Springfield Healthcare Group has opened a new £5m care village in Leeds.
The opening follows a five-and-a-half year project to transform a dilapidated historic Grade 2 listed building overlooking an ancient village green into an innovative new care complex for a wide range of age groups, with the aim of being at the heart of the local community and meeting new standards of care.
Seacroft Grange care village has been designed to adapt to a person's changing care needs and will offer a full range of services including aspirational daycare, residential and nursing care, as well as private independent living apartments for a wide range of age groups.
Creating 100 jobs, it is currently the only healthcare project in the country to attract finance from the Business Growth Fund (BGF), the independent company established to provide growth capital to the UK's growing businesses.
We believe this is what the Government wants when it talks about integrated healthcare and joined-up thinking from the people in charge of that care
The £1.9m investment in the Grange forms part of BGF's overall £4.4m investment in Springfield Healthcare Group.
The company's founder and chief executive officer, Graeme Lee, said: "Finding the right care for a family member can be an extremely stressful process. Our model helps families make an informed choice earlier in the planning process and then moves with the needs of individuals or couples as their care needs progress, at the same time ensuring long-term consistency where the care team and quality of information are concerned. We believe this is what the Government wants when it talks about integrated healthcare and joined-up thinking from the people in charge of that care.
"After the standard of care itself, one of the most-important things for family members is to ensure that their loved one is able to have as normal and independent a life as possible.
"While many care homes provide excellent facilities, none provide the exceptional onsite facilities and day-to-day links with the local community that you can experience at Seacroft Grange."
He added: "At the heart of our care village is a Grade 2 listed building, which will be the base for all our social and community activities and houses a cinema, therapy spa and gym, hair salon and coffee shop that wouldn't look out of place on the high streets of York or Harrogate.
"As well as exceptional views over the village green, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book, unusually we have every single community amenity including medical centres, pharmacy, pub, library, church, post office, supermarket and bus station, all within 100 metres."
As well as exceptional views over the village green, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book, unusually we have every single community amenity including medical centres, pharmacy, pub, library, church, post office, supermarket and bus station, all within 100 metres
The care village is based around the former home of the Lord of the Manor of Seacroft, which was built in 1627 and originally called Tottie Hall. It later became a school and adult education centre and had been derelict for more than 20 years before it was purchased by Springfield Healthcare in 2010.
Two large, modern wings incorporating the latest technology and care expertise have been added on either side to maximise views and create easy access to the outdoor areas. Seacroft Grange incorporates 79 care beds split across seven individual zones, each completely self contained and with its own day space and kitchen facilities. A further 17 apartments and suites complete the facility.
Offering 24-hour personal care across the care spectrum from day-centre services through to modern nursing, therapeutic and intensive end-of-life care, it will also cater for more complex requirements such as those living with dementia, disability and brain injury.