WORK is now underway on a new "one-of-a-kind" £5 million specialist care home which will create 100 jobs.

It is being built by Exemplar Healthcare on a piece of land on Huddersfield Road, Wyke, where the village's library used to stand. The home, recently named 'Wykewood', will support adults who need specialist care and rehabilitation following a brain injury, spinal cord injury or stroke, or are living with a complex physical disability or mental health condition.

Selina Wall, Senior Director of Operations at Exemplar Health Care, said: "Wyekwood will have 30 large bedrooms with an en-suite wet room, spread over three floors.

"Each floor has a communal dining room, lounge and quiet area. The ground floor also has a large hub and activity room overlooking the garden, as well as sensory and therapy rooms which provide a dedicated space for rehabilitation.

"We’ve worked closely with local Clinical Commissioning Groups and have done extensive market research, to identify that there is high demand for such a service in the area.

"We hope to bring this one-of-a-kind facility to Bradford to enable local people to live close to home, regain their independence and everyday living skills, and move back into their homes in the community. All of Exemplar Health Care’s 32 established homes have a strong connection with their local community, and we look forward to engaging with our neighbours and other local stakeholders in the coming months."

The home is due to be completed by Spring 2021 and it's hoped recruitment will begin later this year. One hundred jobs will be created in roles including unit managers, nursing, support workers, administrators, activities co-ordinators, physiotherapists, occupational therapists as well as chefs and domestic workers.

Outline planning permission for the site was granted back in 2016. At the time, Councillor Sarah Ferriby urged Bradford Council's Regulatory and Appeals Committee to approve the plans.

She said: “This type of facility is very much required by the community. All too often, local residents who have been born and brought up and have lived their whole life in the community end up having to leave the community."

Exemplar was established back in 1999 as a training company which provided adaptation courses for overseas nurses. Frustration at seeing young adults with complex care needs being placed in care homes for the elderly, led the firm to focus on providing more appropriate nurse-led facilities. The first purpose-built home opened in 2003.