In a specialist social care sector navigating immense financial and operational pressures, Achieve together is signalling confidence and long-term commitment through a substantial investment in its real estate portfolio—an initiative that blends heritage preservation with forward-looking service quality.
With a £1.36 million capital investment programme underway across three Grade II listed properties—Arrowe Hall in Merseyside, Cerrig Camu in Snowdonia National Park, and Sail Close in Norfolk—Achieve together is setting a sector benchmark for sustaining high-quality environments in which people with complex needs can flourish.
A long-term view in a time of sectoral challenge
The wider market context is unambiguous: social care providers are contending with inflationary cost pressures, workforce shortages, and an increasingly complex regulatory landscape. Yet, Achieve together—a leading UK provider supporting over 2,500 adults in 450+ residential and supported living settings—continues to invest at scale. These works are not mere compliance measures; they represent strategic capital enhancement to safeguard long-term viability, uplift resident experience, and futureproof specialist homes against escalating estate challenges.
“We are investing not only in bricks and mortar but in dignity, sustainability and the delivery of high-quality support,” said Chief Financial Officer for Achieve together, Chris Saunders. “These properties aren’t just buildings—they are people’s homes and part of their story. They deserve to be safe, inspiring and cared for, just like the people who live in them.”
Heritage Assets with Social Purpose
Achieve together’s heritage investment programme includes:
- Arrowe Hall, Wirral – £500,000: This 1835 Gothic Revival mansion is undergoing a two-year restoration, including the specialist repair of over 400 sash windows. It exemplifies how complex conservation work can be delivered with operational continuity, allowing people supported to remain in place.
- Cerrig Camu, Gwynedd – £500,000: Nestled within the Snowdonia National Park, this property is receiving significant investment in roof works, chimney stabilisation, and drainage improvements—all in line with conservation requirements to protect its standing as a rural Welsh heritage site, while securing safety and comfort for the individuals living there.
- Sail Close, Gayton, Norfolk – £360,000: Once a working 19th-century windmill with attached granary and bakehouse, Sail Close now provides specialist residential care. Its ongoing upgrade, governed by listed building consent, includes structural remediation, tar renewal on historic brickwork, and restoration of features that had previously been compromised by unauthorised materials.
Each of these homes is more than an asset on a balance sheet. They are examples of Achieve together’s estate stewardship—delivering care in environments that honour both their history and the people who now call them home.
Property Strategy in Action
This initiative is part of a broader estate strategy that focuses on:
- Maximising the value and utility of existing assets
- Ensuring compliance with planning and heritage regulations
- Improving the environmental and operational resilience of older buildings
- Supporting integrated care pathways through bespoke, person-led property design
The programme reflects Achieve together’s ongoing commitment to aligning quality of accommodation with quality of support. Investment decisions are made on the basis of lifecycle costing, occupancy planning, and operational outcomes.
Why this matters for Investors and Commissioners
Investors, funders, and local authority commissioners are increasingly scrutinising the estate condition of social care providers as a proxy for operational sustainability. Poorly maintained environments not only increase reactive spend and insurance risk but also correlate with poorer regulatory outcomes.
By proactively investing in its historical assets—properties that many operators might see as liabilities—Achieve together is sending a clear message: wellbeing starts with the home, and maintaining those homes is a core part of delivering regulated, reputable and resilient support.
Final word
The UK specialist care sector has no shortage of challenges, but what sets providers apart is their willingness to invest through uncertainty. With £1.36 million already committed to safeguarding some of its most architecturally significant homes, Achieve together is demonstrating a care-led but commercially sound approach to estate investment.
It is a model that offers reassurance to partners, local authorities, and investors alike: one where heritage, high standards, and long-term thinking go hand in hand.