| Phoenix Childcare Ltd has long recognised the need to work positively with young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties and who become pregnant. The reality is they do not stop having their emotional and behavioural difficulties just because they are pregnant. |
| Our staff have developed a systematic way to work with young girls who are struggling with the enormity of their circumstances. Staffing levels reflect their individual needs but the over-riding concept is to encourage and promote the girls to become good mothers who are independent in nature, with the potential to grow into positive adults. |
| Often education is overlooked in these circumstances, but it is considered a priority by Phoenix Childcare Ltd who supports the girls to continue their education and to achieve. Emphasis is on the future, which can often be seen as ‘bleak’ but does not have to be. Resources exist to promote young mothers to become productive adults. |
| All our Mother & Baby Units are established as small children’s homes with only one resident, the mother. The baby is cared for by the mother with the help and support of the staff; however staff do not provide a baby sitting service. The unit’s statement of purpose reflects this specialised service. |
| All girls have access to our psychotherapist who can help them deal with changing circumstances and the emotional turmoil that is an integral part of motherhood. |
| Placements are ideally begun in the second or in the early part of the third trimester and should continue for a minimum of twelve months after the child is born. |
| However it is clear that ideal circumstances rarely exist and Phoenix Childcare Ltd are pragmatic in their approach to circumstances that are not ideal. For example, where a referral is made and no vacancy exists, a unit can often be established within a short timescale, occasionally young people can hide the fact they are pregnant until very late and things have to be sorted out quickly or their circumstances unexpectedly change once the child is born. These are seen not as problems but as challenges to be over come by our senior staff team. |
