We are developing a new residential home for disabled children and young people in Brighton & Hove.
The home will be created by converting a vacated wing of Ireland Lodge, a 24-bed dementia specialist care home in Woodingdean.
The new facility, which will be separated from Ireland Lodge, will be named Rainbow Lodge and is due to open in spring 2025. The home will provide full-time care for up to 5 children with complex needs and will sit alongside Ireland Lodge’s existing residential service for people with dementia.
Creating this new service will allow us to improve our residential care offer within the city, keeping children close to their friends and families and enabling them to attend our Ofsted rated ‘Outstanding’ special schools.
Rainbow Lodge will be managed in-house by council staff to provide a safe, comfortable, homely and stimulating environment for disabled children and young people, enabling them to lead positive and fulfilling lives in a setting that best meets their needs.
Building work is planned to begin in December and is scheduled to take around 3 months to complete. The work required should not impact nearby residents, but we apologise for any disruption caused during the development of the new facility.
Councillor Emma Daniel, Cabinet member for Children, Families and Youth Services, said: “One of our key missions for children and young people is to ensure that they are cared for and educated in their home city. To do this, we need to have adequate provision to support their needs.
“Rainbow Lodge is going to provide a truly amazing new home for disabled children that families will be able to access much more easily to spend time together.
“We thank nearby residents in Woodingdean for their patience and understanding during the required building work, which is scheduled to begin next month.”
As a dementia specialist care home, Ireland Lodge provides person-centred care to some of the city’s most vulnerable adults.
The site is on one level and has 3 lounges and 4 courtyard gardens with easy access for residents to enjoy.
Ireland Lodge also provides respite care, offering family caregivers some much-needed time off, and transitional care for people with dementia who are in the community or leaving hospital, providing a safe home while their ongoing care needs are being assessed.
