Expert-led, individually focused, residential care for children aged 7-12 with high and/or specialist needs - including Autism, Learning Difficulties, challenging behaviours and recovery from trauma.
Biggle Corner’s location: Biggleswade, Bedfordshire (17 miles from Stevenage, 23 miles from Bedford, 22 miles from Cambridge, 46 miles from Central London)
At Biggle Corner, we believe there is a pathway to permanence for every child - however complex their individual needs or personal circumstances.
Working in partnership with leading experts and specialists, we have created a homely, genuinely therapeutic environment and innovative, evidence-based practice that will support the best possible outcomes for each child in our care. Our home is carefully designed as a place where individuals can shine, as we respond to their unique needs and strengths and support them through personal and behavioural developments.
We recognise that each child is unique. That’s why our team’s expertise and continuous training spans a range of evidence-based practice models as well as therapeutic activities and treatments that can be integrated to support individualised care planning and eventual transition. Through this holistic approach, we enable children in our care to enjoy a rich and varied lifestyle where every part of every day is an opportunity to shine and grow, and their move on from Biggle Corner is supported.
Our ethos…
... and the guiding principles at the heart of our community, our culture and our care.
Therapeutic environment
From the design of our physical spaces, to the social culture of our community and commitment to relationship-based practice, everything we do at Biggle Corner contributes to a calm and safe environment.
Every child is unique
We take assessment seriously to develop a detailed understanding of each child’s needs, and their strengths, to inform individualised care plans with clearly defined goals and outcomes.
Shared vision approach
Every child deserves a shared vision for their care and so we collaborate as a ‘care family’ should. We achieve this through comprehensive assessment of needs and strengths, shared goals, clearly defined outcomes and continued multi-agency collaboration.
Positive reinforcement
Led by expert behavioural analysts and therapists, our practice is based on reinforcement of positive behaviours and never on punishment or blame. We see every challenging moment as an opportunity to learn and grow.
Strengths-based
Our ultimate focus is to help children achieve the personal development and behaviour changes that will make transition to permanence possible. Supporting children to develop the building blocks of resilience is a key focus at Biggle Corner.
““It has been refreshing and exciting to work with a passionate team to develop this specialist service, firmly based on evidence of ‘what works’ for these children. From the property, environment and the practice models underpinning daily life, to the extensive recruitment process that has built such a high calibre team, evidence and sector-leading expertise has been at the heart of it all. I look forward to seeing Biggle Corner becoming something special; enabling children to achieve the positive outcomes and permanency they deserve. ”
Reliable assessment and evidence-based practice underpin our Theory of Change
Biggle Corner provides a specialist service underpinned by an evidence-based Theory of Change for children with autism, learning difficulties or unexplained behavioural problems. We take an evidence-based approach to helping children achieve the positive behaviour changes that will enable them to get the most from life and achieve permanence in a suitable family environment. There are a number of core processes, practice models and therapeutic activities that underpin our Theory of Change.
Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment: The CANS is central to our approach at Biggle Corner. As a comprehensive assessment of needs, risks and strengths, the CANS provides a shared framework of understanding through which we can work together to agree goals and outcomes, define the steps we will take to support each child through their Individualised Care Plan. The CANS assessment facilities evidence-based practice and outcome monitoring, and supports the partnership working that is so important in the care we all provide.
PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy): PACE is a way of thinking, feeling, communicating with children that encourages them to feel safe, develop trusted relationships, accept support and communicate their thoughts and feelings. Using PACE, practitioners help children gain the ability to work through thoughts, feelings and behaviours in a positive and empowering way. PACE is at the core of our therapeutic community and culture at Biggle Corner.
Behaviour Assessment & Therapy: Often, problem behaviours occur because they serve a purpose for the child and have therefore been reinforced over time. In this situation, the child has done nothing wrong; they are simply lacking a better way of getting what they need or communicating how they feel. By taking the time to understand the role a problem behaviour is playing for the child, we remove any need for punishment or ‘management’ of that behaviour and can instead support the child to learn a more positive way to get the outcome the desire. Particularly for children with Autism, interventions based on these basic principles of behaviour analysis have a stronger research backing than any other intervention for autism.
All of our assessment, analysis, treatment and therapy is provided by our specialist in-house practice team. As necessary we work with external clinical experts to support the staff and children at Biggle Corner.
Our holistic approach offers a wide range of therapeutic activities to complement core practice
According to the needs of each child, a wide range of therapeutic activities can be incorporated into Individualised Care Plans to support wellbeing, behaviour and personal development, such as:
Physio/Physical Therapy – This can be used to continue a program of physical support that a child already requires, or to embed even the most basic exercise breaks within a daily routine to help children regulate their energy levels.
Yoga/meditation/reflexology/breathing – These activities can provide calming mental and physical breaks, provide opportunities to address underdeveloped movements and/or reflexes that are essential in a child’s development, and address factors such as anxiety (e.g. by addressing ineffective breathing that has been shown to be common in some children with special needs).
Tui Na Massage / acupuncture – These techniques are designed to allow caregivers to provide the benefits of massage in a home environment, as a tool to support physical and emotional wellbeing. These safe activities aim to help address difficulties including headaches, sleep problems, physical discomforts such as constipation, and emotional challenges often associated with trauma including anxiety, aggressiveness and irritability.
Floortime Therapy – This therapy involves working with a child at their level, both physically and in terms of communication and perspective of the world. This approach supports relationship building, growth, development and emotional wellbeing and can be used as part of an everyday routine without feeling like a formal therapy for the child.