Handley House Care Home Team Welcomes Lord Mayor For Topping Out Ceremony

Staff at York’s latest luxury care home welcomed the city’s Lord Mayor, Councillor Keith Orrell and Lady Mayoress, Judith Orrell, in a ceremonial ‘topping out’ of Ideal Carehomes’ Handley House, ahead of its grand opening next month.

Named after the Handley Page RAF aircraft repair site on which it sits, Handley House on Green Lane in Clifton, has seen a £10m investment and will provide 24-hour residential and dementia care for 66 residents and over 50 new jobs once fully staffed.

Councillor Orrell was given a tour of Handley House’s state-of-the-art facilities which include a hair salon, café, cinema, garden lounge and lavish ‘Sky’ bar, before going on to plant a commemorative blossom tree in its gardens to mark the final stages of construction.

Care home manager Rachel McNally, along with Ideal Carehomes’ general manager, Michael Gledhill, also showcased the building’s innovative energy efficient ground-source heating system which will be used throughout the 37,000 sq. ft home.

Rachel, who has worked in the caring sector for 13 years, said “It’s been a real honour to show the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress around Handley House as we get ready to open our doors in the next few weeks. The team is very proud of just how stunning the home now looks and we can’t wait to welcome our residents and their loved ones over the coming months.

“Handley House sits on an area of such rich historical heritage which we think makes it extra special. It’s something that we know our staff and residents will look forward to learning more about and we’re keen to honour the work carried out by the RAF during the Second World War as we go about our daily lives here in Clifton.”

Michael Gledhill, added: “It’s hard to imagine a more extraordinary location for Handley House and we are thrilled that Councillor Orrell has been able to take the time to come and see first-hand the standard of living that we are able to provide. All Ideal Carehomes pride themselves on offering person-centred care within a luxurious and homely setting and we are looking forward to embedding ourselves into community life here in this historic part of York