BICKERSTAFFE CHILDREN'S SERVICES LIMITED
Opportunity 39/100 (watch), bankability 20/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Asset purchase likely safer than share purchase given structural signals. Biggest value-creation lever: File overdue accounts. Clears statutory overdue flag — immediate bankability uplift for refinance conversations. Most likely exit: distressed disposal / insolvency (65/100). Current lenders should be on immediate intervention.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (77/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Not actionable now, but monitor — distressed, succession, or structural changes could flip this into a real opportunity.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredKey financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-08-31 | 2023-08-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £76.9k | £79.4k |
| Current assets | £5.8k | £13.3k |
| Cash | — | £8.1k |
| Debtors | — | £5.3k |
| Net assets | £833 | £833 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
Recent activity
- • 2 insolvency
- • 1 address
- • 1 resolution
- • 2 insolvency
- • 1 address
- • 1 resolution
Corporate timeline (24 events)Click to expand
- 2026-06-08⚠️liquidation-voluntary-appointment-of-liquidatorinsolvency · 600
- 2026-05-14📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2026-05-14⚠️liquidation-voluntary-statement-of-affairsinsolvency · LIQ02
- 2026-05-14📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2025-05-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2025-05-30📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2025-05-30📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2024-05-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2023-05-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-05-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-08-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-08-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2019-05-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2019-02-15📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2019-02-13➖WILCOX, Paul resigneddirector
- 2018-05-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2017-05-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2017-02-17➕WILCOX, Paul appointeddirector
- 2015-02-23➖WEBSTER, Linda Marjorie resigneddirector
- 2005-07-06🏢Company incorporatedAs BICKERSTAFFE CHILDREN'S SERVICES LIMITED
- 2005-07-06➕COTTERILL, Paul appointedsecretary
- 2005-07-06➕COTTERILL, Paul appointeddirector
- 2005-07-06➕MERCER, John appointeddirector
- 2005-07-06➕WEBSTER, Linda Marjorie appointeddirector
Owner dependency
Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 21 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 64. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 21 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 21 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
4 high ·Statutory accounts have not been filed by their due date. Can indicate admin breakdown, cash preservation, or deliberate delay.
Evidence: Next due: 2026-05-31
Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal.
Evidence: Next due: 2026-06-14
Company is actively being wound up. Not a going concern.
Filings relating to insolvency, liquidation, or administration exist in the company's history. Review before proceeding.
Evidence: 2026-06-08: liquidation-voluntary-appointment-of-liquidator; 2026-05-14: liquidation-voluntary-statement-of-affairs
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Paul Cotterill Individual · British · DOB 09/1962 · age 64 | — | 25–50% | 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
Mr John Mercer Individual · British · DOB 09/1962 · age 64 | — | — | sig. influencesignificant influence · firm interest | 30/05/2025 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Johm Mercerceased 30/05/2025· 25-50% voting
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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11 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
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Registered office
Filing status
Officers (3 active · 2 resigned)
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