Our therapeutic care aims to enable children who have suffered trauma to feel safe, loved, held and valued. At the heart of our approach is our relationships with the children. We establish the secure bonds of trust and affection which are so important to the child’s wellbeing, their recovery from trauma and their ability to achieve success in the future.
We set high expectations for our children and we are relentless in our support for their aspirations, advocating for their wishes and celebrating their achievements. By re-framing their beliefs about what they are capable of, and what they can expect from others, we prepare our children to move on from us with optimism and confidence.
The emotional and physical wellbeing of our children is at the heart of our care. Our Multi-Disciplinary Team of therapists and clinicians lead a programme of tailored, ongoing assessment which identifies each child’s emotional and mental health needs. We build a personalised programme around the child which integrates clinical interventions within therapeutic care which is informed by the principles of Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP) and parenting with PACE. This aims to develop the child’s emotional wellbeing and to help them build the skills and competencies to move towards their plan for permanence.
Our Registered General Nurse supports our care teams to ensure children achieve the best possible physical health outcomes. We integrate opportunities to develop the child’s physical health into their daily life and routines, supporting them to understand how to manage their health needs and lead a healthy lifestyle. Outdoor experiences and physical activities ensure that children are active whilst having fun.
Our educational programme aims to discover where each child is on their learning journey and to help them get to where they need to be. For some children, this means supporting them to attend a school or college. For others, this means providing a bespoke educational pathway which includes one-to-one tuition from qualified teachers as well as holistic, experiential learning.
Our specialist education teams thoroughly assess each child and create a learning programme around their individual needs, strengths and goals. We are registered providers of AQA, ASDAN and NCFE awards, with the flexibility to offer qualifications and courses which enable each child to achieve personal success. We aim to provide children with the skills, strategies and self-belief necessary to move into the future with confidence and pride.
Outdoor and adventurous activities have always been an integral part of our care. With the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales as our playground, outdoor activities allow our children to have fun as well as to develop their emotional and physical wellbeing by exploring concepts such as risk and resilience. Through encouraging the children to try something new, to explore possibilities and challenge themselves, children are able to build confidence and to change their perceptions of what their minds and bodies are capable of.
I am truly taken aback by the level of care you have shown. The staff have gone out of their way to show him the attention and care that he has never had. When I visited him, it was like I was looking at a different child to what he was before he came. He was not like a child in care, he was like a child in a family. You have literally saved his life.
Social Worker
All children and young people thrive, and they make progress while living at the home. Because of the services provided the children and young people experience an individualised, stable and consistent home life. Children and young people benefit from the integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to education and care. They each achieve their full potential and, in many cases, do so beyond previous expectations.
Ofsted
I am so grateful to the AWW team for their dedication and commitment to caring and supporting Sam. He recently reported that being at there gave him the space to think and the opportunity to reflect on his attitude and make plans for his future.
Social Worker
I have to share my delight at Luke’s progress at AWW. Thanks to your support, in the last 17 weeks Luke and has turned his life around significantly. From where he has come from to where he is now, I am so proud of him.
Social Worker
The placement was really good and beneficial to me. The staff were all really supportive and nice and always made themselves available to me if I had any problems. The outdoor activities that were offered helped me to have a better outlook and showed me that I can do so much more in life, and it really helped me process and made me feel like a better person.
Child
As METCO Officer for Cumbria Police I have regular contact with the team at AWW in relation to vulnerable children at risk of CSE and going missing. If a specific incident has occurred, the Home Manager and I speak on the phone to discuss the best way forward. She also attends CSE risk assessment meetings and we receive Philomena Protocol forms when a young person arrives in placement.
Cumbria Police