Care

Amberleigh Residential Therapeutic School was established as a Therapeutic Community in 2005.  Our Community provides long term specialist therapeutic care and education for up to 12 young males who have displayed inappropriate or harmful sexualised behaviours. We work with them to change how they think and feel to enable them to make positive choices about their futures. Some of these young people are likely to have been convicted of sexual offences.

Our strategy for caring for twelve young people is to create an environment that is both homely and practical; and thereby minimising the effects of institutionalisation. Special attention is given to providing a relaxed atmosphere. The young people have an opportunity to develop social skills, tolerance and understanding. The young people participate in household tasks, and looking after the school and home. This sense of responsibility is actively promoted through our daily community meetings, and individual group meetings. Each young person has an individual care, education and health plan, and is encouraged to take part in activities relevant to his age, interests and needs.

The services offered at Amberleigh include:

•  24 hour care and supervision
•  Full time Education
•  Individual and group Therapy
• Comprehensive independence programme and preparation for leaving care.
• Holistic assessments, incorporating therapeutic, educational and care perspectives.
• Key-working
• Actiivities
• Access to the full range of community based healthcare services

Our therapeutic community provides substantial benefits for the boys in living within a larger group.  An important part of the work that needs to be done with our young people is to help them improve their social skills and to get on with others on a day-to-day basis. Many try to avoid this challenge by seeking staff attention on a one-to-one level. In the home a real therapeutic emphasis is placed on group activities and those in our care have to learn valuable life skills such as sharing, waiting their turn, and supporting each other through their difficulties. Additionally a larger group provides the opportunity for group games and activities.

At the end of each day a community meeting is held to discuss the day’s events. These meetings are used to discuss feelings and problems. The boys talk about any negative behaviour they displayed, and importantly, their achievements in school. We encourage a culture of mutual respect between the boys; they regularly examine their attitudes and feelings towards each other and show understanding and tolerance of disturbed behaviour and emotional expression when necessary. On a rotational basis one of the boy’s chairs the meetings, another takes the minutes.

Each young person has a key worker assigned to him. This individual is responsible for the young person’s needs, provides encouragement in participating in outside activities, and is the contact with friends and family. The key worker also liaises with partner agencies to ensure all of the needs of the young person are met.

Young people are actively encouraged to promote their own identity within their own living environment. They are encouraged to personalise their rooms with their individual style and, as appropriate, participate in the decoration and furnishing of them.

Our young people are encouraged to pursue a variety of leisure activities. Outdoor activities include walking, cycling, football, bowling, golf, fishing, canoeing and camping; whilst indoor activities cover the gym, music, the cinema, indoor games (e.g. board type), pool table, table tennis, crafts, books, personal computer, photography and computer games. Young people are also able to spend time on our narrow boat featuring canal trips as part of their recreational programme. We employ an Activity Manager to lead in this area. The Activity Manager, the vocational studies teacher and a qualified teacher are also instructors for the Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

Our young people actively participate in arranging trips out, holidays, theme days and special events – both on and off site. These mainly take place out of term time and are planned in each group following our daily community meetings. For some of these activities the groups join together. Transport on any group activity is by an ‘ordinary’ vehicle to avoid stigmatisation.

Participation is encouraged in both team and individual activities. For example some decide to get involved in gardening and assist in growing our own vegetables. Individual project work is particularly encouraged and over which each young person has ownership and in which they can take pride.

 Our philosophy

Our care is for young people who have displayed inappropriate or harmful sexualised behaviour. Some have convictions. Our philosophy is that sexually aggressive children are children first. This philosophy provides a focus to our care approach which is to provide each individual with the opportunity to live in an environment which allows him to develop and thrive as a young person in his own right.

Our philosophy is based on living and learning together. We follow the key principles of:-

• Respect for people’s dignity
• The right for young people to fully participate in the solutions to their 
  
• problems
• Active self respect, and
• Development of self esteem.

We deliver this philosophy in accordance with the National Assembly for Wales Children First Programme and the Green Paper ‘Every Child Matters’;(England) specifically by promoting:

Health & Emotional and Behavioural Development

 - Being healthy:

Staff play an active role promoting all aspects of a young person’s health by encouraging them to take a responsible attitude towards their body and general fitness. Attention is given to hygiene, personal care, exercise, diet and recreational activities.

Within our extensive grounds, the staff and young people grow our own vegetables. N.V.Q. in Horticulture is offered. Menus are planned to provide a nutritionally well balanced diet.

All young people have access to the local GP. Strong emphasis is placed on ensuring that each young person has an up to date medical and that dental, eye care and immunisation are up to date. A system is in place to monitor this.

All young people are seen individually and in a group on a weekly basis, by our psychosexual therapist. Our psychological approach aims to give the young people , the opportunity to discover the personal and interpersonal nature of problems and conflicts which underlie symptoms. They are encouraged to express feelings and talk honestly about themselves and others and to learn new ways and attitudes. The provision of this ensures that a young person’s mental and emotional well-being is given high priority.

Self-Care skills & Identity - Staying safe:

We provide an atmosphere where young people can experience a safe and caring environment. Every young person has the right of self-determination, choice, responsibility value and dignity.

We encourage appropriate behaviour through good adult role models, consistent boundaries and approaches, encouraging young people to take responsibility for their own behaviour, and supervision.

Discriminatory and oppressive behaviours, are often born out of ignorance, and are addressed with staff and young people in Education, Group Discussion, One to One Discussion and Role Modelling.

Learning and Education - Enjoying and achieving:

We offer a total environment, within which the opportunity exists for the individual to follow his own interests either singularly or as a member of a group. In house activities include pool, table tennis, board games, jigsaws, arts and crafts, TV, Video, DVD, music system, PS2, Quiet Room for reading.

Our extensive grounds offer the young people an opportunity to work as a team, gardening and growing vegetables. Individual project work is encouraged over which they have ownership and in which they can take pride.

Young people will also spend time on our Narrow Boat as part of their recreational programme.

Off-site activities include; walking, cycling, football, gym, bowling, golf, cinema, fishing, climbing, and canoeing. We employ an Activities Manager who is responsible for arrangements and risk assessments.

We offer a 24 hour curriculum, and are a registered exam centre. All young people have a Personal Education Plan. Staff encourage young people to complete homework, and support and encourage them to read and research through the use of IT equipment, linking in with the library services.

Family and Social Relationships & Social Presentation- Making a positive contribution:

Young people will prosper in our therapeutic community, which provides them with the opportunity to build trusting relationships with adults who will care for them whilst introducing them to alternative ways of managing their behaviour. Such a setting allows young people to actively work towards greater fulfilment as they approach adulthood and to explore the opportunities and advantages available to their peers. All young people in our care are encouraged to take part in all decisions which will affect their future and to fully accept responsibility for their actions including the effect that these actions may have on other people. We provide every opportunity for them to build a positive future by addressing their sexual behaviours and accessing education and training whilst helping them to improve their social and independence skills. In this way they will be enabled to increase their choices in life and feel valued members of society.

Identity - Economic well-being:

The young people develop self-esteem within a learning context, thereby enabling them to achieve academic and/or vocational qualifications commensurate with abilities. Educational approaches will be based on the premise that sexual behaviour difficulties have meant failure to benefit from previous educational opportunities. Young people can progress from entry level Personal and Social skills to GCSE in Citizenship. Our aim is to rehabilitate and motivate young people into wanting to participate in educational opportunities and by designing individual programmes to meet their needs, and extend their abilities in preparation for their future.

Emotional and Behavioural Development

The emotional and behavioural development of all young people is addressed thorough all aspects of our therapeutic community.

Aims

Our predominant aim is that of protection and safety for the individual and the community. We aim to provide each of our young people with the opportunity to develop personally, emotionally and physically through the provision of a therapeutic environment within which democracy, communalism and reality confrontation are integral.

We understand that each of our young people will have experienced and suffered some form of abuse and we strive to counter the effects of this. We encourage each one to take responsibility for their actions throughout the therapeutic process and we afford them the opportunities to achieve personal and social goals. We do this in a manner that does not interfere with or marginalise the rights or opportunities of others to do the same.

We promote respect for people including the young people themselves. The respect for others is imperative if we are to counter the effects of discrimination that could lead to exclusion and further problems for them in the future. Each is treated with dignity and is empowered to deal with his behaviours in a way that offers explanations rather than blame. We also expect young people to see and understand the ways in which their behaviour has detrimentally affected others.

We strive to prepare each young person for a safe and rewarding future in society. All of our plans and actions are geared towards achieving a non-offending future for each of our young people.