Caitlin* has been living at Heysham House for just over 12 months, having arrived with us in desperate need of support following the breakdown of her placement with her carers. Due to her emotional distress at that time, she presented consistently as aggressive, oppositional and socially detached.
The staff team has worked hard to develop positive relationships by establishing firm, fair yet achievable goals with lots of encouragement and praise which have allowed for her to gain confidence, self-esteem and take pride in her achievements.
Since joining us at Heysham House, she has benefited from a vast array of activities including horse-riding, swimming, football club and shopping trips with her peers, she enjoys experimenting with make-up and baking. She is now able to mix within groups without upset and thoroughly enjoys being in the company of the staff team.
In addition to this, staff working in partnership with other agencies have been able to re-engage with family members and as such she now to enjoys positive contact visits with her siblings.
Once settled within the home, Caitlin began her enrolment at Wings School (part of the Kedleston Group). Caitlin loves school and has not only made great leaps in her academic progress she has also maintained 100% attendance.
Throughout the six months that she has been at Heysham House, Caitlin has embraced the support that is on offer which has quite honestly turned her life around, she is no longer an angry, scared and unhappy child. She has a place that she calls home, where she has strong relationships with both the adults and young people and is a credit to the staff who have worked tirelessly to help her.
She has managed extremely well during the recent challenging time and has engaged with completing home learning (with the support of regular communication from Wings School). She has successfully passed her GCSE's and now plans to study Hair and Beauty at college.
* The young person's name and picture have been changed to protect their anonymity.