News Archives - Bluestones Group

QPS launches new services and a bold brand refresh

Kelly Croutear — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 14:15:36 +0000

QPS Group (formerly Quest Pay Solutions) has unveiled a comprehensive suite of services to empower recruitment agencies and contractors

As part of the Bluestones Group portfolio and sitting within the Group’s Support Division, Quest Pay Solutions (QPS) has been a trusted partner to recruitment businesses for the past eight years.

Specialising in Umbrella PAYE and CIS services, QPS is committed to helping businesses navigate the ever-evolving recruitment landscape. In response to the changing needs of both hirers and recruitment businesses, as well as new compliance obligations introduced by the Labour government, QPS has leveraged its expertise and resources to develop an innovative range of products and services.

These solutions are designed to support recruitment businesses in driving growth, ensuring compliance, and adapting seamlessly to regulatory changes, underpinned by the strength and backing of the Bluestones Group.

What's new? Expanded services and enhanced solutions:

Enhanced accountancy services

Recognising the unique financial needs of contractors, freelancers, and small to medium-sized enterprises, QPS Group now offers tailored accountancy solutions. These services simplify financial management, ensuring compliance and efficiency for businesses of all sizes.

Specialised financial services

Understanding that securing mortgages is a significant concern for professionals transitioning to contract positions, QPS Group has introduced specialised mortgage services. These offerings are designed to assist contractors in obtaining mortgages, addressing one of the primary barriers to entering contract roles.

Comprehensive payroll solutions

To support recruitment agencies and their staff, QPS Group now provides a range of PAYE services, including outsourced payroll for agency staff, PAYE, and Professional Employer Organisation (PEO) services. These solutions are crafted to ensure seamless payroll management, allowing agencies to focus on their core operations.

Global payroll and UK funding service

Expanding its reach, QPS Group offers international payroll services to facilitate global operations for recruitment agencies. Additionally, new UK funding options are available to support business growth and financial stability within the recruitment sector.

Robert Arnold, Managing Director of QPS Group said:

“At QPS Group, we are committed to providing comprehensive solutions that empower our clients to achieve their business objectives. Our expanded suite of services reflects our dedication to addressing the evolving needs of recruitment agencies, contractors, and SMEs, enabling them to thrive in a competitive market.”

For more information about QPS Group’s new services, please visit https://qpsgroup.co.uk/

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New life sciences agency launches

MC — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 08:52:30 +0000

We’re pleased to announce a new Bluestones joint venture, with the launch of a new life sciences agency – SEDA Talent.

Based in central Belfast, the new business will be recruiting for biotech, foodtech, medtech, and pharmaceutical professionals throughout the UK and Ireland. Initially permanent focused, the business will evolve to also provide contract and temporary recruitment services, as founders Darrach Teague and Seamus Moore grow the business.

SEDA Talent director, Darrach Teague commented

Launching SEDA Talent with Bluestones Group is an exciting new chapter. Our mission is to revolutionise how companies build high-performing teams in this rapidly evolving sector. By leveraging our deep industry connections and focusing on recruitment as a strategic solution, we’re not just filling positions – we’re enabling our clients to scale and meet critical business objectives. SEDA Talent is committed to adding value at every step of the recruitment process, ensuring we’re not just a service provider, but a true partner in our clients’ growth and success.

SEDA Talent is a new business within the Bluestones Equity Partners division (formerly known as Bluestones’ investment division), and joins Clayton, ENS, Green Carbon Talent, and EC&I Partners.

Bluestones Equity Partners CEO, Matt Cody commented

Having the opportunity to invest in and support the launch of SEDA Talent, with Darrach and Seamus at the helm, demonstrates our capability to move quickly, identify investment opportunities, and build new recruitment brands that can enhance our portfolio. Through our investment and support, the SEDA team now have the chance to establish a prominent business in the life sciences recruitment space and realise their ambitions of running their own recruitment company.

Please make sure you also follow SEDA on their LinkedIn page to keep abreast of all developments, news, advice, and new roles.

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IT support business launches

MC — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 11:54:56 +0000

We’re delighted to officially launch Zircon IT Systems – a trusted IT support partner of the recruitment industry.

With its focus on providing, clear, bespoke IT services, tailored to the recruitment sector, Zircon is uniquely positioned to become an IT partner of choice for many recruiters and agencies.

Zircon is led by IT expert, Alison Drew – who has over ten years’ experience meeting the needs of an ever-changing, ever-growing recruitment sector. Alison, has spent her time in the industry developing a flexible service offering that can not only react to the short-term demands of the market, but also future-proof her clients and keep them one step ahead.

Alison Drew, Managing Director of Zircon IT Systems had this to say:

“We’ve worked with and supported hundreds of recruiters within the Group’s portfolio, and now feel the time is right to offer our services to a wider audience.
The early feedback we’ve had is that there’s a gap in the market for what we offer: recruitment sector expertise, professional IT support, and generally being a trusted IT partner that won’t over-engineer (or over-charge) for our solutions and support”.

Whether it’s project based or retained support, Zircon offers a proven and flexible IT support service for recruitment businesses, focusing on six key areas:

IT infrastructure
IT support
Procurement & setup
Project support
Security
Software & licensing

Keep up to date with the latest insights and advice on all recruitment specific IT information through their website and their LinkedIn page.

For more information, speak to the team today on 0151 433 8860.

Zircon IT Systems is the fourth business within Bluestones Group’s burgeoning support division, joining established businesses Quest Pay Solutions (recruitment payroll), Recruitment Funding Solutions (recruitment funding), and APEX (recruitment marketing).

As Steve Pendergast, Group CEO commented,

“The Group’s support division is a particularly innovative concept; in that it takes the collective experience of our subject matter experts within the Group and enables external recruitment businesses to access their services.
It also flips on its head the idea that service functions are only considered as cost centres, as we continue to build scalable and profitable recruitment support businesses within our portfolio”.

The introduction of Zircon is a further development of our ‘All Things Recruitment’ concept. With three clear divisions – Recruitment, Investment, and Support – Bluestones is well-positioned to continue building its portfolio of recruitment and staffing service businesses that cover every aspect of the recruitment sector.

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Bluestones Investment Group expands globally with two key acquisitions

Nick Baldwin — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 08:00:00 +0000

Bluestones Investment Group, a specialist investment group that focuses on the recruitment sector, is pleased to announce the successful completion of two strategic acquisitions. The newly acquired businesses, Australasian Recruitment Company (ARC) and Home Recruitment (Home), contribute unique strengths to Bluestones Investment Group’s balanced and robust portfolio.

ARC, headquartered in London, specialises in the placement of candidates travelling to the UK from Australia and New Zealand into a variety of white-collar, remote, and office support roles.

Operating out of Auckland, New Zealand, Home specialises in the placement of Kiwi expats returning from overseas into white-collar and office support roles across the country.

Steven Pendergast, Bluestones Group’s CEO, commented on the acquisitions:

"We are thrilled to welcome ARC and Home into the Bluestones Group. These acquisitions align seamlessly with our vision of becoming a global leader in the recruitment and staffing industry. We believe that the combined strengths of these businesses will not only benefit our clients and candidates but will also contribute significantly to our overall growth strategy."

Steven Pendergast

The acquisitions were spearheaded by Trish Stratford, Divisional CEO, who was instrumental in identifying the strategic fit and closing the deals. She commented:

“Both ARC and Home exemplify our ideal acquisition targets - innovative firms expanding our reach, driven by visionary leaders, a shared culture driven by exceptional service and opportunities to create value for world-class clients and candidates across critical geographies."

Trish Stratford

Supporting on the acquisition and sale of both businesses, Bluestones Investment Group was advised by RSM, with corporate finance advice provided to the shareholders of ARC and Home by Ryecroft Glenton Corporate Finance.

The acquisitions of ARC and Home mark a significant milestone for Bluestones Investment Group, expanding the company’s reach internationally and reinforcing its commitment to engaging in strategically aligned investment opportunities in its chosen sectors. These acquisitions compliment the Group’s balanced portfolio, allowing the company to continue tapping into diverse markets and offer specialised services tailored to the unique needs of each region.

“We are thrilled to join the Bluestones Group during this exciting period of growth and expansion,” said Holly Finlayson, Director of ARC. “Leveraging Bluestones Group’s vast infrastructure and resources will accelerate our shared goal to provide life-changing career opportunities for talented Australasians and local talent seeking work in the UK.”

Minta Holton, Director of Home, commented: “This partnership propels our capability to showcase world-class Kiwi talent on the global stage to an entirely new level. Combining Bluestones Group’s renowned staffing excellence with our networks and repatriation specialisation presents tremendous upside for expat job seekers, local talent and New Zealand employers.”

Such acquisitions form a key element of Bluestones Group’s growth strategy, complementing its approach to investment through joint ventures and organic growth. The company remains committed to pursuing opportunities that enhance its capabilities and market presence. With the integration of ARC and Home into the Bluestones Group, the company is poised for continued success on its journey to becoming a £1bn revenue business.

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Bluestones Best Companies Result 2023

MC — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 08:20:56 +0000

For the fourth year running, Bluestones Investment Group is pleased to announce that it has been recognised as a Two Star accredited company by Best Companies.

As an employee engagement survey that allows our employees across the Group to respond anonymously and provide insight across a range of workplace factors, we use the survey as an opportunity to gauge how our people feel, and understand more about their views on the company and how we work.

As well as maintaining the two-star rating, we’ve also maintained our inclusion in the Top 75 Best Large Companies to Work For in the UK list and in the Top 75 Best Company to Work For in the North West.

As a recruitment specialist organisation, to be recognised as a Top 25 Best Recruitment Company to Work For in the UK, is also pleasing, particularly as it sees us improving from 35th last year, to rank in 23rd position in 2023.

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Elite Talent Services launches

MC — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 14:42:50 +0000

Our latest recruitment investment joint venture, Elite Talent Services officially launched on 1st November 2023 – as a professional permanent and contract recruitment specialist business headquartered in central Norwich.

The business will focus primarily on the IT, Engineering, and Professional Services sectors, and predominantly within the South East of England – but will be opportunistic when it comes to building their business and will support selected clients in other sectors, as required.

Elite Talent Services MD and founder, James Wardell commented on the launch,

“Having developed an expansive recruitment career working for other companies, I wanted to take this opportunity to create my own business. The support and investment I’ve received from Bluestones has helped make that dream a reality.
We’re now actively signing up and working with new clients and candidates, with the early signs very promising. We’ve got a small team to start with, but big plans to scale quickly.”

From the initial investment enquiry in mid-September, we completed the full business launch within just six weeks – demonstrating our proven investment model, streamlined systems and workflows, and our ability to get new recruitment businesses up and running quickly.

Matt Cody, Investment Director at Bluestones commented,

“As a new business within the Group’s investment division, this is part of our growth strategy to continue building our pipeline of recruitment businesses that can scale at pace and, over time, join our core recruitment portfolio, expanding our offering across a wider range of sectors and geographies.”

Please take a look at the Elite Talent Services website HERE, and follow their company page on LinkedIn HERE.

If you believe, like James, that you have the skills, experience, and drive to launch your own agency – but don’t want to do it all on your own, or require the funding and support to launch, then speak to us. You can find out more about what we do in our investment division or make an initial investment enquiry online.

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Bluestones Medical achieves another impressive Workforce Alliance audit result

Kelly Croutear — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 09:10:30 +0000

Bluestones Medical passes their latest Workforce Alliance audit with flying colours!

We’re pleased to announce that Bluestones Medical, a leading healthcare recruitment agency, and part of the Bluestones Group’s recruitment portfolio, has successfully passed their latest NHS Workforce Alliance audit with flying colours. This achievement underscores the team’s unwavering dedication to delivering excellence in healthcare and reaffirms their commitment to upholding and surpassing industry standards.

The recent audit conducted by the NHS Workforce Alliance stands as a testament to the exceptional quality and organisational prowess of the devoted team at Bluestones Medical. We are thrilled to report that the agency not only met, but exceeded the stringent requirements set forth by the Workforce Alliance, demonstrating their commitment to maintaining the highest levels of compliance, safety, and professionalism.

Bluestones Medical’s audit success reaffirms that NHS Trusts can place their trust in the agency with confidence, knowing they have chosen a partner that consistently surpasses expectations.

Moving forward, Bluestones Medical remains better equipped than ever to serve NHS clients with the best quality healthcare professionals. This achievement reinforces Bluestones Medical’s position as a trusted leader in the healthcare recruitment industry, and we look forward to seeing them continue to provide unparalleled support to the healthcare sector.

About Bluestones Medical:

Bluestones Medical is a healthcare recruitment agency within the Bluestones Group, specialising in providing healthcare staffing solutions to NHS Trusts and private healthcare providers. With a commitment to excellence, Bluestones Medical consistently delivers high-quality healthcare professionals to meet the unique needs of the healthcare industry.

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Recruiter Awards 2023

MC — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 09:27:28 +0000

We’re thrilled to be able to announce that the Group and a number of brands within the Group’s portfolio have been shortlisted for the Recruiter Awards 2023.

In total, we’ve been shortlisted for five awards – including the Group itself and a number of brands from within the Group’s portfolio.

We’ve listed out the awards we’ve been shortlisted for, below, along with some additional information about the Awards themselves.

Group CEO, Steve Pendergast commented,

“In our first year of entering the Recruiter Awards we’re thrilled to have been shortlisted in every category we entered. The strength of our balanced portfolio approach and the brands within it, has directly contributed to what we’ve achieved here. We’re certainly looking to the awards ceremony in September!

Most effective back office operation

Best candidate care

Best temporary recruitment agency

Recruitment agency of the year
(50-99 employees)

Recruitment industry supplier of the year

About the Recruiter Awards

Established in 2002, the Recruiter Awards gala is the UK’s largest event for the entire recruitment community recognising outstanding achievements by agencies and in-house recruiters. Achievements in recruitment marketing and technology also are spotlighted on the night.

Most effective back office operation

Bluestones Group is solely focused on the recruitment sector and through its three divisions (recruitment, investment, and support) provides a comprehensive set of services to recruitment businesses both within the Group's portfolio and external recruitment agencies and staffing service companies.

This service is underpinned by an efficient, high-performing, central services (back office) operation that includes all the necessary services for recruitment businesses to prosper - including legal, HR, finance, marketing, business systems, etc. And it's this back office service that's been shortlisted in the Recruiter Awards category.

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Staffing framework announcement

Nick Baldwin — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 08:00:26 +0000

Bluestones Investment Group is pleased to announce it has been named as a supplier on Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) Non Clinical Staffing framework for Lot 6, which is Estates, Facilities Management and Ancillary Staff.

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services.

As a supplier, Bluestones is a consortium entry from businesses within the Group’s portfolio, including, Cogent Staffing, Bluestones Staffing (Northern Ireland), Bluestones Supply Chain, and NC Associates.

Steve Pendergast, Bluestones Group’s CEO, commented:

“Our CCS supplier status for this non clinical supply framework is a testament to the combined strength of our balanced portfolio of recruitment and staffing service businesses we have invested in at Bluestones. By bringing together high-performing recruitment organisations that individually specialise in niche sectors, we can provide a comprehensive, multi-sector staffing service to the clients we work with”.

Bluestones Investment Group is a specialist investment group that focuses on the recruitment sector, operating a balanced portfolio of recruitment and staffing service businesses.

Crown Commercial Services supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2021/22, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £2.8 billion – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers.

To find out more about CCS, visit: www.crowncommercial.gov.uk

Are you looking to build or scale your own recruitment agency?

If so head over to our Investment Division and find out how we can provide you with all the investment and support you need to succeed.

Start your Bluestones journey today

Explore our Investment Division

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Bluestones Group secures impressive accolades

Kelly Croutear — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 09:50:46 +0000

In addition to our recently announced two-star Best Company rating for the third consecutive year, we’re delighted to be able to announce a raft of further placements in the national, regional and sector categories.

Although our portfolio of recruitment and staffing service businesses operates throughout the UK, we’re headquartered in the North West, so it’s particularly pleasing to secure a Top 75 placement in the North West’s Best Companies to Work For 2022 list.

Nationally, our growth story means we’re now considered a ‘large company’ by Best Companies – so having ranked as a Top 100 mid-sized company in the UK last year, it’s impressive to see Bluestones Group now ranking 55th, as a Top 75 UK Best Large Company to work for in 2022.

And rounding out the accolades is our Top 50 Best Recruitment Company to work for in 2022, placing at 35th.

Steve Pendergast, Bluestones Group’s CEO commented,

Financial and business performance is naturally important for any business, but as a people-focused organisation the employee engagement survey from Best Companies has helped us understand how our employees perceive us and how engaged they feel. It's a fantastic achievement for the Group to secure these awards and a testament to what we do as a business that we've seen significant improvements across the board in all of the Best Company league tables."

Bluestones recently hosted their annual black-tie awards event at Chester Racecourse, bringing together over 200 recruitment and staffing service professionals, recognising outstanding achievers and top billers, and the individuals that truly live and breathe our Group values, for a fun-filled, celebratory evening. Along with the award winners’ trips, we offer a range of rewards and benefits for our people, and use the feedback from surveys such as this to help us refine our employee proposition.

It's an exciting time to be part of the Bluestones Group

If you'd like to find out more about joining Bluestones Group, or one of our brands, then please

Click Here

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News Archives - Bluestones Group

QPS launches new services and a bold brand refresh

QPS Group (formerly Quest Pay Solutions) has unveiled a comprehensive suite of services to empower recruitment agencies and contractors

What's new? Expanded services and enhanced solutions:

Enhanced accountancy services

Specialised financial services

Comprehensive payroll solutions

Global payroll and UK funding service

New life sciences agency launches

We’re pleased to announce a new Bluestones joint venture, with the launch of a new life sciences agency – SEDA Talent.

IT support business launches

We’re delighted to officially launch Zircon IT Systems – a trusted IT support partner of the recruitment industry.

With its focus on providing, clear, bespoke IT services, tailored to the recruitment sector, Zircon is uniquely positioned to become an IT partner of choice for many recruiters and agencies.

Bluestones Investment Group expands globally with two key acquisitions

Bluestones Best Companies Result 2023

For the fourth year running, Bluestones Investment Group is pleased to announce that it has been recognised as a Two Star accredited company by Best Companies.

Elite Talent Services launches

Bluestones Medical achieves another impressive Workforce Alliance audit result

Bluestones Medical passes their latest Workforce Alliance audit with flying colours!

About Bluestones Medical:

Recruiter Awards 2023

We’re thrilled to be able to announce that the Group and a number of brands within the Group’s portfolio have been shortlisted for the Recruiter Awards 2023.

Most effective back office operation

Best candidate care

Best temporary recruitment agency

Recruitment agency of the year (50-99 employees)

Recruitment industry supplier of the year

About the Recruiter Awards

Most effective back office operation

Staffing framework announcement

Bluestones Investment Group is pleased to announce it has been named as a supplier on Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) Non Clinical Staffing framework for Lot 6, which is Estates, Facilities Management and Ancillary Staff.

Are you looking to build or scale your own recruitment agency?

Start your Bluestones journey today

Bluestones Group secures impressive accolades

In addition to our recently announced two-star Best Company rating for the third consecutive year, we’re delighted to be able to announce a raft of further placements in the national, regional and sector categories.

Although our portfolio of recruitment and staffing service businesses operates throughout the UK, we’re headquartered in the North West, so it’s particularly pleasing to secure a Top 75 placement in the North West’s Best Companies to Work For 2022 list.

It's an exciting time to be part of the Bluestones Group

Recruitment agency of the year
(50-99 employees)