded with the opening of a new office.

The Christchurch office is the fifth for Bluebird Care Dorset, whose directors Joanne McMahon and Chris Scriven began with a Weymouth office in 2011.

The company now has more than 200 customers across the county, the majority of them private clients. The company won the Care Innovators award in the South West region of the Great British Care Awards in 2013 and was a finalist again in 2014.

The Christchurch office, at Bargates in Christchurch’s town centre, was previously occupied by Essential Nursing and Care.

Chris Scriven, said: “we strongly believe in the importance of keeping things local. Although we had some Care workers and customers in Christchurch already that were overseen from our Ferndown office, we were keen to take on a prominent new office in Christchurch itself so that we would be more on hand.

“As well as providing a better service to Christchurch’s older residents, we will also bring a significant amount of new jobs to the area.’

Care manager Gavin Hellis, who is accompanied in the office by coordinator Abbie Gaunt, said: “I am delighted to be leading the new office which, I feel sure, will bring welcome and much needed care provision to the Christchurch area.”