A home of hope

The site of Kyloe House secure children’s home in Morpeth, Northumberland, has had links with looked-after children for more than 150 years. In 1857, Lord Ridley of Blagdon built Netherton Training School as a reformatory for “delinquent boys”, as children in care were then referred to. History says that communal life involved working on the two farms and workshops where boys were taught craftsmanship and trades.

Kyloe House – for all intents and purposes the 21st century version of the Victorian reformatory – is situated opposite the former training school buildings, long since closed. Since opening in 1995, it has become renowned for its learning environment. The latest Ofsted inspection delivered an “outstanding” assessment of the work with the boys and girls aged 10 to 17 who live there. School is an integral part of the daily routine. Six full-time teachers act as link tutors to the young people. Lessons are taught to the national curriculum, with externally accredited qualifications including GCSEs and vocational courses.

Like many other secure homes, Kyloe House takes children whose behaviour is a risk to themselves and others, or have been taken into care for welfare issues. Many have missed long periods of education. The home employs 70 staff. Many have been there for more than a decade. Such continuity helps breed an almost telepathic understanding of how the home and colleagues function.

“Because we work in teams you know when something is going on, it’s instinctive,” explains assistant unit manager Patsy Chivers. “Knowing the young person, you can understand when a situation could become challenging.”

Sometimes it only takes the raise of an eyebrow between staff to know if there is a situation developing, staff note.

Kevin Barnfather, a no-nonsense Geordie who spent 20 years as a miner before joining the home in 2005, says: “You’ve got to be resilient working here, otherwise you stick out like a sore thumb.” A lot of the young people coming here have been excluded for a long time: “They may object at the start, but they do engage.”

Respect and affection
As Barnfather takes CYP Now for a tour of Kyloe House, it is clear from the way he interacts with the young people that there exists a mutual respect and affection. At times, he has to be the disciplinarian parent, but on other occasions he plays the “elder brother”, having a laugh and joke with the teenagers.

The facilities are impressive. A media suite with musical instruments, mixing room and film-making equipment was built two years ago; a new gym has running, rowing and step machines, with a huge indoor climbing wall taking up one side.

Another recent development was the conversion of an old garage into a more child-friendly reception, with an overnight room, medical facilities and secure loading area. The reception has a window so it is not such an imposing experience for young people, explains site manager Chris Chapman. On a freezing February day, the bleak Northumberland countryside does not look too appealing, but being able to see outside must help give a new arrival a connection with their surroundings.

The home is split into two units – Willow and Alder – both of which have six bedrooms clustered around a central common room where young people can relax and watch TV. The rooms themselves are pod-like, with lots of smooth edges and no ligature points to ensure a safe environment. The tap, shower and light are all controlled by sensors, as Barnfather demonstrates when he unwittingly steps under the shower and nearly gets a soaking. Access to the bedroom TVs is restricted to ensure appropriate viewing, and each comes with a wireless keyboard for homework. “Internet may be an option in the future,” adds Chapman.

With a maximum of 12 places (and an occupancy average of 10), class sizes are very small, with learning personalised to the individual. Many of the children have special educational needs or behavioural problems that inhibit their ability to learn in the mainstream education system.

Head teacher Paul Maddison explains: “Each young person follows an educational programme specifically geared to meet their needs. The education offered is supportive and enabling; recognising and celebrating achievement.” He says it tries to build on past experiences, renew their enthusiasm for learning and “equip them with skills and competencies to secure a better future”.

While turning this hard work into good exam results and qualifications will always be difficult – 14 GCSEs grades B to E were achieved in 2012 – it is making a huge difference to their lives. Carter talks passionately about the former residents who have gone on to university, set up their own business or got jobs that would have been beyond them before their stay: “Hearing about the success of the young people once they’ve left here is the best thing.”

In the past, Ofsted highlighted the lack of vocational training facilities at Kyloe House – ironic considering its historic links. So in 2008 it set up an educational mobility programme for all residents aged 14-plus, with placements in horticulture, animal care and catering.

In addition, a 12-week programme run in partnership with The Prince’s Trust and the local fire brigade allows secure young people placements at local businesses, community groups and public services. The experience and connections they make can “kick start” the transition back to mainstream life, says Carter. “One lad who went to a local farm for a placement has been asked to come back to help with the lambing season. Another girl who spent time at a florist has opened her own flower shop. It’s a massive incentive for the young people to see others going out. We give them the opportunity and they usually grasp it.”

The scheme works on mutual trust, says one of the teachers. There have been no problems regarding a young person’s conduct on a placement. “Routine is very important for their integration back into the community,” says Barnfather. “It gives them a purpose, whether they are doing homework or the washing up.”

Personal plans
Every young person has a personal plan that plots, hour by hour, what they should be doing that day, whether a maths class, leisure activity or housework. Detailed notes are taken and shared about the young person’s performance in each session, which is marked against targets. These will be focused on the needs of the individual and linked to issues they need to address; for example, getting to class on time for someone with timekeeping problems, or respecting others’ personal space for someone who is overly physical. There are 25 day and night personal targets young people are assessed against. These daily scores are totted up at the end of each week and dictate what privileges are awarded.

Matty* arrived at Kyloe House addicted to Class A drugs, which he first encountered upon moving into a care home aged 14. In the seven months he has been here, he has kicked drugs and been diagnosed with ADHD. He is now receiving medication to help control his moods. Matty says the home helped turn his life around. “I’d always been interested in mechanics. Being here has helped follow that through. I’m looking to start a new life as a mechanic or construction worker – I’ve already got Levels 1 and 2 mechanics and have now done my Level 1 literacy and numeracy. Soon I will be going back to my mum’s, but I’m not worried about leaving here as the staff have really helped give me confidence.”

In Matty’s case, staff explained the nature of ADHD and how it can affect behaviour and then helped him to “think through how I make decisions”, he says.

As Barnfather explains: “The young people are very engaged from the moment they wake up in the morning to when they go to bed. We start giving them responsibilities, initially for their laundry, and build it from there.”

It might sound regimental, but as assistant unit manager Patsy Chivers explains: “The young people haven’t had structure in their lives. We try and put that in and offer some normality. Their stay may seem short [the average is five months] but it is very intense.”

Some, such as 16-year-old Dee*, find the rules of the home “harsh”. “But you get used to it – I think I have become more mature since being here,” she adds. Dee’s experience supports Barnfather’s view that secure homes should be considered as an earlier option for looked-after children with difficult behaviour. “When Dee arrived she required five workers to be with her and had been refused entry by all other secure children’s homes. We get a lot of that.”

Chivers agrees: “It’s used as a last resort after foster care and residential units. If you wait until the young people are 15 then you may have criminal activity problems. I would like it to be seen as an earlier intervention for 11- to 12-year-olds more often.”

Local authorities across England buy £5,000-a-week placements at Kyloe House and the Youth Justice Board still spot-purchases some places after ending its three-bed contract with the home in 2009. Despite its success over the past 18 years, there is a sense that Kyloe House has to work harder than others to attract placements due to its location – it is the most northerly secure children’s home in England.

“We can at times be forgotten about,” states looked-after children service manager, Karen MacDonald. “Perhaps that feeling of being an outsider is what helps Kyloe House connect so well with the young people.”

*Names have been changed