Safe Accommodation
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Emotional Support
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Future Preparation
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- At Ad Astra Children's Home, we keep children connected to what matters. We provide safe, nurturing homes where young people can stay close to their families, friends, and schools. This stability helps them build the confidence and skills they need for a brighter future.
Safe Accommodation
At Ad Astra Children's Home, we keep children connected to what matters. We provide safe, nurturing homes where young people can stay close to their families, friends, and schools. This stability helps them build the confidence and skills they need for a brighter future.
Unique Approach
Our Mission
The aim of each of our homes is to support children to be able to remain in their home area whenever possible, the aim is to enable greater stability, and maintain access to local health services, continuing their education, remaining near their support network of family and friends.
There is a significant amount of evidence that supports when children in care are moved away from their home area, it can have significant negative impacts on their emotional well-being, disrupting their education, relationships with family and friends, and creating feelings of isolation, loneliness, and instability, potentially leading to further mental health challenges and increased vulnerability to exploitation due to a lack of support networks in their new environment.
Our aim is to work closely with local authorities to enable children and young people to safely remain in their home area.
There is a significant amount of evidence that supports when children in care are moved away from their home area, it can have significant negative impacts on their emotional well-being, disrupting their education, relationships with family and friends, and creating feelings of isolation, loneliness, and instability, potentially leading to further mental health challenges and increased vulnerability to exploitation due to a lack of support networks in their new environment.
Our aim is to work closely with local authorities to enable children and young people to safely remain in their home area.
Unique Approach
Our Mission and Values
We believe children thrive when they remain connected to their communities. Research shows that when children in care move away from home, they often face disrupted education, weakened relationships, and greater isolation.
That’s why we work with local authorities to create stable homes where children can maintain their important connections while receiving the care they need.
1. Child-Centred Vision
All our staff have a shared clarity of vision, which is absolutely focused on the experience of children and young people and uncompromising in its ambition.
2. Leading by Example
Our leaders are hands-on, they strive to unite their staff behind a shared purpose, and who are transparent and open in their expectations and pursuit of excellence.
3. Always Evolving
All our staff are fully committed to continuous improvement, always willing to learn and ask 'what could we do better?'
4. Investing in Our Team
Our staff are passionate are deeply committed to their work, we always value them and support them to grow and develop.
5. The Right Fit
Our staff have an understanding of which young people will benefit from living in the home and creating the conditions, from their first contact with the young person which are most likely to make the placement a success.
6. Personalised Care Plans
We aim to be meticulous in our planning to engage with young people and respond in detail to their individual needs so that their experience of care is high personalised, combined with a commitment to never 'give up' on a child or young person and to do everything possible to maintain the placement.
7. Building Trusted Connections
We highly value time spent with the children and young people individually and in groups so that they are able to develop meaningful secure relationships with the adults in the home, and with each other.
8. Clear & Consistent Boundaries
We aim for absolute consistency in the management of behaviour so that young people understand and respect the boundaries that are set and respond positively to encouragement, rewards and meaningful consequences.
9. Believing in Potential
We have an unwavering commitment to support children and young people to succeed, we hole heartedly believe in their ability to do so, this is shown through active support for their education both in the homes and in their partnerships with schools and other professionals.
10. Building Resilience for Life
We always work with each child or young person to build their emotional resilience and self-confidence, to prepare them for independence and enable them to withstand difficulties and set-backs in the future.
Using PACE
Using PACE helps adults to slow down their reactions, stay calm and tune into what the child is experiencing in the moment. It supports us to gain a better understanding of what the child is feeling.
In tricky moments it allows us to stay emotionally regulated and guide the child through their heightened emotions, thoughts and behaviours. In turn, PACE helps children and young people to feel more connected to and understood by important adults in their life and ultimately, to slow down their own responses.
Our Model of Care
How We Help:
The PACE Approach
All of our staff are trained in PACE. The PACE model of care is a trauma-informed approach that helps build trusting relationships with children and young people. PACE stands for Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy.
PACE was developed by Dr Dan Hughes (a clinical psychologist specialising in childhood trauma) more than 20 years ago as a central part of attachment-focused family therapy. It was created with the aim of supporting adults to build safe, trusting and meaningful relationships with children and young people who have experienced trauma. The approach focuses on building trusting relationships, emotional connections, containment of emotions and a sense of security.
Each home is supported by a Qualified Clinical psychologist who helps the teams by empowering everyone to truly embed therapeutic practice into their everyday work.
Through a collaborative, consultation-based process, she works with teams to co-develop trauma-informed formulations and clinical plans, ensuring that practical, consistent strategies are seamlessly integrated into daily routines. With dedicated coaching, reflective practice, and consultation support, managers and staff are given the extra space to integrate trauma-informed care—enhancing staff resilience, boosting compliance with Children’s Homes Regulations, and improving outcomes for children in care.
This holistic, evidence-informed approach not only aligns with best practice in residential care training and risk management but also positions your service at the forefront of child safeguarding and innovative clinical planning. In doing so, it helps ensure that every interaction contributes to a lasting, positive impact on young people’s lives.
Statement of Purpose
At Ad Astra Children's Home, we keep children connected to what matters. We provide safe, nurturing homes where young people can stay close to their families, friends, and schools. This stability helps them build the confidence and skills they need for a brighter future.
Ad Astra Children's Home
What we offer
All of our home are supported by a fully qualified clinical psychologist who supports the team's trauma informed practices
Safe Accommodation
We provide comfortable homes where children feel secure and valued. Our properties are designed to feel like real homes, not institutions.
Emotional Support
Our trained staff help children process past experiences and build healthy relationships through consistent care and the PACE approach.
Future Preparation
We teach practical life skills and provide educational support to help young people prepare for independence and achieve their goals.
Meet Our Dedicated Team
The People Behind Ad Astra
Our team brings together experienced professionals dedicated to children's wellbeing. From our home managers to our support staff, each person plays a vital role in creating a nurturing environment.
Chris Lingham
Director
Harry Kavangh
Director
Neil Dunkley
Director
Thomas Salt
Director
Real Impact
Stories from Our Community
The real impact of our work is best told by those who've experienced it. These stories reflect the difference our community centered approach makes in children's lives.
“Ad Astra helped my son stay at his school and keep seeing his friends. This made all the difference in his confidence.”
“The stability Ad Astra provided allowed us to maintain regular family contact while providing the structured support the child needed.”
“Working with Ad Astra meant we could place siblings in the same home, keeping their important bond intact.”
“Working with Ad Astra meant we could place siblings in the same home, keeping their important bond intact.”
“Working with Ad Astra meant we could place siblings in the same home, keeping their important bond intact.”
