Celebrating Our New Service In Skelmersdale

On Monday 2nd March, Community Integrated Care was delighted to celebrate the official opening of our new Supported Living Service in Skelmersdale, bringing together members of the community to recognise the meaningful opportunities it will provide for local people with care and support needs.

Birleywood Supported Living Service has been developed to support adults with a wide range of needs, including people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and autistic people, to live independently in the community.

Built on the site of the former Christ the Servant Church, the development has been more than four years in the making. The site has now been transformed into a thoughtfully designed community of modern, accessible, one‑bedroom bungalows, tailored specifically to the needs and aspirations of the people who will call Birleywood home.

The new homes have been made possible through a partnership between Lancashire County Council, Care Housing Association, Safe as Houses, Henley Investment Management, and our charity.

Throughout the process, partners worked closely to ensure that every aspect of the scheme, from layout to design features, reflected what people need to live safe, independent and fulfilling lives.

The opening event brought together families, local councillors and community members to welcome people into their homes and celebrate the positive impact the service will bring to West Lancashire.

Karen Sheridan, Chief Operating Officer at Community Integrated Care, said, “I’m delighted to see this fantastic new service open in Skelmersdale. We’re incredibly proud to be working alongside our partners to bring high‑quality support to a new area, and to extend our charity’s reach so we can make a difference to even more people and families. It is a privilege to welcome the people we support to their new homes – we can’t wait to see them begin this exciting next chapter and support them to live the best lives possible.”

Cllr Graham Dalton, cabinet member for Adult Social Care at Lancashire County Council, said: “These new bungalows are exactly the kind of housing we need more of in Lancashire; homes that support people to live independently and that are designed around their needs. This project is the result of strong partnership working over several years, and it is fantastic to see it come to fruition. I have enjoyed meeting some of the residents and being welcomed into homes that will make a real, lasting difference to their lives.”

Matthew Eddisford, Care’s CEO, said, “It’s great to see all this hard work come to fruition. It will have an immeasurable impact on the lives of our tenants and is a perfect example of the positive effect that well-planned, targeted new specialist supported housing provision can have.”

Vicky Amlot, Fund Manager at Henley FM, said: “We are delighted to have been able to fund such a great development working alongside valued partners to help address a shortage of much needed specialist supported accommodation. We look forward to seeing the positive impact that the scheme will have on the lives of local people with care and support needs.”