Our children’s complex care services support children and young people up to the age of 18 with complex health or behavioural problems, allowing them to learn and grow while being supported by specialist carers.
Premium facilities
Pioneering care
24/7 support
Award-winning service
Our children’s complex care services support children and young people up to the age of 18 with complex health or behavioural problems allowing them to learn and grow whilst being supported by specialist carers.
We provide round the clock specialist care for young people up to the age of 18 with complex physical health problems, with either severe physical or learning disabilities, a combination of the two or long-term conditions, in addition to those who display challenging behaviours associated with their diagnosis.
Nurturing environments
Our specialist services offer nurturing, homely environments which allow our young residents to feel like they’re part of our family — we get to know every resident.
Experienced teams
With over 25 years’ practical experience and knowledge dealing with children and young people, we understand complex care in a way few others do.
Positive outcomes
We believe everyone we care for has the potential to take steps forward with us, to improve, to learn to grow — physically, mentally and socially.
Transformative steps
We believe in the young people we care for so when they progress it’s a source of delight and pride for everyone involved, from carers to family members.
I love coming here to see my little sister. This is her happy place and it’s great to see her enjoying life to the fullest and getting the care she needs to continue living her best life.
Jessica — family member
Applewood Lodge
Applewood Lodge is our new specialist residential service for children up to the age of 18 years old with complex care needs.
Staffordshire | All genders up to 18 | Children’s Residential
Buttons
Buttons is a registered service based in Swindon providing care to children with severe physical, learning difficulties and challenging behaviours.
Swindon, Wiltshire | All genders up to 18 | Children’s Residential
Granville
Lodge
Granville Lodge is a specialist residential and short break service for young people with complex life-long health conditions who cannot be cared for at home.
Hartlepool, Durham | All genders up to 18 | Children’s Residential
Norton Court House
Norton Court House is a specialist service for young people with a diagnosed learning disability and who display challenging behaviour as a result.
Norton, Stockton-on-Tees | All genders up to 18 | Children’s Residential
Long and short-term care options available.
Some of our residents join us at an early age, others join us in their early teens as their condition becomes increasingly difficult to manage at home.
Those staying with us permanently can decorate their own rooms, just as they can at home, and we encourage our young people, wherever possible, to be part of the running of their home and to try out new experiences, and are given specialist guidance and support throughout their time with us.
Our children’s complex care services offer a short break option, also called ‘respite care’. The short break option is popular with families, who from time-to-time, need a break from their caring responsibilities. A short break at either of our children’s homes also offers the opportunity for young people to make friends, encounter new experiences and allows us the chance to assess and offer some practical suggestions for their ongoing care at home.
Families often use our ‘short break’ option early on in their children’s lives and, on a regular basis, with the view that, should the need arise for residential children’s care at any point in the future, their child is already familiar with our team and the environment.
We are committed to providing caring, supportive, recovery-focused treatment and we achieve this by working together with our young people, their families, and other professionals. Our tier 4 child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) hospital delivers specialist treatment to young people with severe or complex mental health conditions who need intensive inpatient treatment.
Multi-disciplinary experts
Each unit has its own dedicated multi-disciplinary team, including consultant child and adolescent psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses and a wide range of therapists.
Experienced teams
With over 25 years’ practical experience and knowledge dealing with young people with mental health conditions, we understand complex care in a way few others do.
Accommodations
We provide three types of accommodation: psychiatric intensive care units (PICU), general adolescent units (GAU) and eating disorder units.
Onsite school
Our hospital has its own Ofsted-registered school onsite, so our young people can continue with their studies while receiving treatment.
Being here I’m surrounded by people who care for me. I’m able to express my emotions and I’m helped to understand them. All my carers are especially kind and help me whenever I need it.
Eleanor — young person
Ivetsey Bank Hospital
Ivetsey Bank Hospital is a Tier 4 child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS) hospital for young people with a diagnosed mental health condition.
Wheaton Aston, Stafford | CAMHS
All genders | Ages 12 – 18
Specialist care and accommodation.
We provide three types of accommodation across our specialist child and adolescent mental health services.
Psychiatric intensive care units (PICU) are small specialist wards that provide immediate inpatient assessment and treatment to young people who are going through a sudden and serious mental health crisis and who may be in danger of harming themselves or others. They need to be cared for at short notice in a secure setting. Often, following a short stay in a PICU ward, young people are discharged to a general adolescent unit (GAU) for ongoing treatment once the immediate crisis is over. Some young people are able to go straight home if they have made a full recovery.
General adolescent units (GAU) are for young people who are either ready to step-down from a PICU setting or who have complex, severe or enduring mental health issues. These young people need support from a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and time to work through their problems in an inpatient setting.
Eating disorder unit (EDU) for young people with eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, are generally treated and cared for in a separate eating disorder unit. An EDU provides a safe, therapeutic, supportive and structured environment for young people who are struggling to recover from their eating disorder in the community. These young people need support to recover and maintain a healthy weight and support to change their thinking, feelings and behaviour. Most young people are admitted directly from home, from a CAMHS or paediatric ward or are sometimes referred by a community CAMHS team.
