We work in partnership with many agencies across the UK to provide the best possible therapeutic care, education and treatment for seriously troubled children, young people and families, including:
- local authorities
- children and adolescent mental health services
- psychiatric hospitals
- mainstream and special schools
- other specialist and mainstream care providers
- courts and the judiciary
- Ofsted
We have a highly valued and successful partnership with Norfolk County Council in the provision of therapeutic care, education and treatment at Earthsea House and Merrywood House.
We are active members of a number of key professional and provider groups who support us, and who we support:
- NHS London Mental Health Strategy Network
- the Independent Children’s Homes Association (ICHA)
- the Royal College of Psychiatrists quality network for therapeutic communities
- the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
- the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
- the Community of Therapeutic Communities (TCTC)
- the International Network of Democratic Therapeutic Communities (INDTC)
Our work enjoys the sponsorship of many trusts and companies (see page 9 of our Annual Review 2011/12). We are partnered by our highly valued Friends Groups and our intrepid Challenge Event participants in our fundraising.
And most important of all, we are partnered by the extraordinary, resilient, courageous and talented children and young people who join us in our therapeutic communities, and commit themselves to undertaking the complex and painstaking work that is involved in their own and their peers’ healing and recovery. It is the therapeutic power of the group that is Childhood First’s greatest asset.