First & Foremost A Home for Children

Mayfield Lodge is a detached family home located in Bournemouth which has undergone extensive refurbishment to ensure it is a warm and inviting environment for young people to flourish and grow in. The home is set up to accommodate up to three children with learning disabilities or autism, each with their own spacious bedroom which can be personalised upon transition.

All furnishings meet Fire Safety standards and are chosen to minimise risk from self- harm and aggression whilst retaining comfort and a homely feel. Fire Safety system including alarm call-points, exit doors, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers, and fire blanket.

Our young people’s views are important to us and this will be achieved by regular house meetings, conversation and feedback forms for young people.

Home is where the heart is

The home is equipped with a fully fitted kitchen, dining area, lounge, bathrooms, three children’s bedrooms, adult bedroom and office. All toilets and the bathroom have locks to promote the child’s privacy, sense of security and personal space. The home has a small garden with a garage which has been refurbished into a gym.

When each child arrives they are made to feel at home immediately. Each child has their own room, their own possessions and their own space but they are encouraged to feel as inclusive as they feel comfortable with. They are greeted with a personalised welcome pack designed to encourage the child to develop an affinity with their new surroundings from day one. Introductions to the other children and members at staff takes place at the child’s own pace and always under careful supervision and guidance.

Keeping the senses alive

The Sensory Room at Mayfield Lodge is a great, quiet space to find calm and relax. There are bubble lamps, sensory boards, fibre-optic lights and fidget toys.

Plenty to do

There are plenty of local facilities and activities. Bournemouth has more than its fair share of local parks, libraries, arts centres, live music venues, theatres and plenty of cinemas. Until recently the town boasted its own Premiership football team and the Cherries continue to flirt with a return to the top flight.

For the more active there are sports facilities of every description including gyms, trampoline centres, skateboard parks and parkour clubs close by. Naturally much of what goes on is centred on watersports, with nearby Poole Harbour offering the perfect sheltered place to pick all things nautical things up. Wind surfing, paddleboarding, skiing, diving, canoeing and yachting are all very accessible for beginners and experts alike. Further inland there are horse riding centres, mountain bike trekking and supervised rock climbing for all the little daredevils.

Location, Location, Location

If you could dream of living in a beautiful part of the world, then you might very well wake up in Bournemouth. Mayfield Lodge is just a short stroll to the famous sandy beaches with its fun-packed pier, surfable waves and annual air show, the area is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the UK.

Mayfield Lodge is also close to the New Forest with its ponies, gentle brooks and acres of woodland to explore. To the west lies the Jurassic Coast World Heritage site, a truly beautiful and varied coastline of sheltered coves, soaring clifftops and coastal walks. Here there are some great places to visit including the ruins of Corfe Castle, the unique geology of Lulworth Cove and the iconic Durdle Door. In Bovington the Tank Museum and Monkey World make a great day out for children (and adults) of all ages.

The children we care for

Mayfield Lodge is a home for children between the ages of 5-17 with Learning Disabilities. We thoroughly assess the needs of each individual child at the point of referral to the home and continue to assess throughout their placement to ensure the child’s needs are always met. Where we may not be able to meet on-going needs, we will ensure that we work with all relevant professionals to support an effective transition to another appropriate home.

Mayfield Lodge is a home away from home for both adults and children. We will achieve this by welcoming the child into Mayfield Lodge, supporting them to settle and offering a secure and a safe place to reach their full potential.

Supporting our Children

From the minute that our children arrive, they are offered and support and guidance. Our team is well experienced in caring for children with a wide range of physical and emotional needs. Emphasis is always on encouraging the positive rather than quashing the negative. By fostering an environment of safety, trust, positivity and community, we aim to create as close to a close-knit family atmosphere as is possible within these supervised surroundings.

On arrival each child receives a guide to Mayfield Lodge which provides guidance and advice to all new arrivals and help them adapt to their new surroundings. Each one covers contact a wide range of information including daily and weekly routines, money (pocket, clothing, toiletries and haircuts), visitors to the home, mealtimes, health, education, hobbies and activities, personal property/valuables, privacy, wellbeing, religious and cultural wishes, rights and responsibilities and fire safety.





Children’s Guide

View Children's Guide View Easy Read version

Our People

The managerial team at Mayfield Lodge consists of a full-time Registered Manager, Home Manager and Deputy Manager. Support staff will vary depending on the children’s needs but will include senior support workers and residential support workers. There is a senior member of staff on call at all times, who may be consulted for advice, support or to be informed of any serious incidents. Mayfield Lodge operates with a minimum number of staff on duty during the day and a waking night supported by a staff member sleeping.

Throughout the day, the Registered Manager, Home Manager or Deputy Manager will be based in the home and available for guidance and support to staff. Should a member of staff be unable to come into work, another member of the staff team or bank staff would, in the first instance to cover the shift.

Emily Carter

Registered Manager

Emily joined Sequel Support in Feb 2021 and has been within the care sector since 2013. She has worked her way up from a support worker, through to Senior support worker, Deputy Manager, acting manager and Registered Manager.

Emily has worked with a wide variety of needs including learning difficulties, ADHD, autism and challenging behaviour. Emily has completed her level 3 diploma in ‘Children and young people’s workforce (QCF) and has also achieved a level 5 diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) (QCF). She has worked in an ‘outstanding’ rated children’s home as a Deputy Manager and has set up a new Children’s Home for up to five young people as a Registered Manager.

Rowena Elliott

Home Manager

Rowena joined Sequel Support in March 2021 and has been supporting children with a variety of needs since 2015. Rowena has progressed in her career working her way up from Named TA, Support Worker, Senior team leader, Deputy Manager and now Home Manager.

Rowena began her career supporting children with Learning Disabilities within an (SEN) education provision. Rowena then transitioned to care for children within residential homes, working in both an Outstanding rated SEBD home and a five-bed LD home. Rowena has a wide variety of experience supporting children diagnosed with SEBD and LD needs including: ASD, global development delay, ADHD, trauma and attachment disorders. She has also been a keyworker for multiple children throughout her career.

Alongside Emily, Rowena is also an accredited Team Teach instructor and delivers in house, bespoke positive behaviour management training to all adults working at Mayfield Lodge. Rowena has achieved her Level 3 diploma in Residential childcare and working on her Level 5 in leadership and management.

Cristiane Nunes

Deputy Manager

Cris has been part of Sequel Support since June 2024 leading Mayfield Lodge as the Deputy Manager. Cris has a commendable background supporting vulnerable children since 2018, progressing from a support worker to shift leader.

Cris has a track record of working with Children with learning difficulties, challenging behaviour, ADHD, Trauma, ASD and attachment disorders. Cris completed her level 3 diploma in ‘Children and young people’s workforce (QCF) and has also achieved a level 5 diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) (QCF).