Council Launches capital investment programme to boost dementia care home provision across the borough
The Council has announced a bold new initiative to expand specialist dementia care across the Borough.
With plans to create over 70 new care home beds for people with dementia.
The Council is proud to announce the launch of its Care Home Capital Investment Programme. This initiative is designed to increase the numbers of specialist care home beds in the borough for people with complex dementia. Capital grants will be available to provide match funding, ranging from £10,000 to £250,000 per scheme to enable care home providers to build new or adapt existing capacity to enable them to meet the ever-growing demand within this specialist service area.
Cabinet member for Adult Social Care, Councillor Sheila Little said:
This investment is about more than bricks and mortar, it’s about ensuring that people living with dementia can live in dignity in the right place locally and at an affordable price. We want to hear from providers who have potential to increase their capacity or change their existing capacity to meet this growing area of demand.
Cllr Gahan, Cabinet Member for Resources said:
I'm really pleased to launch this opportunity for Care Home providers in Cheshire West. The Council is investing alongside our care providers in the future of the care home market which will bring benefits to local people living with dementia and their families for years to come.
According to national prevalence data, the number of people living with dementia in Cheshire West and Chester is expected to rise significantly—from 5,990 people in 2025 to 7,762 by 2030. This programme is a proactive response to ensure that care homes evolve to meet future needs and remain accessible and equitable across the Borough.
The Council will work collaboratively with providers to help them evolve their services in response to local needs. This investment will bring 70 high need dementia beds on line over a 4-year period and will be secured at the Council’s standard contract rate.
With the growing complexity of individual's needs, there is an increasing demand for dementia care that is both specialised and compassionate. The Council not only has a statutory duty to meet the needs of those who are eligible under the Care Act 2014 but also has responsibility to support the local care market - ensuring that providers can continue to evolve in meeting the needs of the borough.
Through this capital grant, the Council is demonstrating its commitment to work collaboratively with providers to help them develop and future proof services particularly regarding the forecasted growth in people living with dementia locally.
Care home providers can apply for the grant via the Chest: North West Procurement Portal.