THE CHILDREN WE LOOK AFTER

The children we look after are highly vulnerable and come to us in crisis and at risk. Many are the victims of criminal and sexual exploitation and have experienced trauma, insecure attachments, abuse and neglect.

These experiences often lead to behavioural and emotional dysregulation. Our goal is to help children move away from the protective patterns of behaviours they’ve developed in response to their trauma, towards patterns of protection, fostering a sense of safety and trust.

OUR THERAPEUTIC CARE

Our care programme is an intensive, holistic approach that brings together care, education, health and wellbeing to support each child towards their plan for permanence. The length of a child’s stay varies according to their individual needs and circumstances, but our aim is always to help them achieve greater stability, build resilience and prepare for the next stage of their journey.

Each child lives in a dedicated family home environment, supported by a consistent care team who provide the individual attention, nurture and structure they need to feel safe, build trusting relationships and begin to recover from the impact of trauma. Located in rural settings, our homes make the most of the therapeutic benefits of nature, offering children a calm and restorative environment that helps them feel grounded and supported.

Throughout a child’s time with us, our care teams work closely with experienced therapists and clinicians to ensure support is tailored to their changing needs. Together, they help children develop emotional regulation, strengthen relationships and build the confidence and skills needed for everyday life. This collaborative approach allows therapeutic support to evolve naturally as each child grows in confidence and emotional stability, while remaining within the same nurturing home environment.

To ensure every child receives the right support, we carry out comprehensive psychological assessments and continually review their progress. These assessments help us understand each child’s strengths, experiences and needs, enabling us to develop personalised plans that support their ongoing development and prepare them for a successful transition to the next stage of their journey.

CHILD-CENTRED CARE

We adopt a therapeutic model of care which is articulated through our proprietary NATURE model. This is a framework designed to support the holistic development of children who have experienced social and emotional difficulties because of trauma and adversity.

The acronym NATURE encapsulates six essential elements: Nurture, Attachment, Trust, Understanding, Resilience and Education.

This model is child centred and trauma responsive, drawing on research from renowned experts and thought leaders in child development and the effects of trauma, to foster the physical, emotional, social and intellectual growth of children in a safe and nurturing environment. The model provides a structured yet flexible framework to meet the diverse needs of children in our care who cannot live at home.

The measure of the success of our programme of care is the outcomes which our children achieve and the satisfaction of their families and our Local Authority partners.

Testimonials

What Others Say About Us

We just wanted to thank you all for the work you have done to support our son. Your care, kindness and expertise towards him has been outstanding, and despite everything, we have always felt so secure that he is safe with you guys and in the best possible place. The care teams are brilliant and the way they have persisted to bring him to where he is now has been amazing. What stands out is the way you have all been genuinely prepared to make this work for him, and your care and integrity have enabled him to make such progress.

The care teams are highly efficient, compassionate and dedicated to our child. He has made significant progress there. He has clearly built good relationships with his carers, who show a real understanding of him, his care history, family background and needs.

There has been a great turnaround with this young man. He has had a break from being in a very dangerous situation, and has engaged in activities and rebuilt his character and self-esteem. Although he was only with Wilderness for a short time, it has had a significant impact on his emotional wellbeing, safety and outlook on life.

I am truly taken aback by the level of care you have shown. The staff have gone out of their way to show him the attention and care that he has never had. When I visited him, it was like I was looking at a different child to what he was before he came. He was not like a child in care, he was like a child in a family. You have literally saved his life.