Maben House is registered for up to 8 young people aged 5 to 19 on admission.
Set in idyllic countryside on the outskirts of Lochmaben in rural Dumfries & Galloway, Maben House offers an excellent homely environment for a young person coming to terms with their life. Here the wider team around the child combine as a professional team where young people’s abilities are developed through a patient, individualistic approach that makes full use of existing skills and offers new experiences to widen and complement the horizons of all the young people in our care. Click here to download a copy of our most recent Inspection Report
Our Statement of Purpose document details all our policies and procedures and can be found here.
Promoting and supporting engagement for all our young people is an integral part of our ethos. In using person-centred practices, we empower our young people to be responsible and make informed decisions, teaching them to have a good understanding of realistic goals. This is achieved through Daily Care Plans with identified targets requested by them around the SHANARRI Indicators / Care Standards focusing on SMART model target outcomes / achievements. This is prescribed for the month with their journey recorded to measure steps taken. Each young person engages in a learning discussion where the month is measured by them. This helps both the young person and us determine and meet short-term / long-term goals.
Using Dyadic Developmental Parenting training we aim to:
- Ensure each child has the best possible relationship with one or two adults who have a parenting role through day to day care.
- Help the child develop as much attachment security as possible through consistent and attuned parenting, having a safe place to live in a home that is as permanent as possible.
- Enable whoever is the most permanent, safest, consistent and attuned primary parenting role with the child, understand the child in the context of their past history and experiences.
- Help those who are involved in parenting the child to develop the most effective ways of helping and supporting the child, to manage behaviours that are concerning to the child and to others.
- Be proactive with parents, foster carers, adoptive families, and the networks around them, in suggesting and promoting the most effective supports and interventions to be in place for the child and the parent(s), such as educational, social, practical as well as therapeutic.
- Help all professionals working with the child to ensure the child and their behaviour is understood and that the child feels as safe as possible at the home and in social activities
Trauma-informed Practice
The Promise Plan 21 – 24 states that ‘The workforce will feel supported to respond to behaviour in a trauma informed way that reflects a deep understanding of the children in their care.’
Many of the young people we support have lived through early developmental trauma. This can involve repeated experienced of insecurity in relationships and a lack of protection during the crucial early stages of childhood. Understandably, these early experiences can create a barrier in developing trust in others. To cope, young people often develop survival skills and strategies, that while protective at the time, can later impact relationships, emotions, behaviour, self-esteem and biology. Sometimes these strategies also push away the very people who are trying to help.
Our role is to create an environment where both young people and staff feel safe, supported and understood. Central to this is embedding reflective practice across our teams. By providing protected time to press the “reset” button together, colleagues can reflect, learn, and build a culture that is responsive, positive, and grounded in an understanding of trauma. This not only strengthens staff wellbeing but also ensures young people receive care that truly meets their needs.
We deliver this intensive nurture-based support which is TRAUMA informed and underpinned by a multitude of specialist training across both care and education including TCI 7 (Therapeutic Crisis Intervention), TCI DDI (Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Developmental Disabilities) and DDP level one and two (Dyadic Developmental Parenting) as well as opportunities for all staff to partake in Therapeutic Parenting training up to foundation level which is fully accredited by the BPA. You can read more on our Trauma-informed Practice here.