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Temporary Staffing Companies in Plymouth: 30 Active Firms (2026)
Temporary staffing companies supply short-term workers to hirers across regulated assignments in Plymouth and its surrounding labour market.
Buying centres tend to sit with operations managers, HR teams and site supervisors rather than procurement teams alone. The Plymouth operators that fit this page are local employment businesses: they source workers, manage assignments, run payroll and keep compliance evidence for hirers that need cover at short notice. Demand is usually B2B and operational, spanning shift cover, project labour, seasonal peaks and absence management. Engagements look more like repeat local call-offs than national master-service agreements, with trust built around fill rates, pay accuracy and handling of worker rights.
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Plymouth has 30 active temporary staffing companies in this list, making it a compact local labour-supply market rather than a broad regional base. Together, they report 616 employees, so the city-level employment footprint sits closer to branch-scale staffing activity than to national framework supply. Turnover above £5M is absent from the Plymouth cohort, which keeps the revenue profile below the page’s largest-firm threshold. New formation is still visible: 9 incorporations have taken place since 2022, pointing to recent local entry despite a small base.
Agency supply in Plymouth is shaped less by sector-specific licensing across all assignments than by employment-business conduct rules. The Agency Workers Regulations give temporary workers access to hirer facilities and vacancy information from assignment start, then equal-treatment rights on pay and basic working conditions once the qualifying period is met. The Fair Work Agency now sits where the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate previously dealt with fair treatment by employment agencies and employment businesses. Labour supply into agriculture, horticulture, shellfish gathering, processing or packaging carries an additional licensing check: covered work normally requires a Fair Work Agency gangmaster’s licence.
Plymouth’s cohort appears likely to remain relationship-led, with local fill reliability and compliance handling doing more work than broad platform differentiation. Demand tends to move with hospitality, care, logistics, public-sector support and seasonal operational cover, so agencies with tight payroll control and dependable worker pools should have an advantage over generalist start-ups. Scale-up scarcity may persist while hirers prefer known local contacts and while regulatory scrutiny raises the cost of casual supply. Consolidation is plausible, but the market also leaves room for niche agencies that specialise by shift pattern, clearance requirement or hard-to-fill worker type.
30
Active firms
2026
9
Incorporated since 2022
Plymouth cohort
0
Above £5M
Reported turnover
Key facts
30% of the cohort was incorporated since 2022 (9 firms), so a sizeable share is in its first few filing cycles.
Agency Workers Regulations 2010 give agency workers access to hirer facilities and vacancy information from day 1, with equal treatment on pay and basic working conditions after a 12-week qualifying period in the same job.
The Fair Work Agency has replaced the former Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate on GOV.UK, changing the public enforcement route for agency-worker protections.
Labour providers in agriculture, horticulture, shellfish gathering and associated processing and packaging normally need a Fair Work Agency gangmaster’s licence under the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004.
Recruitment-sector GVA was estimated at £40.6 billion in 2024, down from £44.4 billion in 2023, with average temporary assignment length falling to 18 weeks from 22 weeks in 2023.
On an average day in 2024, 872,000 temporary or contract workers were on assignment, down 17.6% year on year.
Top Plymouth Temporary Staffing companies
TQR PLYMOUTH LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2022–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides recruitment and staffing services for employers and job seekers, sourcing permanent and temporary staff across sectors including engineering, industrial and manufacturing, construction,…
Serves employers and jobseekers across Exeter, Plymouth and Taunton, with clients in commercial, catering and hospitality, engineering, events, industrial and manufacturing, professional services,…
Financial Health
DistressedDistressed · -14% CAGR over 4y
Location
ACORN HEALTHCARE (SW) LTD
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsProvides recruitment and staffing services to the healthcare and social care sector, supplying temporary and permanent support workers, carers and other care staff to care providers.
Serves B2B care providers in Plymouth, Devon, South Hams and surrounding areas, including healthcare sector organisations that need temporary or permanent care and support staff.
Financial Health
DistressedDistressed · -24% CAGR over 2y
Location
MEDICO CARE LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsSupplies temporary healthcare staff to care homes and nursing homes through an agency service. Recruits and places care workers to cover shifts and staffing needs, providing vetted personnel for…
Serves care homes and nursing homes across Devon and Cornwall, targeting operators that use healthcare agencies for temporary staffing cover and shift support.
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Hiring · 11% CAGR over 4y
Location
Time4care Recruitment Ltd
Trajectory
1y · 2024–NowProvides healthcare recruitment and staffing services, supplying nurses, healthcare assistants and support workers to care providers. Recruits staff for roles in residential care, dementia care,…
Serves healthcare employers needing care and nursing staff, including dementia, residential, home care and learning disability services, and targets care assistants, support workers, RGNs and RMNs…
Financial Health
Insufficient historyInsufficient history
Location
J&C Healthcare Ltd
Trajectory
4y · 2022–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 4 filingsProvides nursing agency staffing and social care services, supplying registered nurses, healthcare assistants and support workers to NHS organisations, hospitals, nursing and residential homes. Also…
Serves NHS hospitals, private hospitals, care homes, nursing and residential homes, plus other UK health and social care organisations and individuals needing care or supported living support.
Financial Health
StrongStrong · 91% CAGR over 2y
Location
SGM Outreach Services Ltd
Trajectory
2y · 2024–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 2 filingsProvides healthcare staffing services, supplying support workers and healthcare assistants to care providers. Offers temporary staffing and personnel to support delivery of individualised care in…
Sells to healthcare providers and care settings needing agency support workers and healthcare assistants, particularly in Devon, Cornwall and surrounding areas. Targets organisations responsible for…
Financial Health
WeakWeak · Hiring · 270% CAGR over 1y
Location
Smeaton Healthcare Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides healthcare staffing and employment agency services, recruiting and supplying nurses, carers and support workers to care homes, hospitals and private clients, and providing home care and…
Serves healthcare organisations needing staff and individuals or families seeking care services for loved ones, with an explicit focus on Devon and Cornwall.
Financial Health
HealthyHealthy · Hiring · 39% CAGR over 4y
Location
SOUNDWAVE RECRUITMENT SOLUTIONS LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides recruitment services for the healthcare sector, supplying temporary and permanent staff such as healthcare assistants and support workers. Advertises vacancies, sources candidates, and…
Serves healthcare employers needing permanent or temporary staff, including care homes and specialist care services, mainly in Devon and the South West, with roles also advertised to healthcare…
Financial Health
StableStable · Hiring · 26% CAGR over 4y
Location
DK RECRUITMENT LTD
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides recruitment and employment agency services, placing candidates in temporary, contract, part-time and permanent roles. Focuses on sectors including commercial, logistics and engineering,…
Serves employers and jobseekers across commercial, logistics and engineering sectors, including organisations hiring for temporary, contract, part-time and permanent roles such as quantity surveying…
Financial Health
HealthyHealthy · Hiring · 15% CAGR over 4y
Location
UTM CONSULTANTS LTD
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides specialist recruitment and personnel services for offshore technical sectors including hydrographic survey, ROV, AUV and underwater inspection. Connects freelance engineers and survey…
Serves global offshore services companies in hydrographic survey, ROV/AUV/USV, underwater inspection, renewable energy, telecoms, power and marine sectors, alongside freelance offshore technical…
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Growing, Hiring · 28% CAGR over 4y
Location
PIONEER SUBSEA LIMITED
Trajectory
4y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 4 filingsProvides specialist offshore recruitment for subsea and marine projects, supplying experienced personnel for ROV, AUV, survey and subsea tooling roles. Screens and matches technicians and engineers…
Serves B2B offshore and subsea companies needing specialist contract personnel, particularly for ROV, AUV, survey and tooling work. Also targets offshore professionals seeking roles in the ROV and…
Financial Health
StableStable · Hiring · 14% CAGR over 3y
Location
Alliance Search Ltd
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
StableStable · Hiring · 19% CAGR over 4y
Location
SALLY LEGG LTD
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial Health
Insufficient historyInsufficient history
Location
Eddystone Search Ltd
Trajectory
1y · 2025–NowFinancial Health
Insufficient historyInsufficient history
Location
KELLAR FORMWORK LTD
Trajectory
2y · 2024–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 2 filingsFinancial Health
StableStable
Location
Maximum Hire Ltd
Trajectory
4y · 2022–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 4 filingsFinancial Health
HealthyHealthy · 0% CAGR over 3y
Location
EMPLOYEE FINDER LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2020–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
WeakWeak · 0% CAGR over 4y
Location
Armada Marine Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2020–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
StrongStrong · Hiring · 7% CAGR over 4y
Location
THRIVE RECRUITMENT GROUP PLYMOUTH LTD
Trajectory
2y · 2024–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 2 filingsFinancial Health
HealthyHealthy · 0% CAGR over 1y
Location
Valknut Automation Ltd
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides engineering and automation services including system design, production and implementation for industrial automation projects. Supplies specialist engineers and ICT professionals to support…
Sells to businesses needing automation project support and technical recruitment, including engineering, manufacturing and facilities management organisations. Serves employers hiring specialist…
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Hiring · 44% CAGR over 4y
Location
LLOYD BARNES COMMERCIAL RECRUITMENT LIMITED
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsProvides recruitment services for accountancy, finance, human resources, operations, and marketing roles. Sources and places candidates in permanent and temporary positions for businesses, charities,…
Serves South West employers, including accountancy practices, commercial organisations, charities and public sector bodies, hiring for accountancy, finance, HR, operations and marketing roles.
Financial Health
StableStable · 0% CAGR over 2y
Location
BELT BUREAU LTD
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsFinancial Health
DistressedDistressed
Location
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How Plymouth Temporary Staffing companies work and how to sell to them
What they do
Temporary staffing agencies usually earn gross margin by charging hirers a bill rate for each hour or shift worked, then paying workers through their own payroll and retaining the spread after employer costs, holiday pay and administration. Some add placement fees when a temporary worker moves into a permanent role, or charge service fees for screening, scheduling, training checks and out-of-hours cover. The service is operational rather than advisory: candidate attraction, right-to-work checks, roster fulfilment, timesheet approval, payroll and issue handling. In Plymouth, engagement sizes are likely to vary by shift volume and seasonality, with repeat call-offs often mattering more than formal retained contracts.
Who they sell to
Buyers are typically local hirers with variable labour needs: hospitality operators, care providers, logistics sites, facilities teams, public-sector support functions and businesses with seasonal or project-based workload. Day-to-day decisions often sit with operations managers, HR managers, service managers and site supervisors, while finance may challenge margin, charge rates and payment terms. Smaller clients may buy directly from a branch manager after a short trial, whereas larger hirers tend to ask for rate cards, insurance evidence, compliance processes and references. Sales cycles are usually practical and local, driven by whether the agency can fill shifts reliably and resolve payroll or attendance issues without adding work for the hirer.
What they buy
Most temporary staffing firms tend to spend on systems that reduce manual handling across candidate sourcing, compliance, scheduling, timesheets and payroll. Useful categories include applicant tracking, CRM, workforce management, digital onboarding, right-to-work checking, document storage, payroll software, accounting, credit control and customer service tooling. They also buy insurance, employment-law advice, payroll bureau support, background screening, recruitment marketing, job advertising, website services and local search support. Agencies with frequent shift work may value messaging, rota management and absence-cover workflows; firms supplying regulated or higher-risk assignments may put more weight on audit trails, worker documentation, licence evidence and incident reporting.
Why and how to sell to them
Temporary staffing buyers tend to evaluate vendors when admin starts to constrain fill rates, payroll errors create worker complaints, or hirers ask for clearer compliance evidence. Other triggers include a new branch manager, expansion into a fresh labour category, increased seasonal demand, late payment pressure, higher candidate acquisition costs or preparation for Fair Work Agency scrutiny. Outbound angles work better when they connect to visible operational friction: fewer unfilled shifts, faster worker onboarding, cleaner timesheet approval, lower payroll rework, better debtor control or simpler proof of Agency Workers Regulations processes. Local agencies are often owner-managed, so short payback periods and low implementation burden usually land better than enterprise language.
How this list is built
Data sources
This list is built from UK Companies House filings, XBRL accounts data, and semantic analysis of each company's public website. Revenue and headcount figures come from the most recent filed accounts; where the company has not filed, values are estimated using a model trained on filed history and peer benchmarks and are labelled as estimates.
Classification
Rather than relying solely on SIC codes, Firmbase classifies each company semantically: the company's website is crawled, an AI model reads what the company actually sells, and the company is placed into the relevant industry and subsectors. SIC codes are used as one signal but not the only one. This means a company that registered under a generic SIC code but pivoted into (for example) fintech is correctly identified as fintech, not as its original SIC category.
Freshness
The underlying company data is refreshed from Companies House continuously; filings appear in the list within days of submission. The curated list ordering is regenerated when the underlying data moves meaningfully (company count changes by more than 5%, a new company enters the top-ranked segment, or the filed-revenue numbers for the top firms change). You can see the last-updated timestamp near the top of the page.
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Frequently asked questions
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