Introduction

Introduction

Witherslack Care and Education Initiatives is expanding its range of provision by establishing a specialist home and learning facility in the North East of England. The Witherslack Group have purchased ‘The Grange’, a 10 acre site on the outskirts of Willington, a small town six miles to the west of Durham City.

Phase One is to establish a specialised fully integrated facility which will provide a home for up to 7 children with complex learning difficulties and challenging behaviour. There will also be a small learning centre on site which will provide a highly personalised curriculum to facilitate positive learning and social outcomes for children. Access to a wide range of local educational, social and cultural experiences will support this as will the provision of additional therapies, completing our integrated package of care, education and therapy.

The purpose of the home is to provide a therapeutically managed facility to meet the nurturing, management, social, emotional, educational and moral needs of young people who are unable to live in a family context.

It is envisaged that the young people will live in the home for at least two years; this is necessary in order to undertake therapeutic work to help the young person develop a sense of personal security and identify with consequent emotional and social development.

Education

The Learning Centre comprises two well resourced classrooms with up to date learning technology. The staff team is led by an experienced and well qualified Head of Learning. Education will be delivered via a highly personalised curriculum utilising specialist teaching and learning resources.

Accommodation

The Grange will provide a high quality group living experience for up to seven young people. All young people will have individual bedrooms with the majority having en-suite facilities.

On the ground floor the home will have two lounges, a large conservatory, dining room, kitchen and two en-suite bedrooms. On the first floor there will be five additional bedrooms three of which are en-suite and a family bathroom. On this floor there will also be a staff sleeping-in room and staff office.

The home is set in a large 10 acre semi-rural site which provides numerous opportunities for leisure and social pursuits in addition to having excellent links to community based facilities in Wear Valley and Durham City.

Activities

All of the young people are given opportunities to access a wide range of leisure and social facilities in either a supported, semi-independent or independent manner. Within the locality there are a variety of facilities that the young people access and enjoy; shops, parks, fairground, beach and cinema in addition to activities that offer a more structured programme of events; sporting clubs, swimming pools and youth groups. The young people are fully involved in deciding which activities take place.