PRESS INFORMATION ON BHEALF OF SEACROFT GRANGE CARE VILLAGE/SPRINGFIELD HEALTHCARE GROUP
SPRINGFIELD HEALTHCARE OPENS NEW £5M CARE VILLAGE IN LEEDS
Springfield Healthcare Group, one of the largest independent providers of domiciliary care in Yorkshire and Humberside, has opened a new £5 million care village in Leeds.
Creating one hundred jobs, it is currently the only healthcare project in the country to attract finance from BGF (Business Growth Fund), the independent company established to provide growth capital to the UK's growing businesses. T he £1.9m investment in the Grange forms part of BGF's overall £4.4m investment in Seacroft Grange owners, Springfield Healthcare Group and recognises both the company's potential for growth, as well as its quality as a well-managed business.
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 day care, residential and nursing care, as well as private independent living apartments for a wide range of age groups.
Employing 1200 people, Springfield Healthcare Group was established in 1967 as a single family-run care home, which still operates as a specialist dementia facility known as Springfield Care. It has since grown steadily, expanding into homecare, training and pioneering the care village model and currently provides care to 2,500 clients each day.
The company's founder and chief executive officer, Graeme Lee, is a former chairman of the Leeds Care Association and the visionary behind the project. According to Lee, the care village contains many unique features:
"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.
"Whilst many care homes provide excellent facilities, none provide the exceptional on-site facilities and day-to-day links with the local community that you can experience at Seacroft Grange.
"At the heart of our care village is a Grade 2 listed building which will be the basis 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. People and families can be seen going about their daily business and, unusually, we have every single community amenity including medical centres, pharmacy, pub, library, church, post office, supermarket and bus station, all within 100 metres.
"Together, these facilities provide a unique approach and we expect Seacroft Grange to be very popular."
Pamela Spetch, a former practice business manager at Doctors Houghton & Partners at the nearby Grange Medical Centre in Seacroft, says:
"This (Seacroft Grange) is an excellent example of integrated care services encompassing both health and social care under one roof."
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 over twenty 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 their own day space and kitchen facilities in order to feel more homely. A further seventeen apartments and suites complete the facility.
Offering 24-hour personal care across the care spectrum from "light-touch" 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 across a wide range of age groups.
The care village has received huge support from local residents and registered manager, Mike Higginson adds: "Seacroft Grange is a fabulous opportunity to create a real life example of a joined up health and social care model that reflects the needs, wishes and aspirations of the community it serves.
"It has received unanimous support from the Seacroft Residents Association, who all want to help with its success and are very keen to visit, work in it, volunteer and meet their friends at our bistro and coffee shop."
Lily Woods, chair of the Seacroft Residents Association, explains: "The local residents have protected this building for many years, hoping it would eventually be put to good use. We are so pleased with the work Springfield have done. It looks beautiful and has done a lot for the community, including providing new jobs."
Full details are on the web sitewww.seacroftgrange.com.
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For further press information, please contact: Jayne Hopton at Jayne Hopton PR
Tel: 07801 923881 or E: jayne@jaynehoptonpr.co.uk
Note to editor:
+Pamela Spetch was practice business manager at Doctors Houghton & Partners for over 22 years until she retired in May 2013.