Mossway Unit works with severely traumatised young people who may exhibit a range of harmful and inappropriate behaviour.
The unit provides accommodation for eight young males, the age criteria being between twelve and sixteen. It is acknowledged that young people may remain beyond their sixteenth birthday, moving into further education or employment as meets their needs and in keeping with risk management. This would be agreed within the Review process and again takes account of their needs and risk.
Mossway is the starting point of a journey where young people begin to realise that things can change. This journey allows them to explore the issues and trauma, which may have triggered their behaviours and allows them to begin to learn strategies for coping that exclude their previous behaviours. Mossway offers an opportunity for stabilisation, assessment and beginning programmes of work. This work is done within a framework of continual risk assessment.
There is direct work within a specific programme undertaken by The Welltree Foundation. This dovetails with the work continued by staff in the units. In essence this complete programme is concerned with raising the young person's acceptance of their inappropriate behaviour and increasing their emotional intelligence, whilst reducing the symptoms of trauma and managing the risks associated with their behaviour. We expect young persons to develop strategies which will allow them to internally control their urges and behaviours rather than relying on external means of control.
When the young person has made sufficient progress, he will have the opportunity of moving to alternative services within the organisation, where they will continue with the programme of work and develop an exit strategy with the emphasis towards re-integration of residents into the community, and developing a greater level of independence, all the while considering risk management and risk strategies.
Each young person has his own room, which he can personalise; he will share bathing facilities with one other boy. The living area offers a kitchen, and dining space, a TV/ lounge area and a further space for computer games. There is a family/visitors' room and a workroom where young people can feel relaxed, but can also work on individual issues with an adult present. Outwith the building there is a b-b-q area and space for using roller skates and bicycles. There is also a communal multi-sports arena facility.
In view of the vulnerability and complexity of need of this particular client group, there are nine full-time day staff including a depute and an educational support worker who acts as a link between the units and education. There are also three annualised hours workers who cover holidays and sickness and add consistency to the team. In addition, there is one full-time waking night staff member, a 9am to 1pm worker and several part-time or sessional workers identified for specific weekends or emergency cover. The units are line managed by an Operations Manager who in turn is responsible to the head of community services in Kibble.
All boys of school age will be expected to attend education on campus. The education offers a wide range of curriculum suited to the needs of each young person. There is an educational support worker allocated to each unit who attends classes with the young people and also spends time within the unit. For those young people who have officially left school there are employment/ training opportunities within our KibbleWorks off campus facility. We also have links with local colleges and employers. If appropriate and available, similar links are made within the wider community.
Each young person has an allocated key worker and link worker within the unit who are there to work on building positive relationships and role modelling appropriate behaviours. They will co-ordinate all aspects of the case. It is expected that all staff within the unit will have sufficient knowledge and understanding of all boys in their care.
Key and link workers are expected to liaise with social workers, parents, and other agency workers in a professional manner - building relationships that will ensure a high quality of service is given to the young person and their families. There will be workers' meetings, regular reviews and planning meetings as requested, with care plans being reviewed and updated accordingly.
Activities are an important part of the boys' lives. It is hoped to give the boys an opportunity to experience a wide range of activities and new experiences, through short holidays or outdoor pursuits and outdoor therapy as well as allowing them to further develop their skills in the more run of the mill ones! Celebrations are also included in activities. It is important that we mark life events, birthdays, leaving school, passing exams, Halloween, leaving etc. Therefore parties, presents and fun are actively encouraged within the units.
There are a variety of group work components ongoing within the unit. These may be as simple as the forum for boys' meetings, activity discussion meetings, through to safety meetings. All of these have a therapeutic focus, offering emotional awareness, social skills and confidence building.
Any young person who has a live connection with their church/religion is encouraged to continue with this practice.
In conclusion, it is our aim to give boys a sense of themselves as worthwhile human beings, who can offer something positive and can make a success of their future, even though their past has been fraught with difficulties. We hope to make a difference and show young people they can change their behaviour and relate to people in better ways with the new interpersonal skills they are learning. This in turn builds their confidence and self-esteem as they return to the community.