heathcotes care homes
'E' support for support specialists
Heathcotes Group - Hammer Design helps leading specialist in residential care for adults with learning disabilities to take the initiative online.
The Client
The Heathcotes Group provides specialist care for adults with learning disabilities and complex needs. They offer a living environment that as closely as possible resembles a ‘normal’ family home. The group comprises 27 residential care homes spread throughout the north of England and is growing.
The Brief
To provide The Heathcotes Group with a highly accessible website, designed to be usable by people of all abilities and disabilities.
The website is to incorporate Widgit Technology that allows users to roll over words and see a 'flash card' graphic representation of the word.
To give users a genuine ‘feel’ for each home and the communities they contain.
To create a bespoke online presence 'look and feel' for the Heathcotes Group. This design would need to be transferable and roll across the main parent website as well as to an additional five Heathcote's care homes' websites for the elderly.
The Process
Using the existing logo and colour scheme of The Heathcotes Group, Hammer Design identified the group’s branding requirements and married them to the key aspects of the brief regarding simplicity and usability. Creating a website that was highly visual in its content meant that Hammer Design was commissioned to visit many homes and supply a range of photographic images from each. When the images, the design and finally the text had been added for launch, the Heathcotes Group staff were given website training and left with a versatile tool to manage their online presence.
The Skills
Graphic design to website visuals
Extensive CSS styling
Development of Social Network 'Plug Ins'
Developing a Widgit Integration system
Server side coding, website design and development
SEO Consultancy
The Product
CMS: Chameleon Content Management System from Hammer Design plus bespoke tailoring
Technical: Extensive CSS styling. Ajax Javascript. Database optimisation. Google XML page feeds.
The Outcome
Improved search engine rankings
Improved social networking, blog and news posting opportunities
Superb and flexible CMS for Heathcotes Group staff to use
Testimonial
Testimonial
Brendan Kelly is the Regional Operations Manager for the Heathcotes Group
Website
- http://www.heathcotes.net/
