Our Services -
Registered children's homes
Park road children's home
Summary
Park Road is a four-bedded children’s home run by The Boulters Ltd. for children with emotional and behavioural problems. It is situated close to Sittingbourne town centre and near to local amenities and transport links.
Park Road is a large semi-detached Victorian house on a main road leading into the town. The house looks the same as the other properties in the area; it is the organisation’s aim to ensure that the homes blend in and form part of the local community. Park Road has been registered as a children’s home with The Commission for Social Care Inspection in West Kent (Registration Number 0000059037) since January 2004.
Reports on Park Road have been favourable. A copy of the most recent Inspection report is available on request. Young people have made positive comments regarding their stay at the Home. A copy of the children’s guide is available on request. Park Road is one of three children’s homes run by The Boulters Ltd.
Accommodation
Park Road provides accommodation spread over three floors. The ground floor area is for communal living and comprises a lounge with television, computer and stereo, a staff office and a large kitchen and dining area. This area is often used in the evenings for informal conversation and pastimes between children and staff who do not want to watch television. On the first floor are two bedrooms and a bathroom. The bedrooms are large, spacious and bright, they provide plenty of room for young people and their belongings. Young people are encouraged to personalise their room and to take responsibility for the home as a whole.
On the top floor there are two more bedrooms. These are en-suite and are of a similar size to the lower two bedrooms. All bedrooms are equipped with a television, a video/DVD player and a stereo. All bedrooms can be alarmed, if required, as part of the young person’s care plan.
The house is decorated to a high standard throughout.
Care provided
Park Road looks after young people, both male and female, aged 13-17 on admission. The organisation also offers a semi independent service offering support for young people in small houses and one bedroom flats moving towards independence.
Young people placed at Park Road enjoy a high level of staff time and attention due to the small size of the home. There is always two staff on duty including sleeping in and there is the facility for wake night staff if necessary. This staffing ratio can be increased, where appropriate and where agreed, as part of a care plan.
Young people placed at Park Road are encouraged to participate in every way in making decisions that affect them and their life. They are encouraged to read and make comment on all records held on them whilst at Park Road through our open access policy and are also encouraged, through key work and house meetings, to decide menus, activities, holidays etc.
Young people are invited to contribute to regular six weekly reports and review reports. Preparation is undertaken with each young person to ensure they have the confidence to put forward their views to social workers, parents and other adults involved in planning their lives.
Park Road operates a key worker system. Individual time and attention is given to young people to help them to reintegrate into school, to examine alternative ways of managing their feelings and behaviours, to develop more positive relationships and to maintain their hobbies and interests. Young people are assisted to work towards a more independent future from the start of their placement and when appropriate.
Young people receive a generous clothing and pocket money allowance which they are encouraged to save and budget.
Education
The Boulters believes that education for life is an integral and ongoing aim of care involving all aspects of life in the home. Staff therefore work with young people to develop their social skills and self presentation, budgeting and domestic skills (ie cooking) and their ability to work towards maintaining a home.
Staff will assist young people to carry out any work from school and will attend school for parents’ evenings, presentations etc. where appropriate. Staff will seek to create learning opportunities through activities so that the learning process is both flexible and fun. The organisation is in the process of establishing its own education and skills centre where education and work experience will be tailored to individual strengths and needs in a stimulating way by qualified teachers and assistants.
As well as classroom and computer bases work, the centre will enable young people to develop their creative skills in art and crafts, for example in ceramics. The centre will also seek to offer young people practical opportunities for learning ie through excursions and activities. The service works closely with locally-based special needs tutoring organisations and local tutors skilled in working with young people referred to The Boulters.
Activities
The Boulters philosophy and motto is “work hard, play hard” and activities are a mainstay for young people to channel energy, develop skills, develop confidence, and to learn to rely on themselves and others whilst learning how to have a good time positively and creatively.
Regular excursions take place and have included trips to holiday camps in The Lake District, Great Yarmouth and Blackpool, camping in The New Forest, climbing mountains in Scotland and Wales, navigating locks on the Birmingham canals, going shark fishing and paint-balling in Cornwall, and sailing on a cruiser with the Director.
On a day to day basis young people can expect to go bowling, ice skating, to the cinema, to the gym, swimming, fishing, on trips to theme parks, eating out at restaurants, horse riding and go-karting.
Young people living at Park Road can attend the private leisure complex that The Boulters belongs to. This can enable them to develop their health and fitness. All these activities are included within the cost of the placement.
