Cornerstone Healthcare Group is to develop a 74-bed care centre in Somerset to add to its portfolio of highly specialised care homes.
The £10m Cale View facility in Wincanton will increase the group’s beds to nearly 300 and will create 140 local job opportunities.
Scheduled to open in autumn 2022, Cale View will provide care for adults of all ages, with challenging behaviours associated with complex neurological and mental health conditions.
Cornerstone said Cale View forms part of its ‘Buy and Build’ strategy and is the next phase in the company’s ambitious five-year growth plan to provide 500 beds for this “underserved sector” by the end of 2024.
“Unlike our previous acquisitions, we are building Cale View from scratch. This will give us the opportunity to provide, not only care that is tailored to our residents, but a home that is designed to cater for their complex and challenging needs,” said chief executive Johann van Zyl.
“This project gives us the opportunity to increase our service to a large group of people who tend to be forgotten about and to ease the burden on dementia care homes in the area who may struggle to manage the needs of these individuals.”
The facility in Wincanton will add to Cornerstone’s two existing care homes in Hampshire - South Africa Lodge in Waterlooville and Kitnocks House in Curdridge - and Marula Lodge in Mytchett, Surrey.
Clydesdale Yorkshire Bank and London-based equity partner Ignite Growth are funding the development, while NorthStar Projects will act as Cornerstone’s project manager. Midas Group will be responsible for the construction of Cale View.
“Cale View is named after the River Cale which runs through this spectacular site. It will have the most up to date design features with large spacious rooms and day spaces,” said Cornerstone chief operating officer Dara Ní Ghadhra.
“These features will provide easy access for wheelchair users and residents that like to move around freely in their new home. We have found over many years working in this specialised sector that our residents with challenging behaviours react better when allowed to pace and have comfortable day spaces where our activity teams can provide therapeutical activities,” she added.
