Therapeutic Approach
We look after children with complex developmental or behavioural problems. We constantly reflect on our approach and try to spend as much time as possible with the children. We emphasize on using every day activities to make relationships with the children, for example cooking, building Lego, playing table tennis or helping with homework. We do the kind of things that parents should do with their own children. Close contact and positive interactions help the healing process.
Adults at Keilhill Cottage supervise children's manners within the home and outwith the home. Moral supervision is an important aspect of our care. Children must learn how to cope with societies demands in order to be successfully re- integrated.
The cognitive and emotional orientation of the children we work with has been altered by the abusive experiences which they have been exposed to. Thus, they are traumatised and they have a distorted concept of self. They have a bleak world view and affected capacities.
We recognise that children cannot cope with the world through these 'distortions' and this will probably result in behavioural problems.
We can help children, their families (and concerned others) to understand why they behave as they do. Our aim is to get the children back with a family if they are able. It is important that the family have engaged with us to help bring about change.
In order to do such work we aim to gather as much background information as possible during the referral process. We would expect access to social work files, interviews with relatives and time with the child before an agreement is made as to whether or not the child should move in.
Although this sounds like a long process if properly planned it can be achieved within 2-3 weeks.
We are very conscious that other children already in residence should have some opinions concerning a new resident. We never expect children to move into Keilhill Cottage who are totally adverse to our expectations and our ideas of what is expected of them. Some children are simply not ready to be part of a milieu such as ours.
We acknowledge the knowledge gained from the likes of Fahlberg, Daniel Hughes, Becker-Weidman, Bowlby, Rutter, Erikson, Docker- Drysdale, Maslow and all other theorists who illuminate what we do.
Adults at Keilhill Cottage supervise children's manners within the home and outwith the home. Moral supervision is an important aspect of our care. Children must learn how to cope with societies demands in order to be successfully re- integrated.
The cognitive and emotional orientation of the children we work with has been altered by the abusive experiences which they have been exposed to. Thus, they are traumatised and they have a distorted concept of self. They have a bleak world view and affected capacities.
We recognise that children cannot cope with the world through these 'distortions' and this will probably result in behavioural problems.
We can help children, their families (and concerned others) to understand why they behave as they do. Our aim is to get the children back with a family if they are able. It is important that the family have engaged with us to help bring about change.
In order to do such work we aim to gather as much background information as possible during the referral process. We would expect access to social work files, interviews with relatives and time with the child before an agreement is made as to whether or not the child should move in.
Although this sounds like a long process if properly planned it can be achieved within 2-3 weeks.
We are very conscious that other children already in residence should have some opinions concerning a new resident. We never expect children to move into Keilhill Cottage who are totally adverse to our expectations and our ideas of what is expected of them. Some children are simply not ready to be part of a milieu such as ours.
We acknowledge the knowledge gained from the likes of Fahlberg, Daniel Hughes, Becker-Weidman, Bowlby, Rutter, Erikson, Docker- Drysdale, Maslow and all other theorists who illuminate what we do.
" I have been very impressed with your therapeutic approach and the positive development and outcomes achieved." James a Social Worker from Orkney Islands in Scotland.