About Us
Our service users include:
- Child Looked After (CLA) and care leavers aged 16 to 18 years or up to 24 years in some cases.
- Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) aged 16 and 18 years.
- UASC 18 to 21 years with no recourse to public funds subject to a Human Rights assessment.
- Young people who are homeless aged 16 and 17 years.
- Young people remanded through the youth justice system aged 16 and 17 years.
Our Mission Statement
To give young people and young adults in our service a structured stimulating environment by providing a stable home where they can live securely and independently whilst we assist them to get education, training or employment and acquire self-care skills aimed at preparing the young people for successful transition into adulthood.
Our Vision
- Support young people on their pathway plans to independence through offering a caring home environment that provides structure, stability and security, whilst focusing on their transition to adulthood.
- We aim to be honest and open to deliver a service that enable young people to succeed and grow within society.
- We aim to support and prepare young people to make an effective transition to independent living.
- To assist young people to get the education, training, or employment they want to prepare them for adult life.
- Work alongside other stakeholders and professionals like police, social workers, health sector, NSPCC, Barnados, Youth Justice Team to safeguard young people falling prey to sexual and criminal exploitation/ County Lines.
- Provide a safe environment where vulnerable young people reflect on their experiences, stabilize their behavior, regain control and find better coping mechanisms.
- To enable young people to be empowered to make choices and decisions in all areas of their lives by listening to their voice.
- Make young people aware that they have the right to be healthy, happy, safe, and secure, and to feel loved, valued, and respected.
- Support UASC to overcome culture and language barriers in an effort to integrate them into the community.
- Preserve and support the vulnerable young person’s links with their own community by working in partnership with their parents, carers, and those with parental responsibility.
- Ensure non-discriminatory practices in accordance with our Equal Opportunities Policy.
- Ensure that all staff receive ongoing training, support, and guidance to enable them to support the young people to the best of their ability.
- Maintaining tenancy by meeting deadlines for bill payments
Safeguarding our young people
The Ferntree will seek to safeguard children and young people by:
- Adopting child protection guidelines through policies and procedures.
- Recruiting staff safely by implementing Safer Recruitment Policy.
- Working Together with other professionals to share information and minimise safeguarding concerns.
- Sharing information about child protection and good practice with children, parents, and staff.
- Promote a safeguarding culture which protects not only the vulnerable young person we support but also for our staff.
- Staff to be vigilant as to what is happening around themselves and the young people.
- Be aware of the different types and indicators of abuse. Further information is available in the staff handbook.
- Staff to take safeguarding awareness training as appropriate to their role at the induction session.
- Requiring all staff to follow the reporting and recording procedures in every case of suspected abuse or disclosed abuse.
- Ensuring that all staff with responsibility or contact with young people are provided with appropriate policies, guidance, training, and support to enable them to implement this policy.
