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Active Registered Ofsted Home

Atlantic House

Ofsted Rating: Good | URN: 2821710

Home at a Glance

Age Range 8–18 Years
Capacity 3 Young People (Co-ed)
Referral Types Planned placements preferred (Emergencies considered)
Education Arrangements Mainstream, SEND, alternative provision, and in-home study
Therapeutic Support Meadows Psychology formulations (PACE & ARC models)
Vacancy Status Full (Referrals reviewed for matching pool)
  • Registered Manager Shannon McKenna
  • Contact Telephone 07790 2138402
  • Capacity 3 Young People (Co-ed)
  • Bedroom Count 4 Bedrooms (3 Resident, 1 Staff Sleep-in)

Home Description

Atlantic House is a beautifully presented four-bedroom semi-detached property located in a pleasant, semi-rural location in Derby. The home boasts a newly decorated, spacious lounge, a modern fully-fitted kitchen and diner, a large private garden, and fully personalised bedrooms for each resident. Staff sleep-in facilities are fully integrated. The property is ideally positioned close to local schools, GPs, dentists, shopping facilities, and public transport networks, ensuring easy community integration.

Suitability & Placement Matching

Atlantic House is suitable for children and young people aged 8 to 18 who present with complex emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD), developmental attachment trauma, histories of placement disruption, and mild-to-moderate learning needs. We work proactively with young people experiencing school refusal, high anxiety, and emotional regulation difficulties.

Placement Matching Framework: Rather than simply filling vacancies, we prioritize placement stability and the safety of our residents. Every referral undergoes a rigorous Group Dynamic Impact Assessment. This framework evaluates age compatibility, trauma triggers, risk factors, and peer influence to ensure that a new placement will be harmonious and secure. By safeguarding the therapeutic environment, we build commissioner confidence and foster long-term stability for every child.
Exclusions: We cannot support active fire-setting (arson), severe animal cruelty, acute psychiatric needs requiring hospitalisation, or high-frequency physical aggression that poses an immediate threat to other children which cannot be safely managed with standard 1:1 staffing.

Daily Routines

Morning: Rise, breakfast preparation with staff support, morning hygiene routines, and transition to school, college, or alternative education provision.
Afternoon: Return from school, healthy snack, school review, and dedicated homework/EHCP study sessions. Recreation, sports clubs, or community activities follow.
Evening: Family-style dinner prepared together. Downtime, structured key working sessions, PACE therapeutic conversations, evening reflections, and age-appropriate bedtime schedules.

Therapeutic Approach in Daily Practice

Key Working: Our team facilitates regular structured and informal 1-to-1 key working sessions, providing a dedicated space for children to express their feelings, set personal goals, and ensure their voices are heard and acted upon.
Restorative Practice: We use restorative approaches to resolve conflicts, repair relationship ruptures, and help young people understand the impact of their actions in a supportive, non-punitive environment.
Emotional Regulation: We map individual regulation curves in partnership with Meadows Psychology Service, enabling staff to recognise early warning signs and apply tailored co-regulation techniques to help children return to calm.
Behaviour Support: We apply Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) combined with PACE therapeutic responses (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy), focusing on the underlying emotional needs driving behaviours rather than just reacting to the behaviours themselves.
Reflective Practice: Staff participate in monthly clinical team consultations and reflective practice sessions facilitated by clinical psychologists, ensuring our daily parenting remains trauma-informed and cohesive.
Education Integration: We actively manage Personal Education Plans (PEPs) and EHCP requirements, cooperating with virtual schools, attending parent-teacher sessions, and maintaining quiet in-home study zones.

Staffing Model & Healthcare Arrangements

Staffing Model: Standard 2:3 staffing ratio during waking hours, supplemented by a Registered Manager (on-site weekdays) and a Deputy Manager. One sleep-in staff member is present overnight, with an on-call manager structure.
Healthcare Arrangements: Every child is registered with local GPs, dentists, and optometry services within 7 days of placement. Prescription medications are secured in double-locked cabinets and administered strictly in accordance with prescription guidelines.
Atlantic House Exterior
Atlantic House Exterior
Homely Dining Room at Atlantic House
Homely Dining Room
Modern kitchen and diner at Atlantic House
Modern Kitchen & Diner
Newly decorated spacious lounge at Atlantic House
Spacious Lounge
Personalized bedroom at Atlantic House
Personalized Bedroom
Demonstrating Progress

Measuring Outcomes & Impact

We track, measure, and evidence tangible developmental outcomes to demonstrate the direct impact of our therapeutic placements.

Educational Engagement

We measure success by increases in school attendance, progress towards EHCP targets, and positive PEP review milestones, helping children transition successfully from school refusal to active learning.

Emotional Wellbeing

Using clinical consultation and regulation tracking, we evidence progress through the child's improved co-regulation skills, self-advocacy, and reduction in emotional distress or crisis behaviors.

Placement Stability

We focus on building secure attachments to minimize placement breakdowns. We track the longevity of each placement to demonstrate stability for children with high-instability backgrounds.

Independence Skills

For older adolescents, we evaluate growth in practical life skills, including budgeting, cooking, self-care, and transition planning, preparing them for a smooth transition to adulthood.

Positive Relationships

We measure developmental impact through improved peer interactions, conflict resolution, and the restoration of safe, positive contact with family and the wider community.

Commissioner Partnership

Why Commissioners Choose Blue Dolphin Care

We build strong partnerships with local authorities and placement teams through responsiveness, clinical governance, and transparent outcomes.

Responsive Referrals

We acknowledge all enquiries within 2 hours and deliver a comprehensive group dynamic matching assessment within 24 hours of receiving the placement document pack.

Rigorous Matching

Our detailed Group Dynamic Impact Assessments protect placement stability by ensuring compatibility between new and existing residents before making any placement offer.

Active LA Collaboration

We work in close partnership with social workers, SEND teams, and virtual schools to ensure care plans, EHCPs, and PEPs are fully integrated and actively reviewed.

Consistent Communication

We provide placement teams with regular, detailed progress reporting alongside immediate incident notifications, keeping commissioners fully informed at every stage.

Outcome Commitment

We focus on tracking and demonstrating progress across key developmental indicators, delivering measurable impact and positive transitions for every child.

Our Vision

Planned Residential Expansions

In cooperation with local authority requirements and commissioners, Blue Dolphin Care plans to establish two additional residential spaces inside Derbyshire.

Serenity House Planning Stage

Serenity House

A proposed 2-bed residential property. Designed to mirror Atlantic House's trauma-informed environment and therapeutic framework. We will offer the same high-quality care to young people aged 8-18.

Harmony House Scouting Stage

Harmony House

Proposed 3-bed residential children's home. Focusing on supporting EBD placements, complex trauma histories, and establishing independent transitions pathways for older adolescents aged 15-18.

Have a specific placement in mind?

Contact Shannon McKenna to discuss current vacancy statuses and referral matches.

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