| New
Perspectives
- Feb, 1993 Issue #20 |
PEPER HAROW
Godalming Surrey, England GU8 6BG
Tel: 0483 415131
PEPER HAROW
is a registered charity by the Department of Education and
Science. It has existed as a therapeutic community since 1970
and is part of the Peper Harow Organization along with
Thornby Hall, and Northants. Peper Harow admits
boys and girls, ages 13-16, who "have had such traumatic childhood
experiences that they have often developed powerful, defensive
and suspicious attitudes to others, particularly adults."
The children typically leave Peper Harow between the ages
of 18-21; and the typical length of stay is 3-5 years. They
have room for 42 children. Admission decisions are made after
the child and significant adults have visited and interviewed.
Most admissions are subject to Care Orders from their local
authority, or by Education Departments, or by Health Authorities,
but some are placed privately by the family or a voluntary
childcare agency. The therapeutic process is seen as three
stages. The first "is one of forming attachment: to the community
as a whole, to the individual caseworker and to various sub-groups."
The second is "to experiment with new ways of being and to
start some formal education. The final phase is the task of
preparing to leave the community...." "... all staff and young
people share in cleaning and cooking and other household chores
because we believe that these practical aspects of life also
help towards self-awareness and self sufficiency." Their education
is "incorporating the ethos of the national curriculum and
relating it to particular needs." Also used is a wide variety
of physical activities, an emphasis on improvement in family
relationships whenever possible, a wide range of creative
arts, a spacious and healing physical environment about 50
minutes from London, and a mission for the staff to utilize
whatever skills they have irregardless of job title.
Copyright
© 1993, Woodbury Reports, Inc. (This article may be reproduced
without prior approval if the copyright notice and proper
publication and author attribution accompanies the copy.)
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