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 Environment is important to all of us. In order to provide a homely atmosphere and domestic scale we have deliberately scattered our community across two sites rather than gathered it together onto one campus “hothouse”. Both sites accommodate one combined children's home/ school each accommodating three residents/ pupils. Our premises have been carefully selected. They provide safe, open and spacious rural locations, close to each other and local community facilities, but remote enough to discourage absconding or the temptations of modern urban life. Our locations epitomise the fresh start, the fact that “it is different here”,whilst their proximity to one another facilitates flexibility of staffing options, shared facilities and activities across the community as a whole.
Thus, although the children live in relatively small scale, domestic settings that can provide far more intensive, individualised attention than a larger group they are not socially isolated. They can share activities, facilities, celebrations and friendship with their peers. Both schools routinely combine for end of term concerts, sports days and other celebrations. All children meet on amonthly basis in the pupil run Youth Council under the chairmanship of one of the students. We make a great deal of use of public facilities – libraries, sports centres, youth clubs, music and drama societies. Our children participate in churches, youth clubs, cadets, arts centres and a range of youth organisations.
A brief summary of each children’s’ home / school follows.
Hillgate Farm is situated in the scattered rural hamlet of Hemford, South Shropshire and with 7 acres of land has plenty of space to let off steam and enjoy the sights, sounds, bird and animal life of the open countryside. Nevertheless it is part of a small (if scattered) village community. Our children can walk to the village shop (accompanied by staff), attend the village youth club, chat with neighbours and generally participate in the life of a rural community. Hillgate Farm can accommodate and school a maximum of three children. We also have separate accommodation at Hillgate for visitors, family and friends of children placed at any of the houses to stay overnight. Social Workers, Independent Persons and families are encouraged to make us of this facility in order to actively participate in their child’s therapeutic programme. (Working positively with the child’s family or carers is an important part of our approach).
The Stubbs is a rural detached five bed-roomed property in large gardens and grounds less than ten minutes from Hillgate Farm. Like Hillgate Farm its location makes for easy access to a wide range of leisure, recreational and educational facilities. It is registered as a children’s home and as a school for three residents/pupils.
Hillgate Farm and The Stubbs are registered and inspected by Ofsted.
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