We seek to understand the child’s needs, strengths, hopes and challenges, and provide an intensive, bespoke care programme which helps them to move on from us to a stable and successful future.
The children we look after are highly vulnerable and come to us in crisis and at risk. Many are the victims of criminal and sexual exploitation and have experienced trauma, insecure attachments and dysfunction. They therefore present with a range of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties and have complex needs. We are able to provide these children with the specialist support that they need and deserve, in order to build their emotional and physical wellbeing, their life skills and their confidence and resilience.
We typically offer care to children for a period of 17 weeks. One child lives in the home and is supported by two carers. The aim of this intensive programme is to help the child to build the wellbeing and skills they need to move towards their plan for permanence.
During this period, our Multi-Disciplinary Team of qualified therapists and clinicians fully assess the children in terms of their emotional wellbeing, their mental and physical health and cognitive functioning, as well as their educational abilities, behaviour and social skills. We use this information to design an individual programme of therapeutic care, health and education which supports the child to recover from trauma and prepare successfully for adulthood.
Children who would benefit from a longer period of care typically stay with us for a period of at least 6 months, and often between 12 and 18 months. One carer supports each child, and they may live individually or with another child, depending on their needs. Children may initially come to Wilderness for a shorter time and then transition to a longer-term placement.
All of the children we look after are encouraged to participate in our exciting programme of outdoor and adventurous activities, which are an integral part of our care. Read more about this here.
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