Our services

Financial and corporate services for healthcare providers.

Fractional finance director and CFO support is at the centre of Carrick. The wider service range covers outsourced finance, cash flow, reporting, payroll, compliance, tenders, people, governance and business change for UK health and social care providers.

Explore by need

Focused support for the issue in front of you.

Each service page explains the problem it addresses, what the work can include and how it connects to the wider finance and business position.

Fractional FD and CFO Outsourced finance Cash flow and financial modelling Payroll and NMW compliance Umbrella compliance reviews VAT and HMRC support NHS tender support CQC business preparation HR, recruitment and governance Sale, acquisition and integration Financial health review

01 / Our core service

Fractional finance director and CFO support

Your business needs more than accounts that look backwards. It needs someone who understands the numbers, sees what is coming and helps you act on it.

Carrick provides ongoing, senior financial leadership for healthcare businesses without the commitment of a full-time finance director or chief financial officer. We work alongside owners, boards, managers and existing finance teams, combining commercial judgement with practical oversight of the work that has to get done.

That could mean planning cash ahead of payroll, understanding the true margin on a care package, challenging a proposed contract rate or giving the board a clear view of what the next six months may look like.

Discuss fractional FD support

01 / Cash

See the cash position ahead

Understand upcoming payroll, tax, supplier and funding commitments through useful cash forecasts, debtor oversight and early warning of pressure points.

02 / Profit

Know what makes money

Look beyond headline turnover to care-package, service, branch or contract margins. Bring pricing, staffing and operating costs into one commercial view.

03 / Decisions

Give the board useful numbers

Turn management accounts, forecasts and operational measures into clear explanations, options and recommendations for owners and management teams.

04 / Delivery

Make the finance function work

Lead priorities, improve month-end reporting, challenge controls and work with the existing team, accountants, auditors and funders to get the right work completed.

What ongoing support can include

Monthly management accounts reviews, board packs and meaningful performance indicators.
Rolling cash-flow forecasts and working-capital planning, including receivables and payroll commitments.
Budgets, reforecasts and financial models for growth, investment and changes in service delivery.
Margin, contract and pricing reviews with a clear link to staffing and operational activity.
Finance-team leadership, reporting timetables, reconciliations, controls and accountability.
Financial input for owners, lenders, commissioners and important commercial negotiations.

How Carrick works with you

Part of the discussion. We work with the people making the decisions, not just the figures produced at month end.

A regular rhythm. We agree the time, reporting, meetings and decision-making support that fit the size and pace of your organisation.

Hands-on where needed. We can help your existing team deliver improvements, not simply identify problems and leave you with a list.

Clear scope. Responsibilities, availability and fees are agreed before work begins. The arrangement can be reviewed as the business changes.

Not a replacement for everything you already have. Carrick can work alongside your accountant, payroll provider, managers and existing finance team, adding senior leadership where it makes a difference.

Explore the team’s experience

Other ways we can help

Finance delivery, compliance and project support

Alongside fractional FD and CFO support, we can take on agreed finance responsibilities or a defined piece of work. We have listed ongoing services first, followed by one-off commercial and operational projects.

Outsourced finance and reporting

Build a clearer, more reliable picture of the day-to-day finances, with responsibilities agreed around your existing team.

Bookkeeping, reconciliations and month-end support
Management accounts and useful performance measures
Accounts preparation and coordination with external accountants
Finance-team oversight and outsourced delivery
Audit preparation, audit management and coordination with external auditors

Cash flow, margins and financial health

Understand the pressures on the business and the practical steps available. Reviews are scoped to the question and the quality of the information supplied.

Cash-flow forecasting and financial diagnostic reviews
Sustainability, service-line and care-package margin analysis
Credit control, debtor reviews and financial support with commercial disputes
Pricing, contract economics and funding or invoice-finance preparation

Payroll and National Minimum Wage compliance

Keep payroll delivery, pay compliance and inspection evidence connected. Carrick helps organise the records and checks behind each pay cycle, investigate exceptions and prepare a coordinated response to HMRC questions.

Weekly and monthly payroll processing, reconciliations and oversight
National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage checks, including hours, training time, deductions and pay periods
Worker-level reviews, investigation of potential shortfalls and follow-up with payroll and HR
HMRC National Minimum Wage inspection preparation, evidence collation and response coordination
Ongoing payroll controls, clear responsibilities and exception tracking

Umbrella supplier compliance

Put a consistent evidence-based review around your umbrella suppliers. We help organise supplier checks, assess the information received and follow up concerns, with a clear record of the review and the decisions made.

Supplier due diligence and an agreed monthly compliance review timetable
Review of payroll, tax, pension and payment evidence supplied by the umbrella company
Checks for missing documents, inconsistent figures and matters requiring further investigation
Issue tracking, escalation and documented supplier-approval decisions
Coordination with payroll, procurement and specialist advisers on unresolved compliance risks

VAT compliance and inspection preparation

Bring VAT records and explanations into order before and during an HMRC enquiry. We review the supporting information, investigate discrepancies and help the business coordinate its evidence and responses with its tax advisers.

VAT records reviews, reconciliations and return preparation support
Review of invoices, ledger entries and VAT treatment, with specialist advice where needed
Inspection evidence packs, query logs and agreed response timetables
Support with HMRC correspondence and explanations of the figures
Practical improvements to records and controls following the review

Company secretarial and governance

Keep company records, board decisions and important deadlines organised. Carrick provides practical company secretarial support and prepares governance documents, with clear approval responsibilities and a useful record of the decisions made.

Company records, filing calendars and coordination of agreed Companies House submissions
Board and shareholder meeting support, minutes, resolutions and action tracking
Company secretarial policies, governance procedures and approval arrangements
Corporate changes and document preparation coordinated with your appointed advisers
Contract registers, renewal dates and preparation of business documents for agreed specialist review

Systems, policies and business procedures

Make day-to-day work easier to follow and manage. We help document how a process should operate, who is responsible and what needs checking, while supporting the systems and information that sit behind it.

Accounting and invoicing software implementation, testing and handover
Finance and business policy writing, process documentation and procedure reviews
Clear responsibilities, approval steps, workflow controls and exception handling
Team training, handover support and coordination between finance, HR and operations
Review of data flows, duplicate work and opportunities to simplify routine administration

Business plans and financial modelling

Turn a business idea, growth plan or funding requirement into a clear plan supported by the numbers. We bring the proposed service, staffing, costs and cash requirements together, with assumptions that owners, lenders and other stakeholders can understand.

Business plans for new services, expansion, funding and strategic decisions
Integrated profit and loss, balance sheet and cash-flow forecasts
Staffing, pricing, utilisation and working-capital models
Break-even analysis, sensitivity testing and realistic alternative scenarios
Clear assumptions, delivery milestones and financial information for decision-makers

Cost savings and business investment appraisals

Understand where money is being spent and whether a proposed change makes commercial sense. We assess recurring costs and new investment alongside service requirements, implementation costs and risk, rather than recommend savings in isolation.

Reviews of supplier spend, staffing costs, overheads and duplicated activity
Practical cost-saving plans with responsibilities, timescales and progress checks
Financial appraisal of new services, branches, equipment, systems and other business investment
Expected returns, payback, cash requirements and downside scenarios
Comparison of the options, one-off costs and savings achieved against the plan

NHS tenders and bid support

Assess an opportunity before committing time and money to it. Carrick supports healthcare businesses with the commercial and financial work behind NHS and other public-sector tenders, coordinating the submission with operational and clinical colleagues.

Review of tender requirements, eligibility, deadlines and whether to bid
Bid planning, written responses and coordination of supporting evidence
Staffing and delivery cost models, pricing and contract-margin analysis
Financial standing information, mobilisation budgets and cash requirements
Clarification responses and submission checks against the stated requirements

Exit preparation, acquisitions and integration

Hands-on financial and project leadership before, during and after a business sale or acquisition. Carrick can oversee the work across owners, finance teams, systems and professional advisers, with clear responsibilities and practical follow-through.

Exit planning, sale readiness and financial information for buyers
Acquisition support, cash requirements and due diligence coordination
Post-acquisition integration of finance, payroll, reporting and systems
Business separation, carve-outs and transition planning
Growth, expansion modelling and restructuring scenarios
Data-room preparation, buyer queries and adviser coordination

See the transaction support in detail

CQC inspection preparation and business compliance

Prepare the business and governance evidence behind your service. Carrick supports providers in England with the financial, management and administrative work for Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessments and inspections, alongside registered managers and clinical leads.

Review of business policies, governance records and management responsibilities
Organisation of financial sustainability information, budgets and staffing-cost evidence
Review of relevant HR, recruitment, training and compliance records with the responsible teams
Evidence-gap reviews, action plans, named responsibilities and follow-up tracking
Inspection preparation meetings and coordination of requested business information

HR policies, staff handbooks and contracts

Clear documents help managers and staff understand what is expected and how the business works. Carrick writes and reviews HR policies, staff handbooks and employment contract drafts around your organisation, rather than relying on a generic set of templates.

HR policy writing and review, with a consistent approach across the business
Staff handbook preparation, updates and alignment with employment documents
Employment contracts, offer letters and changes to terms, with specialist legal review where needed
Practical procedures for onboarding, absence, leave, performance and workplace concerns
Version control, staff communications and acknowledgement records when documents are issued

Internal recruitment and onboarding

Recruitment support that works as part of your business. We take time to understand the role, the team and the way you work, then help you find and assess candidates against the skills, experience and working approach the position needs.

Role planning, job descriptions and person specifications
Vacancy advertising, candidate sourcing and application screening
Shortlisting, structured interviews and practical candidate assessments
Selection support against agreed role requirements and the needs of the team
Coordination of references, employment checks, offers and new-starter handovers

Office moves and rental appraisals

Compare the cost of staying, renegotiating or moving, then organise the work needed to make the chosen option happen. Carrick provides commercial premises appraisals and relocation oversight, with property and legal specialists involved where required.

Comparison of rental proposals, renewal options and the business case for a move
Whole-occupancy budgets covering rent, rates, service charges, utilities and other commitments
Deposits, fit-out, moving costs, overlapping rent and potential exit costs
Move planning, supplier coordination and arrangements to keep the business operating
Financial input to negotiations and coordination with landlords, surveyors and solicitors

The scope, deliverables, responsibilities and fees are agreed before work begins. Appraisals cover business investment and the commercial costs of premises; formal property valuations and legal advice remain with the appropriate specialists. CQC support covers business and governance preparation in England, not clinical assurance or a guaranteed rating. Specialist employment, tax, legal, statutory audit and formal insolvency work is coordinated with the appropriately appointed advisers.

A business change, properly managed

Before the deal.
Through the change.
Beyond completion.

A signed agreement is only part of the job. Whether you are preparing to sell, buying another business or separating a service from a group, someone needs to coordinate the detail and keep the day-to-day finances working.

01 / Preparing to sell

Exit preparation and sale support

Bring the financial information into order before buyers and their advisers start asking questions. We can review the quality of the reporting, explain underlying performance and organise the material needed for a sale process.

Sale-readiness reviews, priorities and preparation timetable
Reconciled management information, forecasts, debtors and working-capital schedules
Clear explanations of one-off costs and proposed profit adjustments
Data-room organisation, financial responses and coordination of buyer queries

The work can leave you with: a preparation plan, an organised financial information pack and a clear record of the questions still to resolve.

02 / Planning an acquisition

Acquisition and buyer support

Understand what a proposed purchase means for your finances and your existing business. We can help you assess the information supplied, identify questions for due diligence and plan the financial handover before completion.

Financial review of the target’s reporting and assumptions
Cash requirements, working capital and scenario modelling
Financial due diligence support and coordination with specialist advisers
Completion preparation and the first integration priorities

The work can leave you with: a financial model, a focused questions list and a practical plan for taking ownership.

03 / Bringing businesses together

Post-acquisition integration

Turn the acquisition plan into a coordinated programme of work. Carrick can oversee the financial and business-support integration, working with both teams to agree what changes, who is responsible and when each step should happen.

Day-one readiness and an agreed first-100-day integration plan
Alignment of accounting, payroll, banking controls and management reporting
Coordination of finance-system and data handovers with the relevant specialists
Integration costs, agreed savings, milestones and unresolved risks tracked together

The work can leave you with: one integration plan, named work owners and progress reporting that makes outstanding decisions visible.

04 / Separating part of a business

Business separation and carve-outs

Plan what moves with the business being sold and what stays behind. This includes the practical financial consequences of separating a division, branch or service from shared people, systems and costs.

Standalone financial information and the allocation of shared costs
Separation budgets, cash needs, balances and operational dependencies
Payroll, reporting and finance-data handover planning
Transition arrangements coordinated with legal, tax, HR and systems advisers

The work can leave you with: a separation plan, a clear financial starting point and an agreed handover timetable.

One lead to keep the work moving.

Carrick can provide project oversight as well as financial input: maintaining the timetable, bringing the right people together, tracking dependencies and escalating decisions to the owners.

The scope is agreed around the transaction. Legal agreements, tax structuring, formal insolvency appointments and independent statutory audit remain with the appropriately appointed specialists.

Ways to work together

One priority.
A defined project.
Ongoing support.

Focused review. A contained assessment of a particular issue, with findings and practical priorities.

Project support. An agreed piece of work with a clear outcome, from improved reporting to preparation for a business change.

Ongoing involvement. Regular financial leadership or delivery support, with scope and capacity set out in the engagement.

Explore by sector

Finance support shaped around your service model.

Different healthcare organisations carry different cash, margin, payroll and reporting risks. These pages bring the most relevant support together by sector.

Homecare providers Care homes and care groups Supported living and complex care Healthcare staffing businesses Healthtech and independent healthcare

Not sure which service fits?

Describe the issue rather than choosing a label. We can help define what support is needed.