Highwood Group has begun construction of a £10 million, 64-bed specialist dementia care home, working in partnership with Hunters architects and developer Brackley Investments.

The ‘family home’ care home in Climping, West Sussex, which will be operated by Healthcare Management Trust, is due to be completed in spring 2023.

Tony Barrett, chief executive at HMT, said: “We provide care that gives back. Surplus funds generated through our work are reinvested in scientific research to serve the ageing population. As a result, HMT offers pioneering, research-led and ‘family home’ focused care to our residents. We are proud to have expanded to a third site and look forward to benefiting local residents through investment, job creation and our residential care offer.”

HMT has previously funded around £1.6 million of research grants which look into frontotemporal dementia and fall prevention and personalised physical activity for people with dementia. It is currently funding research through several UK universities looking into cognitive studies, as well as the impact of music, social activities and nutrition upon the wellbeing of people with dementia.

James Wallace, director at Hunters architects, said: “The development has been created using the well-established ‘household design principle’ which uses the best practice principles set out in the University of Stirling, Dementia Services Design Centre’s Design Audit Tool to suit the specific needs of residents with dementia.”

Steve Matthews, managing director at Highwood Group, commented: “We are 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, HMT and Brackley Investments, on such a unique and carefully-designed dementia care home.”

David Brill, director of project management at Brackley Investments, said: “We are delighted to be working with HMT on this development. Like HMT, we share in their passion for older persons’ care and our track record is care only.”