Uniplural Group: ‘Our brand transformation fortifies our position as a one-stop-shop within the community’

It is now official – the birth of Uniplural Group signifies a new chapter to the organisation formerly known as Apex Group. The Group Head of Academy and Director of Quality Assurance & Standards Claire Bellizzi says this new chapter is set to fortify the brand’s core identity pillars: care, quality, expertise and integrity.

“Over the past twelve years, we’ve navigated through expansion and diversification, uniting a diverse group under a single umbrella. Now, we seek a brand transformation that embodies agility and versatility, accommodating future expansions and pivots in response to evolving market dynamics and emergent growth prospects. Our aim is to cultivate a brand that not only solidifies our market stance and leadership but also propels us confidently into the future,” Claire says.

Uniplural saw its beginnings in the care services, the brainchild of two dedicated medical professionals who had experienced both the hospital side of the vocation and the community aspect. This, Claire says, gave her and her business partner – Aaron Axiaq, Chairman and Director of Operations, to venture outside of the hospital environment to create a significant entity in the community. With both co-founders passionate about the concept of giving back to the community, the company didn’t take long to expand to other, related services.

“Soon after launching, we decided to expand again, this time offering childcare services. In fact, we currently run six centres, with a view to growing. Then we discovered that many of our clients also invariably enquired about cleaning services, so we launched that arm. Our goal was to become a one-stop-shop within the community,” she explains.

Throughout this journey, Uniplural has made it a point to remain sensitive to the community’s needs, responding to shifts in market demands with agility. Claire uses the influx of foreign workers that we started experiencing in Malta in recent years as an example. With a large percentage of workers now being third country nationals, the management team realised that they needed to address a possible gap in operations.

“Many foreigners who come to work in Malta experience a culture shock, and need to be eased into their new life. On our side we have a need to align them to our standards. We launched our training and education arm to address this gap. Although we started out by offering this only to those who are employed by Uniplural, nowadays we offer such courses to anyone who is interested, so that they can even pursue opportunities elsewhere.” Claire explains, adding that the courses offered related to childcare and hospitality. “Moreover, we offer bridging courses for nurses who received their qualification elsewhere but who want to have their qualifications recognised in Malta.”

The services offered by Uniplural all have the community at heart. The rebranding is intended to communicate this and to deliver a clear message of what the Group stands for: professionalism, combined with modernity.

“We’ve been operating for 12 years, so a facelift was needed, of course. The brand transformation embodies an agility and versatility that will accommodate future expansions, including on the international market. The new branding instantly communicates the one-stop-shop aspect of the Group, propelling us confidently into the future.”

Crucially, the original ethos of the Group remains strong. Claire explains that when working a profession that services the community, it is essential to connect with your client. Unfortunately, this is an ethos that nowadays risks being lost.

“You need to empathise and really understand what the client needs. This is a big portion of our duty and has always been at the basis of Uniplural’s identity. Understanding the client also automatically helps you adapt according to their needs, and this is exactly how we evolved and grew. We recognised the specific needs of the clients and addressed them,” Claire says.

Of course, understanding a client’s needs is a whole process. Claire explains that they always meet up with a client so as to create a tailored care plan.

“Every person is different, and we create the service around the clients’ needs, choosing the right carer, with the right background and communication skills. It’s not simply a matter of booking an appointment for the client.”

To ensure that the highest standards of care are offered, and that these are kept accessible, Uniplural constantly collaborates with accessibility organisations that focus on promoting inclusion, removing barriers, and ensuring equal opportunities for people with disabilities and additional needs.

“This keeps us on the ball, constantly gathering resources for improvement. Staff is kept trained and updated, and we do invest in the latest technologies to ensure that we respond dynamically to the market. Something else we value is client feedback, which we believe is essential in driving innovation, building trust and ultimately ensuring that services are effective, relevant and responsive to the needs of the people. If you don’t understand the client, it’s very easy to give the wrong service and to be misinterpreted and we strive hard to never fall into that trap,” Claire continues.

She explains how feedback loops allow for iterative development, where services are continually refined based on ongoing input from the community. This iterative approach enables Uniplural to adapt to changing needs and circumstances over time, ensuring that services remain relevant and effective. With the community constantly changing, services have to change accordingly.

The new branding, she adds, perfectly aligns with the community-centric approach of the Group, reflecting their commitment to put the community at the centre of its communications and identity, while promoting inclusivity, engagement and accessibility. While insisting that there’s always room for improvement, she’s particularly proud of the way the group stands for clear service standards, from initiation to post follow-up.

In the meantime, Claire looks forward to continuing to build the Uniplural Group legacy, leaving a lasting positive impact on customers, employees and the community.

Her parting comment is hopeful: “At the end of the day it’s all about committing to excellence, integrity and making a positive difference in the lives of those we serve.”