We are a family-owned social care provider working therapeutically with children in care
At Gem Care, our residential services focus on empowering young people to develop their social, emotional, independence and functional skills, enabling them to acquire coping mechanisms for the future, enabling them to be equipped for the future.
In addition, we believe that all young people deserve the best chance to grow, develop and receive an education that prepares them for a bright and productive future.
Who can we support?
We are able to support young people from the ages of 7 years old and up to their 18th birthday, who may present with a range of complex social, emotional, educational and behavioural needs. These may include the following:
- Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs
- Sexually harmful behaviour and risk of offending
- Risk of child sexual exploitation (CSE)
- Complex emotional trauma
- Moderate learning disabilities
- Attachment disorder
- ASD
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Developmental delay
- Past criminal and anti-social behaviours
- Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
- Conduct disorder
A wide range of activities
As well as our person-centred therapeutic offerings, the young people in our care also benefit from a wide array of activities and the opportunity to pursue hobbies and interests. Because each young person is different, we actively encourage individuals to take part in activities that are important or interesting to them, within their bespoke package of care.
Activities can range from supporting young people to pass their driving tests, helping them to become involved in sports teams and outdoor pursuits, and enabling them to learn various trades such as mechanics.
By encouraging our young people to pursue activities and hobbies that are meaningful to them, this also helps to build their independence, social skills and resilience, and paves the way towards a healthy and fulfilling future.
High quality facilities and homely environments
Our residential children’s homes have been specifically designed to be homely, comfortable and welcoming, enabling the young people in our care to feel safe and looked after. We offer everything that you’d expect to find in a modern family home, balanced alongside relevant modifications, enabling us to provide the best care for individuals’ needs.
Our bedrooms are single-occupancy and the majority have en-suite facilities, providing privacy and tranquillity for each young person we care for. Our residential homes also offer:
- Spacious and comfortable living areas, encouraging relaxing leisure time
- Communal dining rooms, allowing young people to eat and socialise together where appropriate
- Additional support may be given to our staff and homes from the support of chefs to ensure we provide nutritious meals, catering to suit dietary needs.
- Sensory rooms, education, quiet areas and other specialist equipment to support the needs of the people we care for
- Sporting and other varied equipment to encourage hobbies and activities
Dedicated and highly skilled teams
Our multidisciplinary teams are made up of highly skilled and experienced individuals, all of whom are committed to caring for and improving the lives of young people.
Our trained and experienced residential support workers and seniors ensure that all homes maintain a broad and diverse staffing in terms of gender, ethnicity, age and background. All staff are skilled and experienced within their role and professional background, and undergo a rigorous recruitment process as part of Safer Recruitment.
As an organisation, it is imperative that staff teams are nurtured, supported and developed throughout their employment in order to be able to provide the best possible service and outcomes for our children and young people.
Training for staff is continuous and covers all key areas that are pertinent to the role. Training also ensures that staff remain knowledgeable in their practice and the changing needs of our young people. Staff will be trained and will be able to engage in behaviour management and support plan. Staff are diverse, adaptive and dynamic in their approach to behaviour support, and ultimately are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our young people.
All support staff are trained to at least QCF Level 3 or are enrolled and working towards this within six months of their employment. All staff will have an individual development plan to enhance their development with us at Gem Care.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is a key priority across all Gem Care Homes. We are committed to effectively promoting the safety and well-being of children and young people and protecting all vulnerable individuals in our services from any form of abuse. Safeguarding themes are well understood across all our sites and we are particularly mindful of issues around:
- Children missing from care or education
- Bullying and cyber-bullying and the misuse of social media
- Radicalisation
- Gang culture
- Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
- Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Policies and procedures
We invest in robust policies, processes and structures, ensuring all our children and young people are safe and have a high quality network of support.
- All adults who work with our young people undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check prior to appointment. These are regularly renewed.
- A commitment to safeguarding.
- We strive to maintain a transparent and open culture where everyone feels safe and able to share concerns. We firmly believe that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Core Values
We firmly believe in the importance of social and emotional learning. That’s why we place it at the heart of everything we do. We aim to promote resilience and healing among our young people, helping them to develop the skills and emotional intelligence they need to thrive both in and out of the classroom.
At Gem Care, we are guided by a set of core values that reflect our commitment to creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environment. Our values include:
- Respectful: We believe in treating everyone with dignity and respect, regardless of their background or circumstances. We foster a culture of inclusivity, where everyone feels valued and supported.
- Courteous: We promote a spirit of kindness and politeness, where simple acts of courtesy can make a big difference.
- Considerate: We encourage our young people, teachers, and adults to be considerate and thoughtful in their interactions with one another. We promote a spirit of empathy and understanding, where everyone takes the time to understand and support each other.
- Trust and Consistency: We understand that trust is essential in any healthy relationship, and we strive to build trust with each other. We are consistent in our approach to teaching and learning, creating a predictable and stable environment that helps our young people feel secure and supported.
- Honesty and Responsibility: We believe in the importance of honesty and integrity in all our interactions. We encourage our young people to take responsibility for their actions and to hold themselves accountable for their choices.
- High Expectations: We have high expectations for our young people and ourselves, and we encourage everyone to strive for excellence.
- Positive Role Models: We also recognise the importance of positive role models and work to model the behaviours and attitudes that we hope to instil in our young people.