Providing Residential care for children and young people up to the age of 18 years, with Emotional and Behavioural difficulties, since 2011.
Berryfields is a lovely cottage situated in Derbyshire approximately 5 miles from the market town of Belper.
The team are highly experienced and trained in providing a safe, supportive and homely environment for young people who display emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Our highly trained and motivated staff are committed to bringing positive change to the lives of our young people, by encouraging them to develop and establish respectful, reliable relationships with key members of the staff team, using positive reinforcement and consistent boundaries.
We consistently ensure that opportunities and experiences for the young people are fulfilling and rewarding, and hence building self-confidence.
The young people have access to a wide range of educational resources and training to develop their skills, preparing them for their future. We proactively seek to develop their focus positively on their achievements and aspirations.
Prior to R arriving at Berryfields, he was placing himself at great risk by engaging with known criminals, fighting, going missing, using and dealing illegal substances and within his home community, stole a motor vehicle from a local traveling family who were well known for being extremely violent to members of the public. For this reason a decision was made to move R out of County for his own safety.
R moved in with a Foster carer and her family however, this did not last long as R stole a family members car and was chased by the police, resulting in him crashing the vehicle into a wall and attempting to run off, to which he was unsuccessful and received a criminal record for this.
R was collected by the homes manager at Berryfields from the foster carers home. He was presenting with little remorse for his actions and refusing to engage with professionals. R had not been in education for over 2 years and seemed reluctant at the initial start of the placement to further his interest in this.
Over time, R developed outstanding relationships with staff, professionals and other young people, engaging in alternative education, completing a construction course to which he gained his CSCS card, and attained a job working as a plasterer on a building site.
He became a role model for new young people in placement and helped staff demonstrate the house rules and the ethos of Berryfields. R developed a strong friendship with a young person in the community, and he would spend over night contact with him and his friend would come for dinner at Berryfields and enjoy social time at the home. This enabled R to feel apart of a family home and would often refer to Berryfileds as his home, and the team as his family.
Contact with Father began to strengthen and he would have overnight contact with him, and also time at his girlfriends house, where her family embraced R and bought him into their family.
R managed to develop his independence skills to a point where he was considered for a semi independent placement back near his placing authority. R secured a college placement prior to his move and successfully made the transition into semi supported living.
* Stock image for illustrative purposes only
