Fifty new care industry jobs are being created after a Hyndburn company was awarded a multi-million pound council contract.

Townfield Care in Great Harwood has signed a £6m contract with Lancashire County Council over four years and will team up with Accrington and Rossendale College to offer placements for healthcare support students. The company will also take on 50 new staff.

Job positions will be available in Hyndburn, Rossendale and the Ribble Valley.

Bosses said the new contract will help ‘stabilise and improve conditions for homecare workers’, move towards providing a ‘living wage’ for employees and provide a ‘guarantee of working hours’.

Director John Timmins said: “We are committed to improving the contracts of our home care support workers, we want to give our staff job security and in turn this means keeping our standard of care high. Our aim is to improve quality of life through our services.”

Mr Timmins said the family-run company, which also operates Sherwood House residential home in Rishton, has 35 years experience in the industry and is in an ‘ideal position to make a real difference’.

Charlotte Scheffmann, assistant principal of Accrington and Rossendale College, said: “We are delighted to be working with John and his team at Townfield Care.

“It has opened doors for so many of our students.

“Our newer students can gain real work experience, whilst our more established are able to get jobs that fit around study.

“The apprenticeship roles are also really exciting as it means the students will be learning with some of the best in the industry.”

County Coun Graham Gooch, cabinet member for adult services, said: “We’re pleased to be working with Townfield care. It’s great that they will be delivering their service in partnership with Accrington and Rossendale College to help improve people’s skills, shape the market and provide a high standard of care for the people they support.

“We’ve recently commissioned Townfield Care and 55 other providers to deliver our new home care programme across Lancashire.

“The programme is part of our plans to provide more modern care services giving even better support to people who need social care at home.”