About Us
Welcome to Cherry Lane Therapeutic Homes where our foundation is built on the values of social justice, connection, and therapeutic excellence. We are dedicated to fostering an environment where courage, empowerment, and inclusivity thrive, giving every child the opportunity to grow in a caring and just environment.
With over 20 years of experience heading an organization dedicated to helping children overcome adverse childhood experiences, we have developed the highest standards and strongest knowledge in our field. We are now channeling everything we've learned into building a new community with a clear purpose: to care for the most complex children whose level of vulnerability and risk makes them the most difficult to place but who need and deserve the best. Our intention is to foster strong leadership and democratic values. Our mission is to deliver the highest quality of care, fight for social justice, and pursue the most effective interventions, always staying at the forefront of research and trauma understanding. We are joined by a like-minded manager who is passionate about nurturing, breaking down barriers, and employing a holistic approach with therapeutic tools, fostering resilience, growth, and self-expression in the children we support. Together, we partner with key agencies to provide the best support for children and families, never settling for the status quo and always advocating strongly for those in our care.
Meet the Team
Kerry Shoesmith - Managing Director
Kerry Shoesmith's career has been deeply rooted in residential childcare since she began in 2000. With a strong foundation in youth and community work, Kerry has dedicated her professional life to enhancing the environments of children's homes. As a manager and later as a director, she supported other home managers and led homes to achieve remarkable outcomes. Notably, during her tenure as a Registered Manager, one of the homes was rated Outstanding by Ofsted for six consecutive years, a rare accomplishment shared by only 22 out of 3,309 homes inspected, at that time.
Driven by a commitment to improve therapeutic practices in children's homes, Kerry explored how Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) could positively impact the care provided. This exploration led to her earning an MSc in CBT and mental health. Kerry has since been actively involved in delivering direct therapeutic interventions to young people in care, in addition to providing clinical supervision for the core teams across various homes. Her work has significantly shaped therapeutic care planning, ensuring that children's homes offer a supportive environment where young people can heal from past trauma. In 2013, Kerry's approach was further enriched after meeting Dr. Peter Jakob, who introduced her to the concepts of Non-Violent Resistance (NVR). She has since integrated NVR throughout her work, profoundly influencing how children's homes operate and to support both the children and their families. Kerry's commitment to residential childcare and her use of innovative, high efficacy therapeutic methods continue to transform children's services, making a lasting impact on the field. Master of Science in CBT & Mental Health, University West of England Non-Violent Resistance Accredited Practitioner & Supervisor, NVR UK & The NVR Association • NLP Practitioner, The Brain People • Certified Reattach Therapist & Trainer, Reattach Academy • Advanced Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, University West of England • NVQ4 in Management, OCR • NVQ4 in the Care of Children & Young People, City & Guilds • NVQ3 in the Care of Children and Young People, Godalming College. • Registered Therapist, BACP • Master V1 Award, City and Guilds • A1 Assessors Award, Godalming College
Dean Olivant - Financial Director
Dean brings a wealth of experience in managing and directing various businesses, including a long-standing tenure in his national construction organisation. With a deep understanding of the ethical responsibilities essential for maintaining economically sound and viable businesses, Dean has also developed a keen insight into the specific needs of public sector projects. His background includes significant work in constructing facilities for both mainstream and SEND schools under Local Authority contracts, demonstrating his ability to collaborate effectively with local government to meet rigorous social and safety standards.
At the heart of Dean’s professional journey is his commitment to the values and ethos of Cherry Lane. He is dedicated to advancing a care model that addresses the needs of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children, ensuring that they receive the support and opportunities they deserve.
More Team Members to be added soon...
The Therapeutic Models
Non-Violent Resistance (NVR)
Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) is a therapeutic approach designed to resist destructive and harmful behaviours, drawing on peaceful methods, while improving relationships between families and communities.
It is a highly effective model that has proven to reduce conflict, enhance parental authority, and strengthen family bonds without the use of aggression or force.
You can find out more about NVR on the NVR Association (NVRA) website.
CBT Therapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy, which explores your problems in the here and now. CBT assumes that behaviours are linked to your thoughts and feelings, which are a product of the beliefs you hold about yourself the world and others. Some behaviour may maintain your problems or even make them worse. CBT believes that if you can better understand your thoughts you can change behaviours and beat self-defeating cycles.
ReAttach Therapy
ReAttach is used worldwide by a diversity of therapists for children and adults with central neurological problems, functional neurological disorders, emotional struggles, speech disorders, post-traumatic and acute stress complaints or simply to help people reach their full potential and optimise areas of their life where they may have specific goals or lack confidence.
ReAttach uses voice, thinking tasks, and light rhythmic touch on the hands. It ensures that you can retrieve, register, and (re) place the correct information. The exercises create new brain connections that provide different insights and replace old patterns.
ReAttach provides relaxation, overview, and a new perspective for growth.
Visit the ReAttach Academy website to read more information
Why Yellow?
At our therapeutic provision, we chose yellow as our background colour because it brings a sense of warmth, positivity, and clarity. Yellow is known for its bright and welcoming nature, which helps create a positive environment for everyone who interacts with our services.
A Welcoming and Positive Environment
Yellow is associated with sunshine and light, making it a great choice for creating a friendly and inviting atmosphere. We want everyone to feel comfortable and at ease when engaging with our services, and yellow helps set a positive tone.
Supporting Neurodiversity and Accessibility
We are committed to making our services accessible to all, including neurodiverse individuals, such as those with dyslexia. The yellow background improves readability by increasing contrast and reducing visual strain. This makes it easier for everyone to engage with our content.
Promoting Calm and Focus
Yellow, when used in the right shade, can help create a calm and focused environment. It supports clear thinking and concentration, which is important in a therapeutic setting.
A Practical Choice
Yellow is not just a colour we like; it’s a practical choice that aligns with our goal of creating an effective and supportive environment. It enhances readability, accessibility, and the overall experience for those who use our services.
Our Home
Ebba's House
At Ebba’s house, we are committed to children's growth and development, and we will always provide opportunities to learn new things at school and at
home. This means going out on fun adventures, museums, parks, and other fun places. Supporting children through education and extra-curricular activities
that will harness their skills and allow them to explore new things. We can
also help them with creating and setting goals so that they can surpass their own expectations!
Each child will have their own private space with their things so that they can relax in, as well as spacious communal areas where we can come together and eat nutritious meals, and talk about our days. There will always be someone around for them to connect with, and talk about their thoughts and views and we will always listen – every voice is important to us.
Location
Eastbourne, Sussex
The sunniest place in the UK: Eastbourne is often referred to as the "Sunshine Coast" because it enjoys more hours of sunshine than anywhere else in the UK. Its mild climate and sunny weather make it a popular destination for tourists.
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Beach fun: Eastbourne has lots of beautiful beaches perfect for a day of sun, sand, and sea. Whether you're building sandcastles, playing beach games, going for a swim, or just relaxing with a picnic, there is something there that everyone can enjoy.
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Eastbourne pier: Here you can enjoy some arcade games, or even some traditional fish and chips, and go for a nice walk along it while enjoying the nice views!
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Eastbourne Bandstand: See a concert or event here – tribute acts or even a firework displays in the summer months.
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Beachy head: Explore the stunning cliffs of beachy head, take in the breath-taking views of the English Channel and surrounding countryside. This is a popular tourist spot for hiking, picnicking and wildlife spotting with plenty of trails.
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Eastbourne sovereign harbour: visit the vibrant marina filled with boats, shops, restaurants, and cafes. Try your hand at fishing, take a boat tour or relax and just enjoy the maritime atmosphere.
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Towner art gallery: Visit the art gallery and have a look at the diverse collection of work by British and international artists. With events and exhibitions changing all the time, there is always something new to discover!
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Gildredge park: relax in the park, have a picnic, enjoy the walking trails, and flower gardens. You could take part in fun activities like tennis and is a perfect to place to retreat to when wanting some peace from the bustle of town.
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Testimonials
