Lindsay House – Timeline

2020 (COVID period):

 

Lindsay House respite provision was suspended during COVID

 

COVID response:

 

Temporary outreach support was introduced using COVID funding, as an alternative to short breaks provision

 

March 2021 – November 2021:

Lindsay House reopened on a reduced basis (2 beds only) for short breaks

 

“We were able to open Lindsay House for a short period of time between March 2021 and November 2021. With COVID regulations it was a really positive thing that we did. Since then, on three separate occasions we have been on the cusp of opening Lindsay House and on all three occasions it hasn’t worked out for us because of care admissions.”

 

Statement of Purpose

 

In a June 2024 meeting, Trust management stated:

 

“There’s a variation in place to the statement of purpose to allow it to be temporarily used as a short-term children’s home.”

 

Legacy:

 

Meeting with Trust management, March 2025)

 

Trust management referenced a legacy arrangement linked to the original purpose of Lindsay House including its historical use across both the South Eastern Trust and the Belfast Trust.

 

“The Lindsay family actually originally left Lindsay House to both Trusts in the legacy, and that basically the legacy is that it’s always used in that manner, so it’s kind of tied up legally and that has to be the case.”

 

As of 2026:

 

Lindsay House remains in use as a temporary children’s home, with no return to overnight respite and no confirmed timeline

 

Yet in 2022…

 

In November 2022, the Trust publicly described Lindsay House as:

 

A well-established short break respite service

 

A service at the heart of children’s disability provision

 

A “lifeline” for families.

 

👉 A service described as a ‘lifeline’ is no longer being used for that purpose — and there is still no timeline for its return.

 

This update is based on documented information and statements from meetings with Trust management, and is intended to highlight the current position.

 

JH