About NJH

Getting to the end of a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle and discovering that there are pieces missing is gut wrenching. Hours, maybe even days have been spent carefully selecting the pieces, turning them around to make sure they fit, moving bits that feel wrong to create space for the correct piece. A long and often concentrated effort where we try to make sense of the shapes, colours and sizes in front of us.

Where do we start? What bit are we drawn to most? These questions are fundamental in the world of a child/young person who has suffered trauma. Parts of their life they don’t even know happened, yet have impacted their journey, bits of the puzzle that are unclear but live in their memories, stories they have heard but can’t place and suggestions of events that have taken place but hold no meaning.

At Nether Johnstone House we are committed to supporting, developing and encouraging our children and young people to put all these pieces together and to make meaning from their journey, to empower them to form an identify of themselves in the past, now and for the future.

Established in 2010 Nether Johnstone House is a semi-rural community-based house designed to support young people with a range of complex needs. Offering care, support and opportunities for children and young people aged 8-21 years, who are looked after away from their families.

With a team equipped with the knowledge and skills to support children and young people who have experienced trauma, Nether Johnstone House offers an environment where our children and young people can begin to heal, grow and set goals for their futures. Using a social pedagogical approach to care, the team work collaboratively and creatively with young people, their families, carers, local authority and other relevant professionals.

We believe in the potential of all children and young people to grow and develop and within a safe and stable environment we support each young person to pursue their own individual goals, assisting them with the skills and abilities to achieve these.