What Alternative Futures Group does

Alternative Futures Group (AFG) is a registered charity (Charity Number 1008587) and private company (Number 2679915) headquartered in Liverpool, England, delivering specialist health and social care services across North West England. Founded in 1993, the organisation employs over 2,000 people, including more than 1,800 frontline social care workers, and supports approximately 900 adults with learning disabilities and complex mental health conditions across two core service lines: mental health and learning disability provision. Mental health services span six independent hospitals across Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester, alongside enhanced supported living, community outreach, and a therapy offer including CBT for psychosis, EMDR, and trauma-focused CBT. Learning disability services cover 24-hour supported living, community outreach, and highly specialist residential provision including the Naylorsfield and Hartsbourne service operated in partnership with Liverpool City Council for individuals in or at risk of conflict with the criminal justice system. Technology-enabled support includes a Tech Lending Library of robotic pets, VR headsets, voice assistive technology, and smart devices, plus a video-based desensitisation programme to reduce clinical-setting anxiety.

The business model is entirely public sector-commissioned. Revenue, which exceeds £60m annually, is generated through formal contracts with 17+ local authorities (Cheshire East, Rochdale, Liverpool, Knowsley, Wirral, Warrington, Trafford, Stockport, St Helens, Sefton, Lancashire, Cheshire West and Chester, Blackburn with Darwen) and three NHS integrated care boards (NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, NHS Greater Manchester, NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria). Pricing is determined by individual care packages and block contracts based on assessed needs, with no direct consumer pricing. Distribution is sales-led through commissioned arrangements and tender responses, supplemented by community-led engagement and content marketing. The organisation is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Brian Walsh OBE and led by Chief Executive Ian Pritchard, with a senior team including a Chief People Officer/COO, Chief Commercial Officer, Director of Mental Health, Director of Operations, and Head of IT. Workforce development is supported through Trainee Nursing Associate partnerships with Edge Hill University and the University of Salford and a structured Nursing Preceptorship programme, both contributing to a documented 67% reduction in agency spend and 11.1% Support Worker pay increase. Regulatory positioning is mixed: six hospitals rated CQC Good or Outstanding, but Naylorsfield and Hartsbourne received an Inadequate rating in January 2024, currently under remediation.

Name

Alternative Futures Group

Legal name

Alternative Futures Group Ltd

Website

https://afgroup.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Alternative Futures Group is a UK charity providing specialist health and social care to around 900 adults with learning disabilities and mental health conditions across North West England, operating six independent mental health hospitals and a portfolio of supported living and community services under £60m+ of public sector commissioning contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Care and Mental Health Services

NAICS

Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities (6232), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG), Special Needs Adult Day Programs (Developmental/Physical Disabilities, Seniors) (HLADAIAI), College Readiness & Disability Services Transition Support (EDAKANAB)

Keywords

• Learning disability support
• Mental health services
• Supported living care
• Independent mental health hospitals
• Community social care

Headquarters

HQ city

Prescot

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Commissioned Care Services: Revenue generated through contracts with local authorities and NHS bodies for providing care services to adults with learning disabilities and mental health conditions. Services are commissioned based on individual care packages and block contracts.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Alternative Futures Group provides commissioned specialist health and social care services to adults with learning disabilities and mental health conditions across North West England. Its service portfolio spans six independent mental health hospitals, enhanced supported living, community outreach, residential services (including the specialist Naylorsfield and Hartsbourne service), therapeutic interventions (CBT for psychosis, EMDR, trauma-focused CBT), the Tech Lending Library of assistive technology, Makaton communication training, and clinical training programmes (Trainee Nursing Associate and Nursing Preceptorship).

Product overview

Alternative Futures Group operates as a unified care services provider rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization offers mental health and learning disability support services through six independent hospitals, enhanced supported living, community outreach, and residential services. Their service portfolio includes therapy services (CBT for psychosis, EMDR), a Tech Lending Library for assistive technology, Makaton communication training, and professional development programmes (Trainee Nursing Associate and Nursing Preceptorship). These services work together to provide person-centred support across the full care pathway from hospital-based rehabilitation to community-based independent living.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Independent Hospitals Six independent mental health hospitals across Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester providing specialist mental health services with a focus on rehabilitation and recovery, crisis intervention, and relapse prevention for adults with complex mental health needs.
• Enhanced Supported Living Community-based mental health support providing consistency through dedicated community teams accessing clinicians and services tailored to individual needs, enabling independent living for adults with complex mental health needs.
• Community Outreach (Mental Health) Flexible mental health support services offering tailored assistance for recovery, providing graduated support to help individuals without overwhelming them with unnecessary services.
• Mental Health Therapy Services Range of therapeutic interventions including cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis, eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR), and trauma-focused CBT counselling for adults with mental health conditions.
• Supported Living Services 24-hour care services enabling adults with learning disabilities and complex needs to live as independently as possible, working with trusted housing providers to offer accommodation ranging from flat schemes to shared houses.
• Community Outreach (Learning Disability) Flexible learning disability support packages offering less than 24-hour support, from a few hours per day or week to intensive periods working towards specific goals.
• Residential Services (Naylorsfield and Hartsbourne) Highly specialist residential care service for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism who are in conflict with or at risk of conflict with the criminal justice system, operated in partnership with Liverpool City Council.
• Tech Lending Library Technology lending service offering people supported the chance to borrow automated items including robotic pets, voice assistive technology, VR headsets, and smart devices to enhance independence, communication and wellbeing.
• Makaton Communication Training Communication support programme using Makaton language to give adults with learning disabilities a voice, including licensed tutor services and Communication Club resources.
• Trainee Nursing Associate Programme 2-year foundation degree programme in partnership with Edge Hill University and University of Salford, bridging the gap between Support Workers and Registered Nurses with workplace experience and academic qualification.
• Nursing Preceptorship Programme Structured preceptorship programme for newly registered practitioners to build confidence and competence transitioning from student to autonomous professional at AFG's independent mental health hospitals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 67% reduction in agency spend through improved recruitment and retention
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cheshire East CouncilcoreOthersLocal authority commissioning partner for care services for adults with learning disabilities
• Rochdale Borough CouncilcoreOthersLocal authority commissioning partner for supported living and residential services
• Liverpool City CouncilcoreOthersLocal authority commissioning partner for residential care services including Naylorsfield and Hartsbourne specialist service
• Knowsley CouncilcoreOthersLocal authority commissioning partner for supported living services
• NHS Cheshire and MerseysidecoreOthersNHS commissioning body for mental health hospital services
• NHS Greater ManchestercoreOthersNHS commissioning body for mental health and learning disability services
• NHS Lancashire and South CumbriacoreOthersNHS commissioning body for mental health services
• Edge Hill UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner for Trainee Nursing Associate programme providing 2-year foundation degree
• University of SalfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner for Trainee Nursing Associate programme providing 2-year foundation degree
• Supported Living GatewayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership project to build new flat scheme with wellness at its core at the heart of a community
• Starting Point StockportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise partner for digital inclusion initiatives and technology events
• Wirral CouncilcoreOthersLocal authority commissioning partner
• Warrington Borough CouncilcoreOthersLocal authority commissioning partner
• Trafford CouncilcoreOthersLocal authority commissioning partner
• Stockport CouncilcoreOthersLocal authority commissioning partner
• St Helens Borough CouncilcoreOthersLocal authority commissioning partner
• Sefton CouncilcoreOthersLocal authority commissioning partner
• Lancashire County CouncilcoreOthersLocal authority commissioning partner
• Cheshire West and ChestercoreOthersLocal authority commissioning partner
• Blackburn with DarwencoreOthersLocal authority commissioning partner
• NHS Cheshire and Wirral PartnershipcoreOthersNHS mental health trust commissioning partner

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Elysium Healthcare: Large UK independent mental health and learning disability provider operating over 80 sites nationwide; AFG is explicitly affiliated with Elysium via Restraint Reduction Network accreditation, indicating close operational parity on inpatient mental health services.
• Cygnet Health Care: Major UK provider of mental health, learning disability and autism services across hospitals, residential, and supported living settings; directly comparable to AFG's integrated hospital-plus-community model.
• Priory Group: One of the UK's largest independent mental health and social care providers with hospitals and residential services nationwide; competes with AFG for NHS and local authority mental health contracts.
• Voyage Care: Large specialist provider of supported living, residential and community services for people with learning disabilities and complex needs; operates nationally with a similar service portfolio to AFG's learning disability arm.

Direct peers

• St Andrew's Healthcare: Charitable provider of specialist inpatient and community mental health services for adults with complex needs; closest non-profit parallel to AFG's six-hospital mental health portfolio.
• Turning Point: UK social enterprise providing learning disability, mental health and substance use services across England; similar non-profit commissioning model serving overlapping local authority populations.
• Hft (Home Farm Trust): National charity supporting people with learning disabilities through supported living and residential services; closely comparable to AFG's learning disability division in mission, funding model and service mix.
• United Response: UK charity providing person-centred support to people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs; directly comparable in size, mission and commissioning-driven service model.
• MacIntyre: National charity providing lifelong learning disability support including supported living, residential and outreach; comparable in mission, charity status, and person-centred care approach.
• Hesley Group: Specialist provider of residential and supported living services for adults with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs; directly comparable in service scope, particularly to AFG's specialist residential offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/welcometoafg

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alternative Futures Group