Innovative homes for children
Construction work has restarted for Kibble on two new residential care houses for children aged 5 – 12.
The houses will provide a therapeutic living space for children with experience of trauma.
The new children’s service, located next the specialist child and youth care charity’s Forest View Primary School in Lochwinnoch, consists of a four bed and five bed house which has been designed to reflect family-based living.
Kibble had planned to open the residential houses in July 2020, however with work on pause due to the pandemic, it now hopes to welcome children later this year expanding on its services for primary aged children.
Neil McMillan, director of community services at the charity said: “We’re really pleased to have work back up and running again for our new children’s residential service, allowing us to provide a safe and nurturing home for children that have faced significant challenges in their lives, and who need support and stability.
“Our new children's houses enhance our existing provision at Forest View, with our primary school also within the grounds. Everything we do is based around therapeutic, trauma-informed principles from the forest environment to the therapeutic supports, positive relationships, ethos and culture. We are looking forward to welcoming the children soon and helping them to feel settled with the help of a great, supportive team.”
Designed following years of research into therapeutic, trauma-informed practice, both houses will bring the outdoors in with everything from the nature-inspired interiors, natural light and tactile furnishings designed to maintain a calm, therapeutic environment for the children.
Each child, aged five through to 12, will choose their own theme for their bedroom which will be decorated before they move in, choosing from colour schemes which have been identified within trauma-informed principles.
Both houses will also have a living room, kitchen and dining area, as well as a sensory room which will help the children to regulate their emotions at times when they may need extra support in working through their feelings. This has a range of tactile, sensory objects as well as an interactive wall made of colourful Lego.
Surrounded by the forest and set close to Lochwinnoch, the children will be encouraged to become part of the community and spend a lot of time outdoors and participating in local clubs.
At Forest View Primary School, which opened in August 2019, animals such as miniature ponies, dogs, chickens and tortoises are incorporated within the curriculum, with guinea pigs and rabbits soon to be welcomed on the grounds. Children living at Forest View will also interact with the animals as a form of therapy, in addition to support from Kibble’s Specialist Intervention Services (SIS) which provides trauma-informed psychological consultation, assessment and therapeutic interventions to help children feel safe and supported.
Children within the residential houses may also attend Forest View Primary School, however, can also continue education within a mainstream school depending on their needs. To ensure the best support for the children, a multi-disciplinary team consisting of a psychologist, teacher and care worker meet regularly to discuss how each child is progressing. These meetings inform the children’s individual education and support plan.
As part of the research for Forest View Primary School and Residential Houses, staff at Kibble looked at international examples in residential childcare, travelling to places such as Finland and New York, to find exemplary models of care.
