My time as a care home owner: Weavers Lodge

In the summer of 2022, Autonomy Care Group purchased The Hollies – a former, 17-bedroom care home in the Somerset town of Castle Cary. The group had big plans to redevelop the property and reopen it as a specialist residential service for adults with learning disabilities and behaviours that may challenge.

Two years on, Simon Harvey, Senior Director – Care at Christie & Co, spoke with Nic Faulkner-Elliott, Director at Autonomy Care Group, to find out how they’re getting on…

Can tell us a bit about Autonomy Care Group?

Autonomy Care Group provides specialist support for vulnerable people, either in their own homes or in one of our residential services. The care services are provided by three divisions; Autonomy Life, Autonomy Care, and Autonomy Plus. Autonomy Life provides residential care for adults with learning disabilities and complex needs, Autonomy Care provides domiciliary care and supported living services within individuals’ own homes and in the wider community, and Autonomy Plus provides residential care for young people with learning disabilities and complex needs. The company was established over 20 years ago and, over the last two decades, has achieved a wonderful team of 165+ employees. 

What potential did you see in this property? And how did you see it fitting in with the other homes in your portfolio?

We first had our initial visit to the property in 2022 in the rural and picturesque town of Castle Cary, Somerset. The location was ideal for the nature of the bespoke service, as it’s situated on a no-through road and yet a two-minute walk to the bustling High Street full of amenities. 

The Hollies was a former 17-bed care home. As we toured the property, we felt the home had a lot of privacy with the nearby neighbours, and we also could visualise knocking through the small bedrooms into eight large en suite bedrooms as the layout of the property could mirror some of our other adult services. 

The home during the renovation works

What changes have you made to the property so far? 

The service has undergone an extensive transformation to now have six en suite bedrooms and two self-contained studios all with garden or countryside views. The service also has various communal spaces such as a kitchen, living room(s), dining room, a quiet lounge, and a rear secure garden space. The service has state-of-the-art, rain-sensored skylights in the living spaces, including eco-friendly solar panels. 

The interior designers have mindfully designed the fixtures and furniture for challenging environments, which includes a variety of safe, robust, and anti-ligature features. The autism-friendly design and specification maintain the homely feel that is important for providing the individuals we support with a sense of belonging.

The fully-renovated living room at Weavers Lodge

 When did you reopen the home?

The home was named Weavers Lodge and is the newest adult residential service to join Autonomy Life. The service was CQC registered in August 2024, and we welcomed our first residents in September 2024. 

The grand re-opening: Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset, Mr Mohammed Saddiq

What plans do you have for the home going forward?

Our future for Weavers Lodge would be to continue developing bespoke services and to integrate not only the residents, but Autonomy Care Group’s presence into the local community to build those vital connections. 

What advice would you give anyone thinking of buying a closed care home and bringing it back to life?

It’s always important to research the area/ location before making the commitment. It’s wonderful to already feel part of the local community, and a lot of work went into our brand awareness during the transformation of the building. Creating more job opportunities for those who are new or experienced in care is nothing but a positive outcome and is the cog that makes our bespoke service so professional and person-centred. 

If you’re considering buying a care home business and would like to discuss your options, contact Simon Harvey: simon.harvey@christie.com / 07764 241 310