Therapeutic Support

Our residents are always encouraged to actively participate in our day-to-day residential community life.   Our community provides a safe, responsive and enabling environment where we are all committed to learning, supporting each other and developing personally and as a group.

We focus on restoring and promoting healthy sleeping patterns, self–care practices, independent living skills, acceptance and consideration for other members of our community, acknowledging the equality and diversity of our residents and staff, celebrating our achievements and working towards our goals and aspirations.

We offer person-centred bespoke packages of therapeutic support for young adults with a range of social, emotional or behavioural needs. Grounded in our ethos and values is an understanding that nobody is the same, yet everyone is equal and as such, a “one size fits all” approach is never an option.  Our residents are included in every decision about their support, care plans, desired outcomes of the placement and we believe that it is this autonomy that helps to deliver successful outcomes and positive transitions to living independently.

Our culture forms a stable basis for working through and resolving each young person’s past trauma and negative life experiences whilst building on their resourcefulness and resilience, equipping and preparing them for a positive and successful future where each person builds on a positive self-belief knowing that anything is possible with a little work and empowering support.

Therapies & Services Available

We actively encourage all residents to participate in a range of therapies and services that we are able to offer including:

Mentoring

One-to-one mentoring sessions with our trained mentors, designed to support each young person’s engagement with local community initiatives, encourage participation in after school clubs, focussed on achieving personal tasks and goals outside of the home. The aim is to provide each young person with experiences that build their confidence and support their growth by challenging them to overcome their sense of isolation and help them to integrate into their local community.

Exploration and Fostering of Personal Vocations

When settled into our homes, it is part of our mission to encourage and enable our resident’s interests, talents, skills and creative expression. With a focus on local community integration and cross-cultural bridge building, we are able to offer bespoke after school activities and weekend workshops in a variety of areas. Amongst them are:

Filmmaking, DJing, music lessons, art, yoga, drama, bike repairing, cooking, carpentry, storytelling, creative writing, water sports and outward bound activities, equestrian pursuits, animal care and more according to the wishes and needs of young people. These activities and workshops will be facilitated and offered by Phoenix Youth Services DBS checked, specifically trained and dedicated staff and team of external facilitators.

Sports

We encourage young people to join local sport clubs and attend on a weekly basis. Team sports like football, basketball and cricket promote relationship and group building. Physical activity triggers chemicals in the brain that reduce stress hormones levels, stimulate the production of endorphins, keep depression at bay and improve sleep quality. Bilateral movement like running, cycling, swimming and yoga help to integrate the emotional side of the brain with the cognitive side and is a clinically proven treatment for PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

Equine Therapy

Equine Therapy is a form of experiential therapy that involves interactions between patients and horses in order to promote physical, occupational and emotional growth in people suffering from ADD, Anxiety, Autism, Behavioural disorders, Trauma, Depression and Developmental Delay. It can help with: Identifying and coping with feelings, Communication skills, Setting boundaries, Overcoming fears, Building trust, Improving sensory and motor skills for coordination, balance, and posture. Our residents have the opportunity to book in sessions with our in-house equine therapist based on the Isle of Wight.

Music Therapy

Group or one-to-one sessions, provided by a qualified music therapist, focussed on client-led music making and song writing to inspire young people to create sonic narratives for themselves. Singing known songs can connect with body and breath in an expressive supportive way and communal drumming and/or improvising allows for a space for making new connections with one another and can affect emotional and functional change and development.

Art Therapy

Group or one-to-one session are offered by a qualified practitioner as an expressive psychotherapy that uses the art-making process to improve social, mental, and emotional functioning and increase feelings of well-being. Art making allows for healing through non- verbal communication, exploration of feelings, self- discovery, identity, catharsis and personal growth.

Drama Therapy

Combines drama and psychotherapy methods to offer young people new ways to express what they are thinking or feeling in order to cope more effectively with behavioural and emotional difficulties. Done in groups it provides a great forum to try on new roles, learn new ways of relating and to rediscover joy and play in a culturally sensitive manner, allowing for expression of differences within a respectful environment, whilst also providing opportunity for psycho-education and help with navigating life. By working creatively and often non-verbally, the groups do not rely excessively on language and can therefore accommodate various levels of English proficiency.

Psychotherapy/Counselling/EMDR/DBT

Young people can access a variety of therapies through our diverse network of therapists. According to individual need and assessment we offer a choice of different support models. This includes person-centred, integrative, systemic and psychodynamic one-to-one psychotherapy, group therapy, DBT and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing), which is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched for the successful treatment of PTSD.

Legal Support Network

It is part of our mission to offer access to a comprehensive and trauma-informed legal network to support individuals, including their asylum claims or any situations involving YOT/court proceedings.

This will ensure that each young person’s best interests and future choices will be upheld and protected.

English Language Classes

For residents that do not speak English as their first language, English classes will be provided by an experienced ESOL tutor to support young people to improve their varying English language skills, help build their confidence and enable them to successfully access college education, make the most of social opportunities and maximise opportunities for further employment and integration into the wider community.

Translation

Our team has access to a wide range of translators and services to support residents with limited English language, and staff work collaboratively with external agencies to ensure our residents are well informed and supported every step of their journey to independence.