For boys and girls aged 11-18 years old
The Gables is a residential therapeutic community and special school providing specialist therapeutic care, education and treatment initially for a group of ‘hard to place’ children with complex needs aged 11-18. The home officially opened on October 23rd 2012.
The home occupies a beautiful detached house with an extensive garden and woods situated in a rural location near the village of Biddenden in the heart of Kent.
The Gables House specializes in the treatment of children who present with severe emotional, psychological and behavioural problems including sexualized and other disturbing behaviours as a result of attachment difficulties rooted in early life trauma and abuse.
The Gables uses Childhood First’s unique and effective Integrated Systemic Therapy, which focuses on healing trauma and enabling healthy attachments and relationships, so that children can achieve exceptional outcomes in every aspect of their lives.
All Childhood First staff are highly trained to enable children to work through their experiences of past trauma in a safe and comfortable environment designed for group living and learning. The Gables combines individual therapy with a strong group-based culture which helps children engage with their difficulties, and support one another in recovering and achieving their potential. We aim to create a therapeutic environment in which we work with the children enabling them to live together, learn and heal. We place much emphasis on caring and thoughtful relationships and creating a sense of belonging.
Patrons of Childhood First: Tim and Marylyn Bacon and Peregrine Massey
Education at The Gables
Young People at The Gables attend the onsite KS2/3 provision of Greenfields School, offering an holistic curriculum linked with therapeutic approaches which aim to develop and prepare young people for transitions and understanding of life in modern Britain. Greenfields School is in the process of developing the provision to provide National Curriculum plus at KS3 from September 2016. The curriculum includes off-site sporting opportunities, educational trips and offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Classes are small, allowing individual attention for each child. At the most recent Greenfields School inspection, a number of areas of provision were singled out as noteworthy for praise:
- the needs of individual pupils are understood very well and catered for effectively through good teaching
- the therapeutic nature of the community within which the school operates has a strong impact on the personal development of pupils and their readiness to learn
- pupils enjoy their learning and engage effectively with tasks and activities, sustaining their concentration well until tasks are completed
- effective strategies for the management of behaviour ensure that classrooms have a clear focus on learning and achievement
Families and Networks
Our dedicated Placement and Family Support worker will be available to support the whole family and network of each child in our care. Working together, we aim to promote the recovery of both the child and, where possible, the family. Where a child’s next placement is fostering or adoption, we will work closely with all concerned to prepare the child and the family, and to ensure that the fostering or adoption placement is a success.
When it is time for a child to move on, the Placement and Family Support worker will help the family and network think and plan each step. Some children may continue with part of their treatment: staying on at school, continuing with therapy and family support at home, for example. Others may move on completely, but may need a more intensive package of support. We are able to tailor what we provide to each individual.
