Pioneering homes for people with disabilities come to Glasgow

A new collection of 24 pioneering homes which aim to transform the lives of people with disabilities – including technology which can open doors and adjust the height of kitchen worktops at the touch of a button – is being built in Glasgow.

Housing and care provider Blackwood has revealed that the next phase of its revolutionary Blackwood House is being developed at Glamis Road in Glasgow.

The new development, in the Helenvale area, will be made available to tenants later this year and follows the hugely successful launch of the Blackwood House in Dundee.

Helenvale will consist of 24 wheelchair accessible two-bedroom flats, which have been carefully developed with accessibility in mind. By combining innovative construction with the latest technology, Blackwood aims to help disabled people live their life to the full by providing housing and care services which are tailored to their individual needs.

Stephanie Sutherland, Development Manager at Blackwood, said: “We’re always trying to think of different ways we can enable our customers to live an independent life – the way we develop our homes mean they can adapt to change with customer’s needs.

“Technology is a large part of our focus in encouraging independent living – all of the homes are fully connected using our CleverCogs™ system, which allows customers to do anything from controlling the lights and opening and closing doors to staying in touch with their care provider.”

Every aspect of the ‘Blackwood House’ has been carefully considered to remove obstacles that can disrupt daily life for tenants. Homes will come equipped with electronic sliding doors, electric blinds and underfloor heating as well as solar panels.

Other special features include automated rise and fall surfaces and cupboards in the kitchen. The contemporary bathrooms will be fitted with a rise and fall sink, a fully adjustable shower and a self-cleaning toilet.

The ‘smart’ properties will be integrated with Blackwood’s own digitally-enhanced personalised care system, CleverCogs™, which, in addition to controlling heating and lights, can be used to enable customers to video chat with their friends and family and receive appointment and medication reminders. Many of the CleverCogs™ features will be voice controlled.

Stephanie Sutherland added: “We work closely with our customers to evolve and develop new ways we can improve their ability to live independently.

“It’s important to us that our customers live in homes that work specifically for them, homes they can be proud to live in and homes which have been developed with their input in mind.”

In addition to regular care at home services, tenants will also be able to access 24-hour care through Blackwood’s revolutionary Night Support Service, which allows customers to access care support between the hours of 22:00 and 07:00 via the CleverCogs™ system. Care staff will be able to answer video calls and assess a situation in the same way they would in person.

Blackwood is working closely with the Health and Social Care Partnership in Glasgow to allocate the houses to tenants. Helenvale is Blackwood’s eighth residential development in Glasgow.

The first phase of the Blackwood House – involving six properties in Dundee’s Glamis Road – was launched in Dundee in June 2017. Blackwood has plans to build up to 140 more Blackwood Houses in all parts of Scotland over the next few years.