Wayside Children’s Home is located in Knowsley, Merseyside with placements for up to 5 young people who present with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and/or learning disabilities. There is a robust matching process and an on-going group living assessment to ensure that the group dynamic remains safe and nurturing for all the young people.
The home has purpose-built classrooms attached to the main house and is able to offer a bespoke education based on a thorough assessment and the aspirations of students, through Lawrence House School. Young people from Wayside particularly benefit from and enjoy a range of ASDAN 
programmes, as well as a focus on Maths and English to an appropriate level. Both education and care also offer an activity-oriented approach with an emphasis on a real and meaningful community presence.
The staff team (in addition to working to the QPC approach around attachment, acting as a good parent and permanency) are trained specifically in meeting the needs of young people with ASD and a range of learning difficulties. However, we also operate within a social model of understanding, which means we recognise that the environment can be adjusted to allow our young people to maximise their potential and fully participate in the life of the home. 
The home uses placement plans and other documentation that are written in a way to include the young people as fully as possible in their care.
The home has a range of specific additional skills and training, for example, SoSafe! and Signalong as well as a sensory room and classroom.
The home benefits from support from QPC’s clinical team who are able to offer behavioural support to the staff team in understanding behaviour as communication and identifying strategies for managing challenging behaviour. All our staff are MAPA trained to address the early signs of escalation and manage any incidents safely in a way that respects each child’s dignity.
A virtual tour of Wayside can be accessed below:
Tracy
Manager, Wayside