News
31/01/2022
Construction begins for specialist dementia care home in Climping
Highwood has started construction of a specialist dementia care home in the village of Climping, near the seaside town of Littlehampton, West Sussex. Working in partnership with developer Brackley Investments, the 64-bed dementia care facility will be operated by the not-for-profit health and social care provider, Healthcare Management Trust (HMT).
Located in a quiet rural setting on the A259 Crookthorn Lane and less than a mile from Climping Beach, the modern purpose-built care home is designed over two storeys and incorporates four separate wings. Each wing houses 16 bedrooms split equally into two distinct households of eight-bedded ‘homes’.
The household design principle is well established and proven to provide a much more domestic feel to care accommodation, helping to support people and families living with dementia.
James Wallace, Director at Hunters architects, explains; ‘The layout incorporates the household model of care which has been formally acknowledged by the Dementia Services Development Centre at Stirling University and uses the best practice principles to better suit the specific needs of residents living with dementia.’
Breaking ground (left to right): Lacey Hailstones (Highwood Surveyor), David Brill (Brackley Investments' Director) and John Wells (Highwood Project Manager)
Site plan of the specialist dementia care home. © Hunters
The household design has a family kitchen area on each floor
The Design Philosophy
Based on this design philosophy, the care home includes generous bedrooms with en-suites, with each household benefitting from its own dining room, day lounge, reading room and access to their own private communal garden, or terrace. Other communal well-being facilities include a hair salon, café, shop and tea room, as well as a family kitchen area on each floor.
The outside space also plays an important part in the dementia care scheme with multiple terraces and secure gardens with play equipment, all purpose-designed to support people with dementia. The design allows residents, their families and visitors to enjoy the landscaped grounds and play areas in a safe and protected environment.
Environmental benefits
The care development in Climping will also support the environment through renewable energy generation, on-site photovoltaics, EV-charging, improved building fabric and insulation, air-source heat pump technology and a green roof to encourage biodiversity.
The project is being funded by abrdn plc who is investing more than £10 million in the dedicated dementia care facility. HMT will occupy the completed development under a commercial lease.
Construction is due to be completed in spring 2023 with a prospective opening date by HMT following a specialist fit-out in summer 2023.
A CGI of the landscaped gardens. © Hunters
Outline roof plan of the care home. © Hunters
Photovoltaics solar panels – green and sustainable energy generation
Rural seaside location. © Hunters
New partnerships
Steve Matthews, Managing Director at Highwood Group, commented; ‘We’re delighted to have broken ground on this superb site near the coast. This is our thirty-ninth care and retirement scheme and it’s fantastic to be working with two new partners, Brackley Investments and HMT, on such a unique and carefully-designed dementia care home with clear environmental benefits – something which is very close to our hearts at Highwood.’
David Brill, Director of Project Management at Brackley Investments, said ‘This is the first project we have done with Highwood who were recommended to us by one of our professional consultants and are so far impressed in the manner in which they have risen to the particular technical challenges with the site and have hit the ground running.’
A milestone achievement
Tony Barrett, Chief Executive at HMT, remarked ‘The start of construction on a new HMT care home in Climping is a milestone achievement. The building will facilitate a progressive model of care with the ability to accommodate residents with a wide spectrum of dementia needs and dependency. We are delighted to work with Highwood Group and Brackley Investments on this development.’
Highwood has been delivering high-end retirement living, care home and care village developments for some of the UK’s leading care operators and healthcare providers for the past 30 years. For more information on our growing portfolio, please click here.
A CGI of the care home. © Hunters
Tony Barrett, Chief Executive at HMT