About Us
Background
The roots of Auton Children's Homes lie in St Cuthberts Care's history of caring for children and young people with traumatic family lives or deep-seated behavioural problems.
The homes take their name from Leslie Auton, a former resident of St. Vincent's, the Newcastle orphanage run by the Diocesan Rescue Society - the forerunner of St. Cuthberts Care. It was a sizable bequest from Mr. Auton which provided the funding for the homes' development.
Today's Auton Children's Homes are built upon the experience of, and with the strength of, one of the longest established social care charities in the North East of England.
We offer a home environment where children feel safe and protected; where staff will act as role models, providing alternative methods of coping and will set boundaries for behaviour whilst encouraging the development of self-esteem and confidence.
All of the children are supported in their school placements and we work in close partnership with Local Education Authorities. Each has a detailed education file which highlights their educational history, specific needs and aspirations.
Activities outside of school are a recognised part of their development. All of our current residents have outside interests including swimming, playing for local football teams, badminton, drama etc, as well as access to the leisure activities available in most home situations - television, radio, arts and crafts, internet access and video games such as Wii.
A high staffing ratio is in place at Auton with a senior member of staff on duty at all times. Our own experienced and highly trained staff work closely with other professionals to support each young person in dealing with any negative emotions and feelings they have developed as a result of damaging life experiences.
All of the young people in our care have improved significantly during their stay at Auton thanks to our commitment to behaviour management and to providing support in a therapeutic environment.
Facilities
We now have several Auton children's homes in Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland and Darlington, providing a therapeutic and loving environment for both boys or girls, aged from 8 to 17 years.
Our Newcastle site has recently been extended to provide a new, 6-bed home and a 2-bed flat specifically for youngsters with emotional difficulties or physical or learning disabilities.
All of our homes have a good child / staff ratio to enable staff to work with each youngster individually, without compromising the needs of the group as a whole. Keyworkers or other senior staff members hold one-to-one sessions with the children on a frequent basis.
Auton Newcastle is a new purpose-built house set in pleasant grounds in the west end of the city.
Children have their own lockable bedrooms, all with en-suite facilities. Rooms can be personalised to reflect the child's own identity and encourage a sense of belonging. There is a homework room and a recreation area with a cinema style TV lounge.
Auton Villa
Auton Villa, with six bedrooms, is our most recently opened children's home. Providing care, support and stability for up to six youngsters aged 8 to 17, the house has communal work and play areas, a dining room and lounge.
The Flat
An additional two-bedroom children’s home called The Flat, is also now available and is designed specifically for youngsters with emotional difficulties or physical or learning disabilities who are unable to live in larger family groups.
Staff Team
Our committed, experienced staff team running services at Auton Newcastle is led by Registered Manager, Kerry Wilson-Pearce.
Kerry joined St Cuthberts Care in 2000, becoming Manager at Auton House in 2006. She has a BSc hons in Psychology and Social Policy, an NVQ level 3 in Children and Young People, RMA and is presently completing NVQ level 4 in Health and Social Care for both Children and Adults. She has worked with young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties for the past 10 years and has supported adults with learning difficulties.
Kerry manages two staff teams, many of whom have worked at Auton for 4 years or more. All are trained to a minimum of NVQ Level 3 in Children and Young People and are committed to the young people in their care and to the service as a whole.
Specialist training is accessed by all staff and there is a thorough induction and monitoring program in place to support staff. All young people are allocated a keyworker and co-worker. Regular one-to-one sessions with them allow input into their care plans, making working together towards positive outcomes achievable.
Because of the additional, often specialised care needs of its residents, The Flat is under the management of Carol Harrison, Registered Manager of the Alan Shearer Short Break Centre which is on the same site.
She has over 20 years’ experience of working within both mainstream and specialist education settings with young people with a range disabilities.
For an informal discussion or information pack about Auton Newcastle and Auton Villa you can contact Kerry on 0191 267 4383
For information about The Flat you can contact Carol on 0191 267 8128
Auton Sunderland, is a modernised and refurbished, three storey, end terrace building in the Thornhill area of Sunderland.
Large and spacious, it offers accommodation for up to six children of both sexes and provides the same high standards of care and support for which all our Auton Children's Homes have become known.
It has a comfortable lounge and separate dining room, a homework room with computers and internet access, a games room and an arts and crafts room. As in all our Auton homes, the children have their own lockable bedrooms, which they can personalise with their own posters, toys and other belongings.
For an informal discussion or information pack about Auton Sunderland you can contact Jody Ager on 0191 565 9481.
Auton Darlington is a recently modernised and adapted detached house in the west end of the town.
Each of the six bedrooms is lockable to provide the child with a degree of privacy and can be personalised to reflect their own tastes and interests. As at Auton Newcastle there is a large, comfortable lounge and an activities / homework room as well as a large garden and patio area.
The home is in a quiet residential area, just a short distance from shops and leisure facilities in the town centre.
Staff Team
Dianne Hewison is Registered Manager of Auton Darlington.
Dianne initially joined St Cuthberts Care in June 1991, working with adults with learning disabilities at Fairhaven in Darlington. In 2003, she became manager of Thornhill, formerly our children’s respite centre in Sunderland, returning to Darlington in 2009 to manage the newly commissioned Auton. Her qualifications include a Higher Diploma in Social Care Services, NVQ 4 in Management, NVQ 4 in Supporting Children and Young People together with an NVQ Assessor Award.
Dianne manages a team of 14 staff who are committed to the service and the support of the children and young people in their care. All staff are trained to NVQ level 3 in Supporting Children and Young People and are able to access specialist training as required. Staff are inducted, monitored and supported via thorough induction and supervision processes.
For an informal discussion or information pack you can contact Dianne on 01325 355 443.
Admissions
Children are admitted by referral from social services, following a pre-admission risk assessment and a discussion by an internal panel about the child's suitability for the service.
If there is a place available in the home, a key worker is appointed who, along with the Manager, spends time with the child or young person to explore their understanding and expectations of the placement. An induction process then begins, which can include an overnight stay.
If there are no vacancies at the time of referral, the child's name can be placed on a waiting list.
A copy of the Referral Procedure is available to download.
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