CF Social Work Limited – BCF Equity Partners Press Release

BCF Equity Partners are delighted to announce the sale of CF Social Work Limited to Keys Group Limited.

CF Social Work is an Ipswich based provider of tutoring and mentoring services to children and young people predominantly through face-to-face sessions across East Anglia. It also has 4 residential homes for children in Suffolk who may have social, emotional and mental health needs. CF Social Work also delivers a small amount of social work assessments to support local authority demands.

Keys is one of the UK’s leading providers of specialist care, support and education and CF’s services align closely with Keys Group’s current services which include more than 180 residential children’s homes and over 25 specialist schools across England and Wales.

BCF backed Ross Evans, the Managing Director of CF Social Work in an Institutional Buy Out 5 years ago and partnered with him to grow and develop the Group.  Initially, providing education services to 30 children, the business now supports more than 300 children across the East. 

Tom Spencer commented that ‘it has been a great privilege to support CF Social Work – an organisation that does so much good and has transformed the lives of so many children over the last 5 years. At the heart of the business is a management team who always put the child first and this philosophy has ensured we always provide focused, considered and appropriate education and care packages for every child’.

Ross Evans said ’this is a fantastic step forward for our growing business. Keys Group is a well-established and respected organisation that shares our passion for delivering high-quality outcomes for children and young people. We believe this partnership is an excellent fit, aligning perfectly with our values and vision for the future’. Ross also commented that ‘I would like to take this opportunity to extend our sincere thanks to Tom Spencer, Simon Stephenson, and Jen Elliott, who have played such an important role in guiding CF Group through this period of growth and development.  Their strategic insight, stewardship and board-level involvement have been instrumental in helping shape the business and strengthen our commitment to achieving the best outcomes for young people’.

BCF Equity Partners appointed Ryan Dearman and his team at Grant Thornton in London as lead advisors and they did an exceptional job.  As did, Richard Cox, Vicky Tomlinson and their team at Browne Jacobson who advised on the legals.  Commercial due diligence was provided by Cairneagle and financial due diligence by Hazlewoods.