SKIPTON CARE HOME WINS LUXURY CARE HOME AWARD

Not-for-profit later-living provider Anchor’s Skipton care home, The Mill House, has won the prestigious National Luxury Care Home of the Year Award for 2023/4 by property development giants Knight Frank.

Since its launch in 2016, the annual awards have received numerous submissions, with this year’s winners being announced at Knight Frank’s Healthcare Property Lunch. The submitted care homes were judged based on the design standard of the homes, as well as the quality of care provided.

The Mill House can be found on the site of an old mill, overlooking the Leeds and Liverpool canal. The judges were impressed by the unique luxury care home which has been designed to seamlessly blend into the surrounding community, whilst retaining the original features of the former Mill. Taller rooms and increased window heights contribute to the building’s design to ensure each lounge and dining area benefits from two aspects of natural light, with the building following the natural curve of the canal to provide many of the bedrooms and private terraces with lovely canal views. The judges also commented on Anchor’s strong culture on making a difference for residents by providing an excellent standard of support.

This win follows Mill House’s victory for ‘Development of the Year’ award at the Premier Guarantee Excellence Awards 2023 earlier this year.

On the win, Rob Martin, Managing Director of Care Services at Anchor, said: “We are proud to win one of the sectors most prestigious awards against some incredibly impressive competition. It’s a testament to the incredible standard of quality Anchor’s The Mill House possesses that it has now won two awards in its first year of operation.

“We would like to thank everyone involved in the design and construction of this unique building, that was not without challenges in its development. What has been created is a care home that is truly unique.

“Our resident’s comfort and happiness are Anchor’s highest priority, and the Mill House is a prime example of this. The home was designed with great attention to detail to ensure our residents will love living in later life and it is great that this has been recognised by Knight Frank’s judging panel along with the incredible work of all our colleagues.”

The Mill House was acquired as part of Anchor’s Business Plan ambitions for more and better homes – enabling around 40 residents to move in from nearby care home Thornton Hill. This new home features a state-of-the-art Intercall Touch nurse call system alongside a hybrid of wireless assistive technology and hard-wired infrastructure to provide flexibility and cater for all the residents’ needs.

The care home also pertains many environmentally sustainable features, including having the highest possible Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) “A Rated”, with its interior including many recycled fabrics to improve sustainability. There are also immense social benefits with strong links with the community, including the local primary school and charitable organisations, alongside having a creative garden space for residents to grow and sow seeds of their choice.