Quality Care for Young Adults

We are a high quality care service and provide an environment within which young adults with autism, learning differences and associated difficulties can continue their journey of personal development.

At all times our young people will have access to an array of opportunities which include: -

• Lifelong learning 
• The development of greater independence
• The further development of communication skills
• The promotion of self-esteem and confidence
• The emergence of emotional resilience and individual coping strategies
• The development of self-management skills

 

Sharon Edney- Director and Registered Manager

I am Sharon Edney and I am the owner, Director and Registered Manager of Wellhead Lane.

I have worked for over 30 years in residential special schools for children and young adults and in care homes for adults. I have achieved 7 Outstanding grades in care and 1 in education and have a passion for social care.

My previous roles have seen me as the Managing Director for larger care organisations overseeing, setting up and developing childen and adult services across the United Kingdom.

Over the years I have been disappointed to see a move towards corporate care homes that are rigid in their thinking and talk about person-centred approaches  but do not deliver this. As the mother of an adult daughter with Autism I wanted to create a high quality, 'family feel' care home where the residents were truely valued. The unconditional respect they experience means they feel safe, loved and valued, terms that are often shunned in care but that we are unashamedly proud of.

I have always believed the greatest asset a service can have is its team and it has been my privilege to work with the very best over the years. I have been fortunate enough to bring many of them along with me to set-up and run Wellhead Lane which means we have a team that is significantly experienced in Autism.

It is our belief that just because you have your 18th birthday it does not mean that you may be totally ready for independence. Wellhead Lane is an opportunity to move on to the next steps of young adulthood. It is a beautiful house in a lovely town which has a vast range of activities in the area. The home is small enough to feel like a group of friends choosing to move into a house-share but has a large amount of space both inside and out.

Wellhead Lane provides a perfect stepping-stone for young adults to further their skills in; self-care, independence, social and emotional resilience, hobbies and interests, community integration, self-esteem and confidence, relationships, and social communication.

We offer a safe and structured environment providing dynamic care delivered by a team of highly specialist practitioners. This includes a co-director who is an experienced teacher of young people with autism and associated learning differences and a Registered Manager with over 30 years experience in special needs, with an Honours Degree in Care Management and over 20 years working in the field of Autism.

We are very proud of our home. A high quality service with our residents firmly at the heart of everything we do.