Last summer global private equity leader Accel-KKR took a majority stake in CareLineLive.
It was a dream deal for founder and CEO Josh Hough, who once upon a time maxed out his credit cards to keep the firm afloat. The senior leadership team continues to lead the business following the investment.
Founded in Sussex in 2014, CareLineLive – a star of our HealthTech 50 ranking – provides an all-in-one cloud-based platform for homecare agencies, integrating staff scheduling, client visits, patient records and invoicing.
CareLineLive supported hundreds of care providers across seven countries before the PE deal – and that international presence has grown further in the months since.
“The investment from Accel-KKR has allowed us to accelerate product development and strengthen our long-term growth plans,” Josh tells BusinessCloud.
“We’re now able to offer a broader set of tools to home care providers as we work more closely with other software companies in the sector.
“Strategically, the investment has also strengthened our ability to expand internationally. We are growing our presence in Australia and building our team there. So overall, the future looks very exciting for us.”
CareLineLive now supports more than 700 home care providers across eight countries, including Australia and Ireland.
The platform is used by over 25,000 carers, and the company employs more than 60 staff.
“We have offices in Sussex, London and Melbourne, which reflects the growth of our international customer base,” adds Josh.
CareLineLive – Empowering home care with cutting-edge technology
One of the most important developments so far has been its collaboration with MOA Benchmarking, a portfolio company of Accel-KKR which provides compliance tools and benchmarking for care providers.
“CareLineLive and MOA are now sister companies within the Accel-KKR portfolio, but we have been working closely together for some time so the relationship was already strong,” says Josh.
“The big step forward is integrating MOA Benchmarking directly into CareLineLive. That means care providers can complete structured digital self-assessments, benchmark their performance and build improvement plans aligned with CQC and CIW standards without leaving their care management platform.
“As far as we know, we are the only home care software provider offering this level of compliance and benchmarking support as part of the package.
“The aim is to simplify compliance and make it easier for providers to demonstrate quality during inspections.
“We are also working with another sister company, Health Metrics, which provides residential care software in the Australian aged care sector. Their knowledge of the Australian market has been incredibly helpful, and through that relationship we have already secured a new customer in New Zealand.”
What are the challenges in building these systems and maintaining data trust, quality of provision and safety?
“Technology in the care sector has to be built with safety, compliance and trust at its core,” says Josh.
“Providers operate in a highly regulated environment and the data they manage is extremely sensitive. Systems need to support regulatory standards and provide a clear audit trail so providers can demonstrate the quality of care they deliver.
“Compliance and data security also never stand still. We hold ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications as well as Cyber Essentials Plus, and we meet NHS England Assured Supplier criteria. But those standards evolve every year, so as a software provider we have to stay ahead in both product development and data security.
“There is also the practical challenge of making technology easy to use. Many care providers are under huge pressure and working with tight budgets, so systems need to be intuitive and backed by strong customer support.
“Good software should help providers run more efficiently and give carers more time to focus on care. But that only works if the system itself is simple to use. We are very proud to be the highest-rated home care software provider on Trustpilot, which says a lot about how customers view the platform.”
So what are CareLineLive’s growth plans for the next 12 months and beyond?
“Our focus is on continuing to expand internationally, strengthening the product and building deeper integrations that help care providers run safer and more efficient services,” answers Josh.
“Our long-term ambition is to build technology that genuinely improves how home care works by connecting everyone involved in care and giving providers the tools they need to deliver high-quality support.”
‘Growing up in wheelchair drove me to shake up the care business’