Healthcare recruitment agency inspired by founder’s son celebrates major growth

INSPIRATION: Deborah Stock, founder of Care Connection Partners, with her son Maxwell. Pictures by Tom Arran

By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor

A healthcare recruitment agency set up by a woman after her son suffered two catastrophic brain injuries is celebrating outstanding growth.

Care Connection Partners was established by managing director Deborah Stock in February 2021.

After working in the healthcare arena since her grandmother became ill in 2008, Deborah was inspired to set up her own business after her son, Maxwell, now 18, suffered injuries in two separate accidents. Her mother, Tres, then suffered a serious stroke, which meant they both required care.

Having witnessed first-hand how available care services should not be delivered, Deborah decided to set up her own company to ensure anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves in a similar position received the correct support.

Initially based in Hull and the East Riding, with its head office on Hessle Road in Hull, Care Connection Partners now operates across the country and has three satellite offices in London, Leeds and County Durham.

GROWTH: The Care Connection Partners team

The business has grown from one member of staff to 12, starting from nothing to a predicted gross turnover of £5m this year.

Deborah has built a team which goes above and beyond to provide exceptional staff to care settings, ensuring they are fully trained to provide care to the highest standards and work seamlessly alongside care home colleagues.

Care Connection Partners recently won the Growth Award at the Hull and East Yorkshire Business Awards, recognising the significant growth and achievement by the team.

The team provides more than 300 temporary workers to cover at least 6,000 hours of care per week across the country. Its clients include significant healthcare organisations in the health and social care sector.

Deborah said: “When Maxwell had his first accident, it pushed me even further to try and make things better. Over the following years, I witnessed, first hand, how care services should not be delivered and Care Connection Partners was born in February 2021.

FAMILY BUSINESS: Care Connection Partners founder Deborah Stock talking to her son Maxwell

“I partnered with care leaders whom I’ve built relationships with over the years and asked them to give me a chance to provide exemplary trained staff who could fit perfectly into any care team or setting. They gave me that chance.

“I got a little room in a serviced office in Hull for £50 per week and recruited ten temporary workers to Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulations.

“We’ve built partnerships, rather than slinging arms and legs at it and hoping for the best, and we’ve grown from there, adopting the policy of honesty, communication, listening and our ethos, #feelthelove. We have an exceptional love for the healthcare arena to make sure it’s right.

“Maxwell and my mum were my inspiration. I am so immensely proud of Maxwell and everything he has achieved. He continues to go from strength to strength.”

Maxwell suffered his first brain injury when he fell from a swing aged three-and-a-half in 2010. He was paralysed from the neck down and, after seven months in hospital, it took him two years to learn to walk again. He was given just a ten per cent chance of survival.

SUCCESS: Care Connection Partners has enjoyed outstanding growth

Maxwell couldn’t smile or talk and it affected his vision, but he defied the odds and returned home, with Deborah never leaving his side.

Unthinkably, in 2018, Maxwell suffered a second brain injury when his scooter was hit by a car, meaning he fell backwards and hit his head. He spent further weeks in hospital and has been under the care of a neurologist for most of his life. Against the odds, he has made an incredible recovery.

Maxwell is now completing a Uniformed Services course at college in the hope of becoming a call handler for the police, as his dream of becoming a police officer is not possible due to his vision following his accidents.

He said: “I’m very proud of my mum and everything she has achieved. She is so caring and has always been by my side, supporting me all the way. We always try to keep that ‘can do’ attitude.”