New Extra Care Housing in York

30 one-bed open-plan apartments, Tadcaster Road, York

The Wilberforce Trust has supported blind and partially sighted people across York since 1833.  Wilberforce House is the Trust’s vision to deliver an innovative extra care housing scheme designed especially for people with a visual impairment and other disabilities, the first of its kind for the city of York and surrounding areas.

Wilberforce House offers 30 one-bed, open-plan apartments for rent, along with a Living & Learning Zone – providing education and leisure activities – a courtyard cafe and offices for the Trust; whose new HQ is located within this beautiful new development.

Wilberforce House offers tenants purpose-built, self-contained apartments that include some of the latest assistive technology; a friendly environment to encourage independent living, whilst also providing access to 24/7 on-site care, support and housing services.

Surrounding Wilberforce House will be four acres of lovely accessible landscaped gardens, including a large sensory garden, perfect for inviting family and friends to visit on a sunny day.

Wilberforce House: Apartments

The Trust has incorporated best practice design standards from the RNIB, Thomas Pocklington Trust, Habinteg Housing Association, Dementia Services Development Centre, as well as the experiences and learning of our own residents and staff to create a thoughtfully designed home for people who may have a visual impairment, hearing impairment &/or other disabilities.

Each apartment offers tenants a range of high-quality features, including:

• High-quality kitchen units.
• A fitted hob, integrated mid-level oven and extractor fan.
• A fridge freezer.
• Space and plumbing for a washing machine or dishwasher.
• Easy to reach switches.
• Quality flooring.
• Underfloor heating.
• Satellite and terrestrial TV points.
• Video door entry and telecare alarm system.
• Mains powered smoke and heat detectors.
• Level access shower.
• A spacious balcony or patio.

The shower rooms have slip-resistant, self-draining floors, with access from both the hall and bedroom in the wheelchair-adapted units. Designed as a wet room they include the following features to aid independence and mobility:

• Height-adjustable shower with integral grab rail.
• Walls are able to have additional grab rails added if required.
• Both the wetroom and bedroom ceilings can have a ceiling-mounted hoist fitted.

The kitchens in the wheelchair-adapted apartments have rise-and-fall kitchen worktops and other design features to make cooking easier for you if you use a wheelchair.

All apartments have a balcony or patio overlooking the landscaped gardens.

There are a number of security features, including CCTV and a smart video door entry system that also provides access to on-site staff 24 hours a day.

A typical Wheelchair Adapted Apartment:

Images used are for illustrative purposes only.

A Typical Apartment:

Images used are for illustrative purposes only.

Smart Home & Assistive Technology

Within the apartments and across the communal facilities Wilberforce House utilises many elements of digital technology and IOT devices to provide tenants with greater control and freedom to live the life they choose.

The Trust has appointed Appello to provide their Smart Living Solutions system. This enables tenants to access smart home technology personalised to their lifestyle needs. For example, via the LivingHub tenants can control:

• Lights,
• Blinds,
• Heating and other devices.

Assistive technology can help in so many different areas when it comes to enabling independent living for people with and without disabilities.  It can also reduce isolation and give greater privacy and dignity.

The features of Appello’s Smart Living Solution include:

• Digital emergency alarm.
• Video/voice calling to onsite staff.
• Video/voice calling to other residents.
• Video door entry.
• Telecare compatibility.
• Smart home connectivity.
• Smoke & heat detectors.

Communal Facilities:

In addition to the apartments tenants and, in most cases, the public have access to the following fully accessible facilities:

• YorSensory Hub – for access to rehabilitation services, assistive technology and equipment advice and professional sensory services.
• multi-purpose rooms/spaces for social, leisure and training activities.
• Courtyard café – which also offer cooking/catering classes.
• Private tenant courtyard.
• Spa room, including assistive bath.
• Laundry room.
• More than four acres of landscaped gardens, with a large sensory garden coming soon!

Care & Support

The Wilberforce Trust’s extra care housing scheme at Wilberforce House provides 30 self-contained apartments for independent living for people with a visual impairment, hearing impairment &/or other disabilities.

The Trust offers an on-site person-centered extra-care service to ensure that your comfort, health and well-being are catered for; allowing you to enjoy your own home and independence within a friendly and engaging community, with the reassurance that care and support is available when you need it.

Our supported living service is available to empower you to carry out everyday activities of your choosing so that you can be as independent as possible.  Whether it’s doing the household chores, shopping for food, studying or working, to enjoying activities, and sustaining friendships, you will be supported to maintain &/or gain your independence. We will support you to identify new opportunities and achieve your desired goals and outcomes.

We will do this by offering you just enough support to ensure that you are able to live a fulfilling and safe life independently within your community and:

• By taking the time to understand you, your needs and your desires.
• Through a flexible and person-centred support plan.
• Using assistive technology to increase your independence.
• In partnership with you and your circle of support (your family, carers and health partners).

Our supported living services are registered with the CQC, which means our services are quality checked by independent assessors, and all our team are fully trained to provide a high-quality service.  We welcome feedback from tenants and their families to enable us to continually improve our services.

Our Local Community

Wilberforce House is located on a five-acre greenfield setting just off Tadcaster Road with convenient access to the A64 and public transport connections to York city centre and further afield. York is a city like no other, in addition to the York Minster, the Theatre Royal, the city walls, and the racecourse just up the road on the Knavesmire, York offers a wealth of year-round activities to meet every interest.  There are thirty world-class museums, seasonal festivals, bustling markets, and much more – all just a short bus ride away.  York has also been voted the best place to live in the UK by the Sunday Times.

How to Apply

To find out more about living at Wilberforce House please download our brochure or contact us:

Online:     wilberforcetrust.org.uk/enquiry/

Emailing: enquiry@wilberforcetrust.org.uk

Calling:     01904 76 00 37