A Quiet Place ® Children’s Homes

Target Outcomes DfES

Looking after Children

  • It is important that support can be accessed in places where, and ways in which, parents and carers feel comfortable, such as early years settings, schools, primary healthcare services.

  • Black and Ethnic Minority parents, parents with mental health problems, families living with conflict, parents with disabilities or who have children with a disability.

  • specialised targeted support is available at the local level to meet the needs of families and communities facing additional difficulties. Types of support offered could include structured parenting education groups, couple support, home visiting.

  • All schools actively seek to engage parents in children and young people's education, helping parents to understand what they can do at home to work with the school.

  • Children's centres and extended schools develop a coherent set of services both to support parents and to involve them properly at all stages of a child's learning and development.

  • Strengthen the network of services, in the voluntary sector, that support parents in bringing up their children.

  • Highlight and promote good practices so that they can be used by all family and parent support services.

A Quiet Place ® is a Well Being programme.

Outcome: The development of Emotional intelligence in children

It is educational and holistic in it’s approach using both traditional and complementary techniques in participation with the service user.

It aims to provide on-going support for children and young people, staff and families within the context of the Home where appropriate.

It addresses a whole range of issues that are experienced by children and adults these can be related to:

  • Management of stress and its ensuing symptoms
  • Relaxation
  • Positive communications skills
  • Successful relationships
  • Understanding yourself
  • Healthy body and mind

It can be accessed by Children and Young people Families and Staff

Everyone is offered support both individually and in groups

Why was it set up?

A Quiet Place ® was originally set up in schools. The increasing concerns for children’s emotional well being and the number of exclusions from junior and infant schools highlights the need for effective, non-stigmatising early interventions, preferably within mainstream setting.

How does it work?

It works at a number of different levels.

The Home itself is considered to be A Quiet Place ® where there may be a specific room set up for children to go to be quiet as appropriate.

The environment may be decorated in a certain way or themed with colour and design in discussion with staff and children.

Staff will have a ‘common’ training that will help them to understand the research behind the approach and develop a common ethos.

Some staff may choose to work at a deeper level with children in group settings or individually.

All children will be offered access to an individual programme developing emotional literacy.

This consists of targeting outcomes with the child and other adults concerned.

Primary: Self Esteem or Managing Behaviour

Secondary: Communication skills, Self Awareness, Empathy and Resilience

A specific 6 week intervention designed to build confidence, self reliance, respect and to help them deal with any problems they may have in the present is offered to all children.

The facilitator liaises with staff, social workers, other relevant professionals, parents and teachers in a process of determining age-appropriate, targeted outcomes.

This plan is actioned by the facilitator who will use a scripted curriculum for emotional intelligence. They will use techniques including: journals, self reflection, relaxation, visualisation, massage and story telling.

In addition to individual support, the whole home benefits from a rolling programme of small-group work, games, relaxation or circle-time. Staff and parents are offered support via regular training, group supervision individual therapy, relaxation and massage.

The effectiveness of the programme is internally monitored through A Quiet Place ® and externally evaluated.

All work is confidential unless a child protection issue is disclosed in which case it goes directly into the child protection policy within the Home.

All work is carried out by staff trained in emotional intelligence and supervised by an experienced and qualified therapist after liaison with parents, staff and any other agencies concerned with the particular child or young person.