Birtenshaw

About the charity

Birtenshaw is a registered charity and children’s services organisation. Our mission is to create a brighter future for children with special needs. The core services we offer are a special school, a short break centre, positive activities and a number of specialist children’s homes for children with a significant physical disability or with a profound and multiple learning disability including autistic spectrum disorder.

Birtenshaw Children’s Homes are specialist children’s homes based mostly in ordinary family houses in the community. They can offer disabled children long-term care or positive short breaks in a homely, caring environment. Birtenshaw School is a caring community, committed to ensuring that all children are valued as individuals, treated with dignity and respect and have access to positive learning experiences within a supportive and motivating learning environment.

The services in the school and children’s homes are complemented by the provision of specialist health related therapies such as physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, occupational therapy, rebound therapy and speech and language therapy.

Our dedication to creating a brighter future for children with special needs is based on the notion of ‘ordinary life principles’. Children and young people with significant physical disabilities are often excluded from activities others take for granted. We believe that disabled children should have the same learning and social opportunities as all other children.