Our aim at the Lorimer Group is to provide for children and young people aged 5 – 17 years on admission, who have experienced family breakdown and trauma. We aim to create an atmosphere in which the child or young person feels relaxed and secure enough to review past experiences and explore any unresolved feelings especially connected with separation from their own family or carers. Our ultimate aim is to support each child or young person re-integrate with family or foster care, or preparation for independent living.

To achieve our aim, we utilise detailed care planning and daily intense support to assist young people psychologically damaged by their experiences. Young people are kept safe, whilst encouraged to heal emotionally by moving through natural stages of loss, grief, guilt, anger, acceptance and reconciliation. We are able to refer young people to appropriately qualified therapists appointed by the company or the CAMHS team if appropriate. The Lorimer Group will work in partnership with CAMHS to work both with young people and their families.

The principles of the Children Act 1989 underpin our aims; in that at, all times, the best interests of the young person must be paramount. We focus upon clarity of care planning and delivery. This means defining such terms as ‘therapy', contributions to forms of assessment and how these approaches should be linked within care plans and outcomes.

We create a warm, nurturing environment for young people through structured programmes based on openness, honesty, genuineness and respect for all individuals. We strive to give each young person the confidence and capacity to develop, achieve, and become a responsible person with high self-esteem. Skills and knowledge are effectively utilised by our employees to build homely atmospheres where the highest levels of care can take place.

Privacy and confidentiality are permanent and are complemented by policies under the umbrella of equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practices, by recognising that we live in a multi-cultural and multi-racial society. This is reflected in our staff selection procedures.