Keys Activity & Intervention services provide specialist, short-term care for children and young people experiencing acute risk, instability or placement breakdown. The focus is on keeping young people safe, stabilising situations and supporting positive next steps.

These services support children and young people facing heightened risk, including:

• Repeated missing episodes

• Risk of criminal or sexual exploitation

• Aggressive or unsafe behaviours

• Offending behaviour

• Substance misuse or harmful coping strategies

The primary aim is to provide immediate safety, reduce risk and help young people stabilise. This creates space to understand their needs and plan for a more settled, longer-term next step.

Activity & Intervention is delivered in small, highly structured homes in rural areas with enhanced staffing levels. These environments are designed to provide stability, close supervision and consistent support.

Placements are usually time-limited and focused on short-term stabilisation. The length of stay depends on the young person’s needs and progress. We have programmes that start at 28 days up to 3 month placements. Extensions can be agreed if appropriate.

Activity-led intervention uses carefully planned activities as positive interrupters to help young people regulate emotions, build confidence and re-engage. This may include outdoor pursuits and reflective activities, all delivered safely and with purpose.

The service is underpinned by trauma-informed practice, recognising how past experiences impact behaviour. Staff build trusting relationships, provide consistent boundaries and respond with understanding and compassion.

Keys Connect is the therapeutic model used across the service, helping staff deliver relational, consistent and trauma-informed care that supports emotional safety and engagement.

Young people benefit from access to:

• Therapeutic and clinical professionals

• Specialist Advisors in areas such as exploitation, substance misuse, self-injury and safeguarding

• Police liaison support where needed

This ensures expert input during periods of high risk.

Through Keys Inclusion Pathways, including the Keys Engage programme, young people can access trauma-informed, flexible learning that supports re-engagement with education.

There is also the option to complete a variety of qualifications with the Education lead, including AQAs and GCSE equivalents.

Referrals are typically made by local authorities, social workers or placement teams seeking urgent, specialist support for a young person.