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Who We Are.
THE HOUSE - The unit is a large three bed roomed terrace house
in Newhaven East Sussex, a port town not far from Brighton on
the Sussex coast. One small room doubles as a staff room and office,
the two occupied by the residents are on separate floors, spacious,
very warm (with a modern central heating system) and bright with
pine beds, small televisions and large amounts of storage space.
The staff room is at the epicentre close to both rooms and the
stairs. KEYWORKING - We operate a key worker system. Although in a small
unit it is perhaps less likely that a social worker or family
member might need a specific point of contact with a particular
staff member that is more divested of that youngsters problems
and idiosyncrasies. We would expect the whole staff team to have
a full appreciation of all the problems involved, however we have
observed that the key worker plays an invaluable r |
Whom Might Crusoe Care Benefit.We care for emotionally and behaviourally disturbed youngsters between the ages of 14-17+ years. They may be just coming in to care or moving on from a larger residential unit in order to benefit from a more intense and specific approach. It may be that their anticipated stay in care is for a short 'respite' period only. While recognising that each young person will have a history that needs to be respected as intensely personal and unique, we do have the experience of dealing with youngsters with problems that have manifested in many different and often quite unpredictable forms. SOCIAL - We have experience of dealing with many types of socially dysfunctional behaviour, including theft, arson, and suicidal tendencies and absconding. We believe a small unit is far better able to monitor these occurrences, anticipate crucial times and implement vigilant, corporate or diversionary measures to deal with them. SPECIFIC CONDITIONS - Although we are not a specialised unit we have extensive experience in dealing with and caring for youngsters with varying diagnosis on the autistic spectrum. These would include such conditions as Aspergers syndrome and Fragile X. We have found that such ...... need not preclude residents from fulfilling their potential as others might and go on to lead independent lives. PREPARATION FOR INDEPENDANCE - Much of our success in recent years has centred around the preparation of youngsters in our care for independence. Leaving the care system with a great effort to eschew the benefit culture that can often pursue it. In the 16+ years we operate an independence scheme for youngsters requiring them to take a more autonomous approach to their own care and to look towards the future in a positive manner. We plan early for success. This will include advice and encouragement with further education and training options and an introduction to the world of work through local job placements through our many contacts in the area. This in turn can lead to financial planning and help with relocation when appropriate. Some of our recent residents have gone on to become Chefs, Mechanics and Policemen from often inauspicious beginnings. Where appropriate we do also offer a continuance of care service for those over 18. This can be a tailored package according to needs. Working towards a specific outcome or perhaps in a domiciliary setting for those who may need a little extra help from familiar faces for a longer period of time. VIOLENCE - We have a vast experience of working through violent situations. Be they incidental or chronic residual and low key, both towards staff and other residents in the unit. Violence with not be tolerated in this unit; again the structure and ethos of the establishment, small and intimate with a high staff ratio means that possible acting out in such a manner can be contextualized, contained and diverted. We operate a non-restraint policy.
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STAFFING -
We have six full time members of staff including the managers and two who work flexibly on a part time basis. there is also some involvement from the management in the day to day interaction with the youngsters. this allows us a more proactive approach.
All of our staff have between
5 and 30 years experience of working with troubled youngsters
in various guises. We also have more specialized staff who are
trained in counselling, personal fitness, diet and hygiene and
who are also experienced in working with troubled adolescents.
As expected, all staff
have been thoroughly checked both through the standard CRB checks and our own reference scheme. All staff are required to have the equivalent of NVQ level 3 or higher in an appropriate discipline. Or be working towards one through or in house training scheme. 
Downstairs
there is a comfortable,
homely lounge with the usual entertainment facilities including sky TV and a multi purpose room used ostensibly as a dining room but more often as a computer area where residents are allowed age appropriate Internet access or to use the computer for other personal or educational use.
The kitchen
is of a country style with plenty of work area. We have a weekly
delivery of fresh flowers, which helps to give the whole place
a calming fragrance. Outside we have a garden with a vegetable
patch (which has frequently sparked the imagination of residents),
flower beds, B-B-Q and laundry facilities.
ole in the development
of special and often quite influential attachments. It can help
the youngster feel special having someone specifically responsible
for clothes shopping or medical appointments as well as perhaps
being the first point of contact when problems occur. There is
in operation a settling in and embedding process whereby the youngster
can choose their own key worker depending on whom they feel most
comfortable with.
ABUSE - Many of the young people we have worked with in the past
or who may become resident at Crusoe Care have been the victims
of physical or sexual abuse. Often we have seen work with them
delayed or prevented as this trauma manifests itself in often
quite bizarre ways or they are lost and withdrawn in the morass
of feelings and emotions that develop in a large unit. We have
found the security and comfort of a small unit helps them to relax
and feel able to develop appropriate relationships again. Furthermore
we recognise that a young person that exhibits ostensibly no obviously
challenging behaviour has not necessarily come to terms with the
problems that they may have experienced in the past.