Age Range:
12-17 on admission
Capacity:
6
Gender:
Mixed
Length of stay:
Medium to Long
At Lighthouse Pedagogy Trust, we believe that children in care should have the same opportunities as everyone else – at home, school and in their communities.
Our home in Sutton is for young people who will benefit from a supportive and loving home environment. Our team understand that as a result of their lived experiences, some of our young people may express themselves in ways that require an extra layer of compassion, patience and understanding and we are set up to help navigate these complex emotional dynamics. We support all young people, whether their aim is to return to live with family, move on to foster care, prepare to live in their own flat or in supported accommodation.
The home offers a safe, nurturing and empowering community in which young people can develop, learn and thrive. We want young people to be safe, to feel loved and happy with a strong network of relationships, to discover and realise their skills and talents, and have high aspirations for their futures.
Home Manager
Inclusion – We want young people to feel included and proud of their culture, religion and identity. We cook together, share celebrations and take part in local community activities to learn about others in society.
Participation – We see young people as rich in potential and actively involved in making decisions about their lives and futures. We encourage all young people to play an active part in shaping the home, from the physical environment, decor and way the space is used to the food, activities and daily routines. Young people help to recruit staff and change our ways of working.
Fun – Play is one of our values, and we know having fun doing things together is really important for growing trusting relationships, wellbeing and learning. We go on holidays and try new activities together.
Wellbeing – We support young people to stay in touch with family and friends where possible. We help them to access health services to ensure good physical and mental health. We aim for children to stay with us for a medium to long period so we have time to develop strong relationships, and so children feel well supported. We carefully plan for their welcome to the home, and for when they move on.
Therapeutic environment – We do not offer bespoke therapy on site, but we actively listen to young people and give them lots of opportunities to express themselves and explore emotions. We can do life story work if young people wish to do so. We have a pet dog (Charlie), who is training to become a therapy dog.
Primary carers – When a young person comes to live at the home, they are matched with a Primary Carer in the staff team who be responsible for getting to know them, and looking after them on a day to day basis.
Learning – We focus on learning in the home and support young people with growth in all aspects of their lives so that they can thrive, have fun and enjoy a good childhood in the present. We develop relationships with community schools, colleges and local companies to help with education and work experience.
Social pedagogy – We use social pedagogy as our core philosophy of care, incorporating a trauma-informed approach which recognises the impact of previous adverse experiences on young people.
Staff training – Our Manager and Deputy Manager are experienced children’s homes managers. Our staff are trained in a mandatory qualification to work in a children’s home, with most staff continuing on to a Level 5 Foundation Degree. In addition, staff receive continuing professional development and training in social pedagogy and the other skills needed for their roles.
State-of-the-art home – The home has been recently refurbished and done up to the highest standards. Each young person has their own well-proportioned en-suite bedroom with a desk for private study, and we help young people to decorate and arrange their rooms to reflect their tastes and preferences. There is a garden with space for BBQs, playing and growing vegetables. The home is in a pleasant leafy area, around lots of houses and a with good high street nearby.
Reinvesting – we are a charity, so all of the money we receive is reinvested back into the home for young people, staff and development.
Gallery
We know that it is a stressful experience for young people moving to a new place. We do all we can to involve them, their families, social workers and other professionals in making a flexible plan for their arrival. In most cases, we prefer for children from nearby local authorities to join us, so we can maintain existing connections with friends, family, professionals and schools. We like having good relationships with local authorities and working together.
Once we receive a referral, our Registered Manager will assess all the information and check we can meet the needs of the young person. If we can meet their needs, the Manager will hold a planning meeting to work out some practicalities. Wherever possible, we will arrange to visit the young person in their current home, and arrange for them to come and visit our home and meet the young people and team.
Unfortunately, we are not able to help young people with complex special needs and disabilities, and we are not able to accept emergency placements.
We are only able to accept referrals from local authorities. We do not accept referrals from private individuals and families.
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