Pitillock

Pitillock is a 4 bedroom farmhouse located in rural Fife, accommodating children aged between 5 and 13 years, both male and female.

We pride ourselves on our nurturing environment, developing positive relationships to support our young people achieve brighter futures.

Outdoor play and activities are beneficial for children in developing their creative skills and we encourage outdoor play as much as possible. Our spacious garden has a variety of outdoor toys such as a tree swing, trampoline and giant board games, helping the children to develop their general wellbeing, confidence and independence. The sensory playroom supports children to self-regulate, improve their visual, aural and tactile processing and refine their motor skills.

Our psychological services support children to make sense of their personal stories, and develop communication skills through the use of Theraplay sessions.

Pitillock is a short commute to Moore House Primary School-Dunfermline, enabling our children to be supported in either care only or care and education placements. 

Moore House Group offers nurturing and therapeutic care environments that promote the safe, trusting and loving relationships essential in developing the wellbeing of our young people. Our approach is firmly based on building positive, nurturing relationships with young people through the principles of playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy (PACE). The staff team have been recruited and trained to work effectively with young people who have experienced significant trauma, neglect, abuse and anxiety, often resulting in difficulty with forming and maintaining mutually supportive relationships. We provide comprehensive training and support to all our staff in Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP). The positive ethos of Moore House ensures we provide children and young people with happy, friendly and stimulating living and learning environments where they feel safe, happy, included and respected.

Access to our Psychological Services and Intervention (PSI) Team is included in the placement fee for residential young people. The comprehensive initial 12 week assessment is used to inform the care planning process during placement. PSI provides a range of tailored intervention programmes designed to reduce risk and enhance protective factors for young people and their families. We also work in close partnership with a range of external agencies to provide focused support that meets the needs of each young person.

Moore House Group has three schools; one located in Butterstone near Dunkeld, one in Bathgate and the other near Dunfermline, each providing different approaches and curriculum pathways to meet the specific learning and emotional needs of individual young people. Young people can attend on a day basis as well as from our residences. As a consequence of our young people experiencing attachment or trauma-related issues, high levels of anxiety and/or social communication disorders, they have significant barriers to learning. Together with local authorities, an assessment of our young people clarifies whether they will benefit from attending Moore House Education and/or accessing mainstream schools. We also provide the option for some significantly school averse young people to study via our Virtual Academy.

We maximise support for each young person’s learning and wellbeing in order to promote their attainment and achievement opportunities that lead to positive destinations. Our education teams provide the full entitlement at Broad General Education (BGE) stages within small class groups ensuring our young people receive a high level of support from teachers, classroom assistants and care staff. Our curriculum opportunities at the Senior Phase are wide and varied, following SQA National units from Level 2 to 5 as well as at Higher and at Advanced Higher Level. The teams also deliver broad achievement opportunities through awards including ASDAN, Dynamic Youth, Youth Achievement, John Muir and Duke of Edinburgh. Our 24 hour curriculum offers a programme of learning activities for our young people in the evenings, at weekends and during holiday periods. This approach introduces new experiences to our young people and allows for continuity of relationships among peers and consistency of approach between the teaching team and care staff. We encourage our day and residential young people to participate in community events and activities. Our positive links with local services including youth clubs, leisure facilities and specialist support groups maximise inclusive opportunities. 

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