Lancashire County Council launches innovative £5m. service to help Ribble Valley carers take a break

Lancashire County Council’s innovative Meadowfold Hyndburn Ribble Valley Short Break Service is a £5m. environmentally sustainable building in Blackburn Old Road, Great Harwood, which provides short breaks for adults who have a disability while enabling vital respite for families and unpaid carers.

It boasts specialist equipment, skilled and experienced staff on hand 24/7, a sensory room, spacious lounge areas, eight specially adapted en-suite bathrooms, living quarters, quiet rooms and offices. External features include brand-new pedestrian pathways, fencing, paved areas, bike sheds and beautiful landscaping.

Coun. Graham Gooch, the county council's cabinet member for adult social care, said: "This is a ground-breaking facility where everything has been fully adapted so we can tailor it to people's needs, to have safe, physical care.

"It has plenty of space for people to come together, enjoy leisure and social activities and new experiences, catch up with people they already know and spend some time doing activities out and about in the local community.

"This could be learning new skills, like getting involved in cooking, or enjoying the gardens, in a space that they know and is familiar to them.

"It's also got a self-contained flat for people who will need a bit more peace and quiet away from others if they struggle with groups, so it allows people to come and stay in a really lovely environment, with all the facilities you'd expect at home and more."

The service caters to emergency circumstances and planned stays and can offer transport to and from the facility.

To find out more, please contact 0300 123 6701.