Our Children's Home
Sanctuary 16
Sanctuary 16 provides 24-hour therapeutically informed residential care for young people aged 8–18 with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Our homes are designed to provide stability, structure, nurturing relationships and a safe environment where young people can begin to rebuild trust, strengthen confidence and make meaningful progress.
Our care is trauma informed, relationship centred and rooted in social pedagogy. We work closely with each young person, their family where appropriate, social workers and the wider professional network to provide individualised care that reflects their needs, experiences, strengths and aspirations.
Through our Stabilise, Strengthen and Transition model, young people are supported to feel safe, develop resilience, re-engage with education and relationships, and prepare for their next stage of life.
Our Therapeutic Model
Our therapeutic model is rooted in a social pedagogic approach and is relationship-centred, trauma-informed and strengths-based. We recognise that children and young people may have experienced adversity and developmental trauma, and that behaviours can sometimes reflect survival responses to difficult experiences.
We believe that safe, compassionate and consistent relationships can support healing, growth and positive change. Our staff focus on understanding the young person behind the behaviour and creating an environment where they feel safe, valued and supported.
Young people are supported through personalised key work, 1:1 therapeutic support, reflective activities and meaningful opportunities that promote emotional regulation, confidence, resilience and informed decision-making. Staff are also supported through regular supervision and reflective practice so that care remains thoughtful, person-centred and therapeutically informed.
Our Home Environment
We believe the environment children live in plays an important part in helping them feel safe, valued and settled. Our homes are designed to feel warm, comfortable and aspirational, with a strong emphasis on creating a genuine home rather than an institutional setting.
Young people have their own personal space and are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms so that they feel a sense of belonging and ownership. Communal areas provide opportunities to relax, spend time together, learn and take part in activities.
We encourage young people to take pride in their home while supporting them to maintain positive relationships and connections with their families, friends and wider community.
Our Care Approach
Stabilise
Helping young people feel safe, secure and settled, with consistent care, structure and access to the support they need.
Strengthen
Supporting young people to build confidence, resilience and practical skills, while making safer and more informed choices.
Transition
Preparing young people for their next stage through education, life skills, positive relationships and greater independence.
Accommodation
Sanctuary 16 provides family-sized residential homes designed to feel safe, comfortable and welcoming. Each young person has their own bedroom and is encouraged to personalise their space so that it feels familiar and individual to them.
Our homes include shared spaces for relaxing, eating, learning and spending time together, alongside areas that support therapeutic and reflective activities. We aim to create an environment that feels domestic and nurturing rather than institutional.
The home is maintained to a high standard, with careful attention to safety, privacy, comfort and the needs of the young people living there.
Children's Voice & Participation
We believe children and young people should have a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect their lives. Young people are encouraged to express their wishes, feelings and ideas about their care, their home and their future.
Through regular house meetings, individual key work, care planning and statutory reviews, young people are supported to participate in decisions and understand the choices being made with and for them. Where appropriate, families and the wider professional network are also involved.
Young people are encouraged to contribute to everyday life within the home, including activities, meals and their personal spaces. We want every young person to feel heard, respected and confident that their views matter.
Health & Wellbeing
Each young person is supported to maintain and improve their physical and emotional wellbeing through individualised health planning, access to appropriate health services and encouragement to develop healthy routines.
We support young people with areas such as medical appointments, nutrition, exercise, personal hygiene, sleep and emotional wellbeing, while promoting continuity with existing health professionals wherever possible.
Our therapeutic approach also includes access to relaxation and grounding techniques, reflective support and, where appropriate, individual therapeutic input based on the young person’s needs and readiness to engage.
Education & Development
We recognise that many young people may have experienced disruption in their education, and we work to create a supportive and structured environment that helps them re-engage with learning and make progress.
We work closely with schools, Virtual Schools and the wider professional network to support attendance, educational planning and individual learning needs. Where appropriate, young people may also receive additional 1:1 educational support.
Our approach goes beyond academic learning. Young people are supported to build confidence, emotional and social skills, explore their interests and aspirations, and develop practical skills that prepare them for future education, training and employment.
Through regular goal setting and review, young people are encouraged to recognise their strengths, celebrate progress and take an active role in shaping their future.
Safeguarding & Protection
Safeguarding is central to everything we do at Sanctuary 16. We are committed to providing a safe, structured and supportive environment where children and young people are protected from harm and where concerns are identified and responded to promptly.
All staff receive safeguarding training as part of their induction and ongoing development. Young people are supervised in line with their individual care plans, risk assessments and assessed level of need, while still being supported to develop age-appropriate independence.
We maintain clear procedures for responding to safeguarding concerns, incidents and allegations, and we work closely with social workers, local authorities and other professionals to promote each young person’s safety and wellbeing.
Admissions & Matching
Every referral is considered carefully to ensure that Sanctuary 16 can meet the young person’s needs safely and effectively. We review the information provided by the placing authority, including the young person’s history, risks, care needs, education, health and previous placements.
We also consider compatibility with other young people living in the home, staffing capacity and the overall impact of the proposed placement. Where possible, young people are encouraged to visit the home before admission so they can become familiar with the environment and share their views about the placement.
Our aim is to make considered, well-informed placement decisions that promote stability, safety and positive outcomes for every young person living in the home.