A NEW £12 million care centre at the former Malsis School in Glusburn will create 130 jobs.

The grade 2 listed building is being converted into a rehabilitation and recovery centre for local people.

It will also provide facilities to the local community including sports pitches, a sports pavilion and meeting rooms

The Malsis Hall specialist care centre is being built by Enhanced Community Healthcare Options (ECHO) in conjunction with the Seddon Group.

It will be designed to provide recovery and rehabilitation for people with mental health conditions, often resulting from psychological trauma.

In addition to refurbishing and adapting the existing school, ECHO is renovating the cottages, houses and chapel in the grounds to create a 51-bed facility.

Malsis Hall will open in two phases in early summer and autumn.

ECHO said Malsis Hall was designed to be a local service for local people and would accept referrals within a 30-mile radius.

It will search locally for staff to fill the 130 jobs created by the project, and also aims to use suppliers from the local area.

The team at Malsis Hall aim to provide a holistic approach to care, with the person’s care needs reassessed regularly, ensuring that personalised treatment goals are met, and the experience of community living is maximised.

There will be close links with local schools, support groups, and sporting teams, as well as an opportunity for residents to get work experience close to the facility.

People using Malsis Hall will be encouraged to develop and maintain social links in the area in order to aid their recovery, an initiative ECHO said was confident would be welcomed and supported by the local community.

Andrew Shelton Murray, Director of ECHO, said: “The specialist rehabilitation care that will be provided is designed to help people to recover in a supportive and inclusive environment, and eventually reach the stage where each individual can live independently.

“Malsis Hall is also going to be a fantastic facility to benefit everyone in the local area. Our aim, with the three sports pitches, the sports pavilion and the meeting rooms, is to make it a hub of activity, where people can gather and share a community experience.

“We’re delighted to have the opportunity to create 130 jobs to support the new facility, which will primarily be advertised in the local area.

“It is very important to us that we support the local economy as much as possible, from recruiting the staff, to the food, to the contractors undertaking the work. We want this to be a local service for local people that everyone can be proud of.”

Malsis Hall will officially open on September 5, with a public open day the following day.

In its public statement about the project, ECHO added: “Malsis Hall is a specialist service holistically supporting adults with mental health conditions on their journey to recovery and independence.

“It strives to provide care and support to enable the person to be as independent as they possibly can be, helping them to have a clear care pathway back into the community.

“It provides opportunities to develop and maintain skills and coping strategies needed for everyday life, priding itself on early intervention.

“The pathway at Malsis Hall ensures the person builds and develops confidence enabling them to successfully progress down the various available living options onsite to living in the community.

“Malsis Hall places emphasis on maximising quality of life and reducing admissions into acute hospital settings."