“The support and intervention at the GSC saved his life and for that I will be forever grateful to you.”

- Social Worker, 2020

Secure Care

The Good Shepherd Centre’s secure care houses provide a safe and supportive environment for young people aged 12 up to 18 who present a risk of harm to themselves or others. Young people are referred through the Children’s Hearing System or the Criminal Justice System.

The young people live within one of our three, 6-bedroom houses. Lyle House offers a comprehensive assessment of the way in which a young person’s adverse childhood experiences have impacted on their overall wellbeing including problematic behaviours. If the young person remains in the centre following their assessment they will usually move on into Kilpatrick House or Nevis House, if this is agreed to be in their best interests. They will undertake a range of specialist interventions that are individualised to promote the strengths and respond to the risks identified in their assessment.

All the houses offer a homely, therapeutic, nurturing living environment where young people can feel safe, respected and valued in the context of their relationships with their staff. Nurture areas and sensory rooms provide safe, soothing and calm space for the young people to reflect or have relaxation time and utilise sensory strategies that aid their emotional regulation and resilience.

All young people are encouraged to decorate their bedrooms to their own taste and exercise as much autonomy as possible within the context of the ongoing assessment of risk.

Introduction to Secure Care.