Residential and nursing homes
From one home to small groups. Occupancy, fee mix, agency spend and refinancing.
Caring for the business of care
Part-time Finance Director for the care sector
Know where your care business stands every month, set fees that cover the true cost of care, and stop topping up payroll from your own pocket.
For owner-run residential and nursing homes, home care agencies and supported living.
Danny Wood. CIMA chartered management accountant with 17 years as a Financial Controller and Finance Director. Based in Kent.
Does any of this sound like your business?
- The council puts our fees up 3%, but my wage bill goes up 10%. I don't know how much longer the numbers work.
- I'm a nurse, not an accountant. I only find out how we did when the year-end accounts arrive, months later.
- Agency staff are eating our margin, but I can't leave a shift uncovered.
- The council and the NHS pay when they pay. Some months I'm chasing invoices just to make payroll.
- Occupancy dropped a few beds and suddenly we were losing money. I didn't see it coming.
- We're paid for the visit, not the travel between visits, and I can't tell which runs actually make money.
None of this means you run a poor service. It means the finance hasn't kept up with the care.
What changes in your business
You know where you stand every month
Figures you can trust, in time to act: occupancy or hours, staff costs, agency spend and cash, on one page.
Fees that cover the true cost of care
You know your real cost per bed, per hour or per placement, and you go into fee talks with evidence.
You stop funding payroll yourself
A rolling cash forecast spots the gap months ahead, so you fix it before payday, not on it.
You went into care to look after people, not spreadsheets. Danny looks after the numbers, so you can look after the people.
Why a care specialist
Most finance directors work across every industry. Danny specialises in care.
Danny knows what moves your numbers and raises it before you have to ask:
- Break-even occupancy and your mix of private, council and NHS-funded residents
- Staff costs and agency spend as a share of income, home by home
- When councils and the NHS actually pay, and what that does to cash
- National Living Wage and employer's National Insurance rises, planned months ahead
- What lenders, investors and buyers look at before they say yes
- Financial governance that supports the "well-led" standard inspectors look for
For exampleThe National Living Wage rises every April. Danny models it in the winter before, so your private fee increase and your request to the council are based on your real costs, not a guess.
Every care business is different. Danny will show you what applies to yours on the call.
Who we work with
Home care agencies
Independents and franchisees. Hourly rates against true cost, travel time, run profitability and growing safely.
Supported living and specialist care
Commissioner contracts, staffing ratios, and keeping the care and housing sides clear.
Part-time or full-time Finance Director?
| Compared on | Full-time FD | AMBA |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | £70,000 to £110,000 salary, plus employer's National Insurance, pension, bonus and recruitment fees | A fixed monthly fee, agreed before you start |
| Commitment | An employment contract and a notice period | No minimum contract |
| Flexibility | Hard to change hours once hired | More time when your business needs it, less when it doesn't |
| Support | Only there on their working days, with gaps for holidays | FD support when you need it |
Who looks after your numbers
Danny Wood, Director
Danny saw from a young age what it takes to run a residential scheme, and now puts his finance experience to work for the people who run them and other care service providers.
- CIMA chartered management accountant
- 17 years as a Financial Controller and Finance Director
- Based in Chatham, Kent. On site across Kent and the South East, and remotely anywhere in the UK.
How it works
Book a 30-minute call
Tell Danny about your business and what's keeping you up at night. No cost, no obligation.
Agree priorities and a fixed fee
You'll know exactly what you're getting and what it costs before anything starts.
Danny visits
He reviews your numbers, systems and reporting, and leaves you with a clear plan for the first 90 days.
Free guide
What does your care really cost? A fee-setting checklist for care owners
Work out your true cost per bed or per hour, check your fees cover it, and go into your next fee review with the evidence.
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