First Assist Insurance Services not included in Capita sale

Barclays Private Equity has sold business services provider First Assist Services to Capita for £12.5m.

However the insurance business, which includes First Assist Insurance Services - part of the wider First Assist Group - is not being sold.

First Assist Services was acquired by BPE and its management team in 2003 as part of the larger £147m management buy-out of First Assist Group.

In late 2006, FirstAssist Services was de-merged from the group and taken into independent ownership by BPE and its management team.

First Assist Group, a provider of personal and commercial insurance, primarily on a ‘white-labelled basis’, continues to be owned by BPE.

First Assist Services employs 360 people and has operations in Hinckley, Leicestershire and Purley, London. It provides health and wellbeing services, with core products that include employee assistance programmes, absence management solutions, occupational health and international assistance.

In its financial year to December 2009, First Assist Services had revenues of £17.9m and a pro-forma operating profit of £1.7m.