New home for disabled youngsters opens
We've opened a new £4.4m home for disabled children and young people.
Peak Lodge has been built on the site of Peak School in Chinley.
The building is made up of two separate homes − Hill View and The Willows − for 10 to 18-year-olds with autism and severe and complex disabilities.
Hill View is for pupils who go to Peak School, Buxton Road, who will live there until they move on to adult life.
The Willows offers short breaks for disabled children living across Derbyshire and their families.
As well as six en-suite bedrooms, each home boasts a lounge, kitchen and dining room.
Some of the young people have been involved in choosing the decoration, furniture and toys to go in the new homes.
Specialist staff will be able to use the purpose-built facilities to help young people learn vital life skills to help them be more independent.
The land around the new single storey building has been landscaped with trees and shrubs and an outside enclosed play and leisure area including soft play, grass and seating areas.
The Branching Out Garden Centre which provides work experience for adults with learning disabilities has also been relocated to a more prominent position on the site.
The people who attend sell plants and handmade wooden products like bird boxes and feeders to the public while learning work-based skills like horticulture, retailing and customer service.
Cabinet Member for Young People Councillor Barry Lewis said:
"I'm delighted to be able to open these new homes which increase our ability to provide high-quality placements for disabled children and young people."It also means we can offer young people with complex needs and health issues even more choice of short breaks to improve their quality of life and help them plan for the future.
"Ofsted visited recently and approved the registration of the new homes and the managers. They were impressed by the building, staff and all the preparation for working with the young people."
Head teacher at Peak School Linda Scowcroft added:
"Although the nature of the relationship with the residential service will change, the school is committed to continuing the close working relationship that has proved so successful for the disabled young people we work with."I am glad that many of the residential staff will be transferring to the new units, taking their skills and experience with them."