An exciting initiative is helping to create more nurturing and enriching environments in DCPs’ residential care homes. The MyPlace program supports young people and staff in residential care to create a comfortable, trendy, home-like environment that provides a sense of ownership, safety, and belonging for young people.
The MyPlace program is continuing to create more nurturing and enriching environments in DCP’s residential care homes.
MyPlace works with young people to choose the décor, furniture and soft furnishings for bedrooms and shared living areas. This provides an opportunity for young people to personalise their environments and reflect their individual needs and identity. There is a strong focus on reflecting young people’s cultural connections and identity, along with ensuring the physical environment is responsive to sensory needs.
The project has been enthusiastically received by the young people involved. In their words, “I feel good when I come in the door”, and “All the stuff in my room makes me feel happy”.
It’s also reaping rewards in relation to empowerment and self-awareness of young people as they engage in the program and make choices about what they value and prefer to have in their living environments.
The MyPlace project is progressively being implemented house by house, with the aim of undertaking makeovers across all of DCP’s residential care houses.
Photos below show some examples of the amazing transformations being achieved through the MyPlace project. This includes the Diagonal property (formerly the former Sturt Assessment Unit) where young people are scheduled to move into this space in the coming weeks.
Creating warmer home environments for young people forms part of DCP’s commitment to enhance and strengthen its therapeutic focus for young people in residential care to help them heal from trauma and thrive.
