Wild Embers provides specialist support to children, young people and families with SEND (Specialist Education Needs & Disabilities) and mental health support needs in South Devon.
 
Staff Skills & Experience
Our support is offered in nature based settings by skilled and experienced staff with qualifications in Forest Leadership, Outdoor Therapeutic Intervention, Safeguarding Level 3 qualifications, enhanced DBS and a passion for supporting children and families to thrive in their lives.
 
Our Support Offering
Wild Embers has a unique and holistic support offering which includes: one to one support, group support, after school sessions, parent and child support weekends, holiday forest school sessions and residential retreats.
 
- One to One Support:
- Group Support
- Parent & Child Weekends
- Holiday Forest School Sessions
- Residential Retreats
 
Early Intervention
Wild Embers model is to provide early intervention for children with SEND, providing them and their family with holistic nature based support: by first focussing on their wellbeing and relationships and then equipping them with the confidence, life skills and communication skills to thrive in their lives and reach their full potential.
 
Our service is set up to provide support for the child during school hours and beyond the classroom, providing them and their family members opportunities to participate in after school activities, holiday forest school sessions and specialist therapeutic support which are subsidized and geared to support those who need our support most.
 
Wild Embers Ethos
We believe that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ and that support offerings based on strength, equipping the
 
Giving family members peer support, signposting to relevant services and support
 
Needs of our Young People
The children and families we support are currently facing a wide spectrum of challenges and obstacles to support including: child poverty, social isolation compounded by the after affects of Covid-19, long waiting lists to access mental health support, a lack of access to ‘low level’ (rather than acute) mental health support for children, a lack of access to outdoor education opportunities during school time and after school, over subscribed SEND and mental health support in schools meaning many children are not receiving the support they need to thrive in their lives. Feedback gleaned from parents and carers continues to inform us of a lack of specialist support for children with Special education needs both in school, for those not able to engage at school, and beyond the classroom on weekends and school holidays.
 
Access to mental health support is limited due to funding cuts and strains on existing services, our project provides positive mental health and wellbeing outcomes at low cost and is accessible to families who face barriers to accessing support due to our project’s term time schedule, free cost and accessible referral process.
 
We anticipate meeting the following support needs:
- High levels of trauma and mental health support needs
- Anxiety, depression, self harm and potential suicide or suicidal ideation
- Child poverty and associated health inequalities
- Social Isolation and broken family ties
- Nature deficit disorder and a lack of access to free play or activities outside of school
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