Upper House, a St. David's Safe Steps Home
Upper House is a four-bedded home dedicated to providing assessment and care part as Three-Step transition programme (Safe Steps) helping children and young people, 8-16 years move from residential care to specialist foster care. Upper House caters for young people of both sexes, usually between 8 -15 years. Most have had a recent history of placement disruption and may also have presented with difficult and challenging behaviour. Some may come directly from foster care and others from residential care. The objective for all is to prepare them thoroughly for a stable foster placement. This programme was first developed in 2008.
The Safe Steps programme is a joint project between Marlowe Child & Family Services and Pathway Care Fostering Agency to provide a transitional programme for successfully integrating children and young people to a long-term foster placement. Pathway Care is a nationally known and well-respected foster care agency providing over 700 successful placements.
The child or young person begins the first element of Safe Steps by engaging them in a 13 – 26 week residential programme designed to provide a detailed and thorough assessment, and address the issues that have resulted in previous foster placement disruption. This is undertaken at Upper House. To achieve this staffing ratios are high (usually 3 staff to 4 young people) to allow both high levels of supervision and individual interventions.
Once this first step is completed, the child or young person moves to matched, expert foster carers for the next two stages of Safe Steps for a solo placement. Initially they are provided with intensive support including on-going therapy and outreach work from Upper House staff (Step Two – 26 weeks). In Step Three (13 weeks +), this intensive support is gradually reduced as the child or young person becomes fully integrated in the foster home. Upper House staff also assist them to settle into their new environment and school, and develop positive social networks. Further, Upper House is available for advice and support 24 hours a day for foster carers.
Upper House has an enviable record of success in helping children and young people quickly gain purchase over their behaviour and focus on a more positive future. This includes working closely with the child or young person in managing the transition between the residential and the foster care elements of Safe Steps. The Safe Steps programme has already helped a number of young people make the successful transition to foster placements, with the improved chance of positive outcomes that this brings.
Upper House is managed by Sharon Mathias. Sharon and her team are very experienced in managing disaffected young people and preparing them for successful transition to foster care. The team adopts an inclusive, multi-professional approach in close co-operation with ‘matched’ carers and the extensive support mechanisms provided by the wider organisations of Marlowe Child & Family Services and Pathway Care. This includes utilising regular supervision by our psychologist Christine May. She also offers supervision to Safe Steps foster carers, providing essential consistency and continuity. Christine also prepares detailed Behaviour Support Plans/Reactive Plans for both residential staff and foster carers.
Upper House provides a nurturing and structured environment, essential if children and young people are to make the successful transition to specialist foster care. Experienced and qualified staff develop individual programmes, working with each child/young person on issues they prioritise, as well as those that have previously undermined family placements.
Foster Carers (all specifically vetted by Pathway Care for the Safe Steps programme), once matched with the child or young person, work alongside care staff at Upper House on a regular basis, developing relationships with the young person as well as positive strategies for managing conflict as it arises.
This philosophy of Upper House is rooted in a Humanistic approach, as well as drawing upon eclectic elements of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and psychotherapeutic ideas. A similar philosophical approach informs Behaviour Management Programmes and Reactive Plans, along with a comprehensive assessment and regularly evaluated formal psychological testing. This includes psychometric assessments covering Self-Esteem/Self-Concept, Locus of Control, Personality/Conduct (SKID), Mental Health (KONORS & CH PAS-ADD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Interview, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (measure of functional ability and cognitive profile) Autism (Sensory Profile, Empathy Checklist, CARS) Aspergers (OASIS) and a Psycho-sexual Assessment (Child Sexual Behaviour Inventory - as indicated). Comprehensive written reports detailing the assessments, Behaviour Management Programmes and Reactive Plans and written updates on individual therapy are provided to the placing authority on a regular basis; as well as general monthly updates, incident reports etc. This work is undertaken by Marlowe (St. David’s) Psychologist Christine May, working closely with Sharon and her team.
In order to check that targets and timescales are met, there is a monthly multi-professional review hosted by Upper House involving the placing authority and Pathway Care. This review ensures the transition programme is managed effectively and the best interest of the child or young person. Further, Sharon and her team work very closely with Pathway Care Safe Steps Programme Leader Heledd Williams.
Upper House itself is located with Pembrokeshire National Park, near to the city of St. David’s. It is a large farmhouse in extensive and well-maintained gardens, and magnificent costal views. . The home is decorated and furnished in a way as to enhance a warm and homely ambiance. Each child or young person has a good sized bedroom of their own, as well as having access to several rooms to play, watch television, talk and receive visitors. Great emphasis is placed on high quality basic care including health, diet, self-care and clothing.
Some children and young people on Safe Steps programme have benefited from attending Marlowe Special School (registered KS2, KS3 & KS4). Others have also gone to mainstream school. Part of the education facilities on offer include a detailed educational assessment. For those children and young people who require Marlowe School can continue to offer education through Steps Two and Three, and beyond.
The Safe Steps programme provides an outcome focused programme and value for money. Fees fro each step of the programme significantly reduced and the resources required to meet the child/young person’s needs reduce. Over the longer-term, a successful transition from long-term essential care (or avoiding it in the first place) significantly improves outcomes in all of the five areas highlighted by ‘Every Child Matters’ - ‘Staying Safe’, ‘Being Healthy’, ‘Enjoying and Achieving’, ‘Achieving Economic Well-Being’ and ‘Making a Positive Contribution’. Further, savings totally £100,000s can also be achieved.
Upper House - Image gallery
