Wheldale Heights care home in Castleford officially opens

Last week, the Mayor of Wakefield officially opened Wheldale Heights, our fourth nursing home in Castleford.

Residents gathered to celebrate with families, commissioners and neighbours. Despite the rain, everyone enjoyed an afternoon tea themed lunch and refreshments.

Councillor Josie Pritchard was invited to cut a ceremonial ribbon and unveil a plaque to mark the day.

During her visit to Wheldale Heights, the Mayor met with service users, toured around the new home, and spoke with the care team. She commented on the commitment to meeting the need for complex care in the area.

Wheldale Heights is our fourth nursing home in the Castleford area, demonstrating the growing demand for complex nursing care across West Yorkshire.

Empowering people to live fulfilled lives 

The Mayor spoke to Ryan, a resident who has recently moved into Wheldale Heights. Ryan shared:

It's a great day, this feels like my home now

Clare Heaton, Home Manager at Wheldale Heights said: “I am delighted to officially open Wheldale Heights and welcome our first residents from the local area.

"Our mission is to make every day better for our residents by providing person-centred care that focuses on maximising independence, building everyday living skills, and empowering people to live as fulfilled lives as possible.”

“Our dedicated and compassionate team forms the foundation of the exceptional care we provide. However, we recognise that our responsibility extends beyond our immediate care home. Our next priority is to foster close collaboration with local health and social care professionals, as well as our valued residents, their families, and the broader community. 

“Through these partnerships, we strive to create an integrated support network that ensures individuals in our locality receive unparalleled care. By meeting their complex needs within the familiar comfort of their own community, we aim to promote holistic well-being and enhance the overall quality of life for those we serve.” 

About Wheldale Heights

Wheldale Heights,  on Wheldon Road in Castleford, supports adults living with complex and high acuity needs arising from a brain injury, neuro disability, spinal injury, complex mental health needs and dementia.

Without Wheldale Heights, residents – who have challenging care needs – would otherwise have a pro-longed stay in hospital, away from their family and friends. 

We’ve found that smaller group living provides a more homely, supportive and responsive care environment. Therefore, Wheldale Heights is split in to two, twelve-bed communities, and each of the 24 large bedrooms has its own en-suite wet room.

The units feature communal dining and living spaces and sensory bathrooms. Residents also have use of a garden to enjoy. 

The home was developed by S & SA Architects and Walter Thompson Contractors to bring this much needed service to the area.

Watch a video tour of Wheldale Heights.

The home has created 80 new health care jobs in Castleford.

Unlike many local care homes, Wheldale Heights has a multi-disciplinary healthcare team, which includes an Occupational Therapist and Physiotherapist. 

Through this multi-disciplinary team, people living at Wheldale Heights can access the full range of clinical and holistic care they need, with the home particularly adapt at supporting individuals that have exceptionally complex care needs or who display behaviours that challenge, which many other nursing and care providers are unable to meet.

Careers at Wheldale Heights

As part of our commitment to creating high-quality jobs in the local area, we're looking for more people with a passion for care to join our team.

The home has already recruited a mix of care, nursing and therapeutic specialists – with recruitment currently ongoing for one remaining Care Assistant role. 

To apply for a role, or to find out more about Wheldale Heights, visit our online job search.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a brand new team, work in a state of the art clinical environment, and to make a profound impact to the lives of people in the local community.

Read our latest blog to find out how a Care Assistant at Exemplar Health Care used his skills to make a difference.

Watch our video about where you take your care career.

Make a referral to Wheldale Heights

If you want to speak to someone about making a referral to one of our homes, please contact our Referrals Team on 01709 565777 or email referrals@exemplarhc.com.