Company Website: www.specialisteducation.co.uk
Contact: Vicki Collings / Jess Chatfield
Position: Principal / Deputy Principal
Telephone: Avocet House 01508 549320 / Turnstone House 01508 517000
Email: vicki.collings@specialisteducation.co.uk / jess@specialisteducation.co.uk

Type of Provision: Dual Registered Children’s Homes and Residential Special Schools for hard to place children with complex social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH), specific learning difficulties, attachment issues and sexualised behaviour.
Total number of children’s homes & other services: 2
Total number of registered beds: 16
Size range of homes: 8 bed homes in large buildings and grounds
Age range on admission: 8 – 14 with flexibility for appropriate referrals
Specialist services: Highly specialised holistic therapeutic residential care and education with 1:1 personalised learning and care programmes for hard to place SEMH needs children. Systemic family working.
Registered school: Both Avocet House and Turnstone House are dual registered.
Therapeutic provision: Systemic psychotherapist, child and adolescent psychiatrist, educational psychologist, plus a range of bespoke individual therapies and direct access to Speech and Language, CBT, EDMR, counselling, etc.

We have fundamental beliefs that characterise an innovative approach to the nurture and personal development of the young people in our care. We create a unique blend of health, care and education with a 24hr positive, personalised learning culture and a ‘no limits’ philosophy, which supports our belief in the successful positive change and development of the children and young people in our care.

We take personalisation to a new level, relying on re-exciting children with the idea of learning starting from strengths, interests, talents and passions, achieving the highest standard of educational achievement and making the curriculum fit the student. A crucial partner to personalisation of learning is a keen sense of nurturing care by trusted adults.

Through our successful systemic working with all aspects of a child’s life, including families, we are able to demonstrate substantial medium to long-term cost savings to Local Authorities,
and we never return to Local Authorities for add-ons to our fees. We are extremely highly regarded by social workers and placement teams.

At Avocet House, we have maintained our “Outstanding” rating on all Ofsted criteria, in both education and social care inspections since its original award in 2009. Turnstone House, having only opened in October 2012 was judged as an “Outstanding” school and children’s home on all Ofsted criteria in May 2017.