What People Say

My daughter recently left bracken lodge to come home to her family after spending 11 months with some amazing people. The love, care and support she received while being at bracken lodge has been outstanding. They have all worked tirelessly to give her the care and support she needed.

Overall, children have a well developed sense of belonging at the home and their relationships with staff give them confidence to manage their day to day circumstances and to thrive. They are confident expressing their wishes and feelings and have access to specialist support services to meet their needs and fulfil their potential.

Right now I would say I could not have found a better placement for my client.

Staff are positive role models. They understand the diverse communication styles of each young person, whether this is through hand signals, pictorial images or spoken word. This allows the staff to gain young people’s views and helps young people to make good choices.

I enjoy living here. It’s a good place. They take your feelings into consideration and try to understand what’s wrong. They help you as much as they can. I get a lot of support.

As this is my last day I would like to write and commend Brookacre Staff for their outstanding commitment to *Ben and the provision of a very safe and nurturing environment for him throughout this difficult time of the Covid pandemic and various lockdowns.

As Ben’s social worker I could not have wished for a more caring and effective staff group who have provided for Ben’s needs in every respect and made the major contribution that has led to Ben being in the positive position he is at today. 

I would unreservedly commend the home for the excellence of their care and have found them to be outstanding in every respect. I would be most grateful if you would pass on my comments to the relevant staff in Surrey Children’s Services.

The enthusiasm and energy of the staff is inspirational. They create an atmosphere which is highly socialised and great fun.

Can I thank you very much for all the hospitality you and your workers have shown me over the last 12/18 months, it has made the whole process much easier for me when working with this young person. You must be very proud of all your staff and the work that they carry out with the less fortunate children you look after. I am certainly impressed.

It was so lovely to to see the amazing work that you do with the young people that reside with you.

Young people living at the home and those who have left the home have made significant progress in all aspects of their lives.

I wouldn’t be the person I am today without you all. We’ve had tears, laughter, shouting and all the other emotions you could probably ever think of, but I can honestly say it’s been the best 2 years of my life.

Every member of staff has been amazing to both my son and to us as a family. I wanted to say thank you to everyone for being so supportive when at times I couldn’t see a way forward. We are so pleased to have our son home.

I would like to thank the Referrals Team personally for all the hard work that has gone into making sure this placement was secured for our young person

Being at Arthog has showed me there is a different way of living, and I enjoy living my life this way.

The client I am responsible for has a learning disability and Mental Health Problem. I am very pleased with the confidence the Managers are leading their team and all risk assessments are strong and a balance is found between independence, support, boundaries and protection.

Before moving to this home, my young person’s engagement in education was hugely concerning. I am so pleased at the transformation.

Young people, parents and involved agencies have nothing but positive things to say about the care and support provided.

Our manager has been very good for the home. She is a people person. She listens, and she always tries to help staff.

Any young person would be privileged to live in this home. The care provided to my child and to us as parents has been exceptional.

Staff consistently use their skills to support children to have fun and to ensure that there are clear age-appropriate boundaries and routines in place. There is a good balance between the two. Staff help children to understand why they are unable to live with their families. They work together in a consistent way to ensure that children feel stable and secure in their care.

Young people live in a warm and welcoming environment.

They were really responsive, quick to action anything, got all of the documents to us in a timely manner and I just felt that it was the most positive experience.

It was so lovely to see her looking well, happy and relaxed. Your home has such a friendly homely atmosphere, and the staff all seemed great and her key worker genuinely lovely. We left feeling reassured and confident that she is doing well and in good hands.

I have been impressed with all staff members who I have communicated with regarding my young person. There is regular communication and sharing of safeguarding. My young person really has been put first at all times and all staff have been so proactive in trying to engage him and keep him safe and it’s recognised how proactive Keys Group have been in doing this.

Young people make exceptional progress because their day-to-day experiences are consistently positive. They receive personalised care and support from a committed, knowledgeable, skilled and motivated staff team. Listening to young people is an overarching principle in the day-to-day running of the home.

If it wasn’t for Arthog, I would never in life have had the opportunities to do all of these activities

Young people are happy and generally get on well with each other. They like the home. One young person thought it should be given an outstanding judgement.

Thank you to you and all your team for being so fab to work alongside. It is a pleasure to see the efforts that we are all making be so evident in our boy.

The young person lives in a home that is safe, homely and provides him with space to grow and develop. Staff have paid attention to detail in respect of furnishings and design, which means that the young person has personalised space that he is proud of and that very much reflects his individuality.

Children show their happiness through their broad smiles and frequent laughter. Their faces light up when they hear staff’s voices and feel their presence and touch. Staff
know the children very well.

The staff team are second to none and the support I have received has helped me through many difficult times. The home has a very unique and diverse staff team and no matter what, they will always support you through your highest highs and your lowest lows.

This is by far the best place I have lived. The staff really care and have helped me with my issues.

The Social Worker stated she was very impressed both by the Placement itself and the staff. She had been provided with a timetable prepared for the young person on a daily basis so that she is aware of what he will be doing.The Social Worker informed me she left the placement feeling very happy that she was leaving the young person in a safe and nurturing environment.

I feel that the staff are dedicated to him [the child]. They are committed to working with him, no matter what he throws at them. They look at what he enjoys doing and interests him. This has been key.

I could not fault the care provided; staff are exceptional.

A supportive and nurturing ethos is evident in daily life and children treat the home as their home. They are involved in social and leisure activities in the home and local community and have developed friendships with children living in the local area.

Everyone who walks through the doors to this home cares about us.

When I first arrived at Deane Villa, I was very anxious because I was completely out of my comfort zone. I came from a big city to a remote quiet house and they instantly made me feel welcome from the little things like immediately being friendly, to offering snacks and refreshments, to buying me little gifts to make me feel welcome.

The manager is inspirational and leads by example. The manager is supported by an experienced deputy manager, who assists her in the running of the home. The leadership team has established a culture of positivity. Managers have excellent oversight of the home and the exceptional progress that the children continue to make.

The staff team creates a safe and welcoming home that enables the young people to develop, and to start on their journeys to adult life. The young people develop positive relationships of trust and respect with the staff.

Bedrooms are cosy, full of character and are reflective of the children’s personalities and interests

Staff know that some situations can be extremely stressful for young people, such as when they are settling into their new home. They provide sensitive support that enables the young people to explore and settle into their new surroundings at their own pace.

The staff plan well and are proactive in responding to young people’s anxieties. As a result, physical interventions are rarely used.

He’s had a few placements where he’s struggled. Here, he’s engaged with school and engaged with therapy. He seems quite settled. They really are lovely with him. Generally, I am happy with how he’s doing. The staff are very nurturing, but there are also boundaries. They’ve really met his needs.

Overall, children have a well developed sense of belonging at the home and their relationships with staff give them confidence to manage their day to day circumstances and achieve good outcomes.

I have observed a very positive relationship between my young person and the team at Shoreditch. They are very attuned to his needs and they are very good advocates for him. I do not have any communication issues with them, they are responsive to emails and telephone calls. Weekly report is sent each week. They participate in PEPs, CLA reviews and liaise with mum and school well. The team are very good at promoting PACE with TV which is really positive as this provides him with time to calm and reflect on situations.

A social worker complimented the staff on their ability to transform personal care into a relaxing and enriching experience, which enables the children to feel pampered and adored