In his early 30s, with a house near the beach, a fast car, and a dog which he had rescued from a local shelter, Derek Ludlow was living the good life in Sydney, Australia.

But then came the devastating news from home that his mother, Helen, had Alzheimer's disease.

Now Mr Ludlow has relocated back to the UK and has named his Oxford-based recruitment company, McBarron Wood, after his mother.

"It's something she can remember and it helps to keep her mind stimulated," explained Mr Ludlow, 35.

"Mum helps out with things like recruitment days - just little things like ironing the T-shirts, but she loves it. It's a focus on something, and every time she rings up, she hears her name."

Mr Ludlow, who is his mother's primary carer, divides his time between work and looking after her.

"I am very passionate about being able to work and look after mum at the same time a work-lifestyle balance is very important."

When the news came, it made Mr Ludlow realise money and material things are not everything.

"I was very down for a long time," he admitted. "And then one day, shortly before I left for home, I thought, I have a brand new car on my drive - I had saved for it for so long and was so proud of it - but the bottom line was I was never going to be able to show it to mum.

"I needed to come home, but I couldn't leave my dog, Nova, behind, so I flew him home too. Now he and mum go everywhere together."

He continued: "You realise that a 24-hour flight home is too far if something awful happened."

But Mr Ludlow has manage to not only re-establish his domestic roots but also set up a business, and is working hard to drive his recruitment company forward.

"The main aim of McBarron Wood is to lower the cost to companies who use recruitment firms, and so therefore widen our market."

Dennis Young, who formerly headed up Arc recruitment in Oxfordshire, is on hand as head of operations at McBarron Wood.

He said: "I have worked in the sector for many years so I know how it works. I am here to provide Derek with contacts and advice."

But the men recognise it is a difficult market to break in to.

Mr Ludlow explained: "There are a lot of recruitment companies in the area, but we feel we are offering something different.

"We provide in-depth interviews with each candidate and we are dedicated to a tight screening process. We won't send 15 people for one job - we'll do the work and send three."

With this screening process in operation, McBarron Wood is confident it will find the right person for every job - it even goes so far as to say that if the chosen candidate leaves before 13 weeks, the company will refund 100 per cent of the fee paid.

Another aspect that singles it out from other recruitment companies is the discount received when using its website.

Online discount Mr Ludlow said: "We are offering a 30 per cent discount to companies who come straight through our website "It means a wireless and paperless approach to selecting and sourcing candidates."

McBarron Wood also endeavours to meet candidates at locations which are convenient for them.

"We understand that people working a full week may not have the time to travel into an office and be interviewed for an hour - that's why we do it," he added.

Mr Young believes that often, people do not do their best at interview. "We see people who are perfect for a job, but are not good interviewees," he said.

"It's a real shame if someone doesn't get a job because of this, so we offer guidance to candidates before their interview."

McBarron Wood has just secured a contract with an Australian craft company, Empire Bead.

"They are relocating to Oxford early next year and have hired us to source staff for them," said Mr Ludlow.

"It is a real coincidence, as I don't know anyone at the company from my time in Australia. They picked us because of the way we screen candidates, and our online approach."

Despite being busy with his company, Mr Ludlow still finds time for Helen and Nova.

He said: "I knew nothing about Alzheimer's, and it is very frustrating seeing mum like this," he said.

"I went through so many emotions and again, realised I had to deal with it. Now I sit on the Buckinghamshire Alzheimer's committee to try and help out as best I can.

"Eventually, I would love to be able to donate some of our profits to the Alzheimer's Society."

Contact: Call 07855 427 398, or see www.mcbarronwood.com e-mail: derek@mcbarronwood.com