As a family run business, we treat our staff and visitors as part of our family.
We make great efforts to help people of all ages, abilities and walks of life to develop feelings of confidence, well-being and inclusion in the activities and animal experiences we offer.
Please see below all the ways in which Whitehouse Farm will help to ensure your visit with us is enjoyable.
Car Park and Arrival
We have plenty of blue badge parking available in our large car park which is all on the flat. The farm is fully wheelchair friendly with tarmac walkways and ramps throughout. From the car park you will enter the shop which has ramps both front and back.
We have two mobility scooters as well as two manual wheelchairs available (a small returnable deposit is required). Please contact the Centre to reserve the use of one of these items as we have a limited amount.
Changing Places Toilet
As well as having numerous disabled toilets on site, we now also are proud to say we have installed a changing places toilet. This is an adult changing facility, including a harness that reaches all points of the room, an adult changing table, a shower, a toilet and an adjustable sink. It is part of the radar key scheme or you can ask for a key in the gift shop.
Changing Places Toilets (changing-places.org)
Sensory Rooms
We have 3 sensory rooms in a quiet area of the farm. With the help of Rhino Sensory, we have 3 completely different designed rooms, equipped with high quality equipment. They are free of charge to use. They are locked and need an access code, however the code is available in the giftshop. Please just ask a member of staff and we can give you the codes, no questions asked. They are kept locked to ensure they are used for the intended purpose only. It is working great and so far, even on our busiest days, there is free rooms for whenever someone needs.
Farm Activities
We strive to ensure all our activities on the farm are accessible for all our visitors to enjoy.
- Our tractor rides are able to accommodate two wheelchairs on the trailer.
- We have a wheelchair accessible roundabout on our Hoglets Play Area.
- Our new Castle Catapult slide has ramps to ensure you can get over the bridge.
- All our animal pens are designed to ensure all visitors can see the animals and, where appropriate, feed the animals.
- Our animal encounters are inclusive to all visitors whether that be cuddling a bunny, grooming a goat, bottle feeding a lamb or flying an owl.
Public Areas
Our cafe is all on level ground and all doors are wheelchair accessible. There is plenty of room between tables to ensure wheelchairs and scooters have easy access.
We have accessible toilets in our Racing Car Barn, within the Cafe and in the softplay. All these toilets have emergency alarms and accessible sinks and hand dryers.
Assistance Dogs
We allow assistance dogs on the farm. These must be kept on a lead at all times.
First Aid
Many of our staff are highly trained in First Aid. Our First Aid point is in the Cafe where a member of the team will be able to help.
Staff
We pride ourselves on our staff family and the excellent customer service they offer. Many are trained in 'Welcoming All Customers' and 'Welcome Host'.
Our staff have also completed Autism awareness training with Nic at PANDAS. This training has allowed our staff to be more aware and understanding, it has especially helped staff who may not have experience in their personal lives.
Concession Rates
We are happy to offer reduced cost carer tickets for those supporting less able customers. We ask for a professional carers employment ID, PIP/DLA letter stating carer need or a carers allowance letter as carer evidence.
Sensory bags
Sensory bags are now available to hire from the gift shop - each will include ear defenders, sunglasses, a mask, a pressure bracelet and ring, a few fidget toys and a mini poppet. A deposit of £20 will be required and they can be purchased if needed.
Sensory Audit
We have partnered with PANDAS online (promoting acceptance of neuro divergence and support). They have done a full sensory audit of the farm and all our associated activities. Please click HERE to download the audit. We are happy to discuss any queries to help support you and get the most out of your visit, please contact us via email on info@whitehousefarmcentre.co.uk or call us on 01670789998.
Relaxed Morning Sessions
Join our relaxed morning session, this is a dedicated quiet hour for anyone to access and enjoy including autistic people and those with other sensory needs. This will allow visitors to experience our handling sessions that can sometimes be very busy later in the day, such as our critter encounter. After the quiet hour, you are welcome to stay for the rest of the day. We do understand that 9am is pretty early and not accessible to all, however due to the nature of our site it is really difficult to put this quiet session at any other point of the day. We have plenty of naturally quiet days, weekdays and weekends, and we are always happy to talk. If you can't access these sessions, give us a call and we can best advice when would be most suitable for you to come.
WelcoMe
We are a proud partner of WelcoMe. Please click the link below for venue information.
WelcoMe (wel-co.me)
