A NURSERY software specialist has boosted its workforce by over 50 per cent so far this year and is aiming to expand further still.

Nelson-based Connect Childcare specialises in providing management software to to nurseries around the region and says that the firm has appointed 27 new staff members since the start of the financial year.

This brings the overall number of staff to 75, an increase of 55 per cent.

Connect Childcare CEO Chris Reid said: "We’re always on the lookout to diversify our existing talent pool and this series of appointments is a significant milestone in our growth strategy.

“It’s a very exciting time for the business, following the appointment of our new chairman and investment received at the end of last year, and we’ve just launched our new Software-as-a-Service platform, foundations, too.”

The company's recruitment drive came about thanks to a £4 million investment from Mobeus Equity Partners in December and Connect Childcare hopes the extra staff will enable the firm to streamline its internal processes and support new product development.

Mobeus investment manager and Connect Childcare board member Rowan Grobler said “It’s the people-first attitude, towards both customers and staff, which is at the heart of Connect’s market leading success in the marketplace.

"It’s one of the many reasons we decided to back the company in its future growth.”

Connect Childcare is now targetting 20,000 more nursery settings and a £6.5m increase in sales by the end of 2023.

Chief people officer Sonia Hardy said: "We have a great team of talented people here at Connect, who are all passionate about the services and products we, as an organisation, deliver.

"Our people and collaborative culture are incredibly important to us, meaning we invest a lot of time, training, and resource in ensuring everyone feels happy and fulfilled in their roles, and empowered to take ownership of their personal development.

"We continue to invest our profits back into the company to bolster both our team’s expertise and develop market-leading technology, as for us, this is a key part of what we believe creates not only a positive customer experience, but a supportive work environment for colleagues too."