Approach to Care
Approach to Care at Whitehall House
Philosophy and Principles of Care
At Whitehall House, our care model is deeply rooted in the principles of social pedagogy and child and adolescent developmental psychology. We recognize the intrinsic connection between education and care, and our approach is centered on nurturing the whole child rather than focusing solely on specific behaviors or difficulties. Each young person is valued as an individual with rights, potential, and the capacity for growth, healing, and change.
Social pedagogy forms the foundation of our ethos, emphasizing the importance of developing meaningful relationships, fostering emotional connections, and engaging in reflective practice. This reflective approach is prioritized not only for the young people in our care but also for the practitioners who support them. We believe every interaction presents a valuable opportunity to educate, empower, and build trust.
Evidence-Based Approaches to Care
Our team at Whitehall House implements a blend of evidence-based methods to ensure consistent, nurturing, and responsive care. These include:
- PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy): Staff use this relational model to connect with young people in a non-judgmental, empathetic, and emotionally attuned manner. PACE facilitates co-regulation, trust-building, and the development of secure attachments, particularly for those who have experienced trauma.
- Team Teach: This positive behavior management framework focuses on de-escalation, effective communication, and crisis intervention. Staff are trained to respond to concerning behaviors safely and respectfully, utilizing physical intervention only as a last resort and strictly following individual risk assessments and care plans.
- Social Pedagogy: By encouraging creativity, participation, and shared responsibility, social pedagogy empowers young people to be active participants in their own care. Relationship-based work, emotional development, and reflective learning are promoted through everyday activities and shared experiences.
- By integrating these approaches, we aim to create a safe, consistent, and emotionally supportive environment where young people are recognized, heard, and valued. Development is supported not only through structured interventions but also through authentic relationships, therapeutic engagement, and responsive daily care.
Care Planning and Daily Practice
Our staff adopt a person-centered and holistic approach to care planning, risk assessment, and care delivery. Children and young people are actively consulted about their care plans, ensuring that their wishes are reflected and that their individual needs are met.
Routine activities such as mealtimes, shopping, conversations, leisure activities, sports, social events, group work, and projects are utilized as valuable learning opportunities. Each young person has a tailored activity program based on their interests and hobbies, as well as an individualized behavior management program designed to promote the development of positive behaviors.
Children and young people are encouraged to think creatively, question, and express themselves in various ways, including play, drama, music, dance, art, verbal communication, PECS, and social stories.
Partnership Working
Staff work collaboratively with children and young people, their families, social workers, schools, education and health professionals, and other partner agencies. This partnership ensures continuity of care and helps young people achieve their full potential by building on existing skills and abilities, such as supporting a child who has learned to ride a bike to safely cycle outdoors if desired.
Reflective Practice and Continuous Improvement
The staff team meets monthly to critically reflect on individual and team practice. The reflective practice forums aim to facilitate learning from experience, understand the impact of individual personalities on childcare practice, share information, respond to the evolving needs of children and young people, and continually improve the quality of care provided.
