The Birtenshaw Group goes over and beyond its aim to provide a level of care so needed across the UK. Since it was founded in Bolton, Greater Manchester, in 1956, the group has striven to provide excellent education for young people with special educational needs and disabilities. In 2022, the group was named Best Special Education Provider in the World at The Global Healthcare Awards, and in 2023, it won Most Outstanding Transformative Learning Team and Most Outstanding Care Services Team. CEO David Reid is therefore very proud of the work the company does in its special schools in Bolton and Liverpool and at its SEN further education college, Birtenshaw College, also in Bolton.
When Reid became CEO in 2006, he set about changing the organisation from a struggling school into a first-class provider of unique services for children and adults with learning disability and/or autism spectrum conditions and complex health needs. “Our tagline is ‘Transforming Lives’ and that is what we do,” says Reid. “Our aim is to provide the best standard in care and education for children and young adults with special educational needs and disability. We provide an environment where young people feel safe, cared for and understood.”
As well as two schools, the Birtenshaw Group also runs several children’s homes and a domiciliary care agency. Alongside these, it operates various supported tenancies, a number of hydrotherapy centres, a gym and activity centre, and provides an enrichment service, a horticultural project and rebound therapy.
While much of the group’s success is down to its ethos of transforming lives, it is also about the team that helps to make this happen. “Part of our success is definitely down to the staff,” says Reid. “The commitment and care they give to the children is incredible. The team have a very strong focus on putting children first and facing everything with a ‘can do’ attitude. They look for solutions all the time and no task is too great for them.”
One example Reid points to is a 15-year-old boy with Down’s syndrome and autism who arrived at the school escorted by five security officers. They were told he was dangerous and would never be able to learn. Within three months of their care, he had integrated into a full classroom and had totally changed. This, believes Reid, is because they viewed him as a human being, not as a problem. It is about providing an environment where young people feel cherished, have space to explore, make mistakes and learn from them.
One example Reid points to is a 15-year-old boy with Down’s syndrome and autism who arrived at the school escorted by five security officers. They were told he was dangerous and would never be able to learn. Within three months of their care, he had integrated into a full classroom and had totally changed. This, believes Reid, is because they viewed him as a human being, not as a problem. It is about providing an environment where young people feel cherished, have space to explore, make mistakes and learn from them.
As for the future of the group, there are plans to continue growing. The ultimate goal is to have a presence in every local authority area in the country. “No child in England who has a severe learning disability or is on the autistic spectrum should be left behind; we provide the opportunity for them to thrive.”
Like elsewhere in the care sector, Reid sees his biggest challenges as staffing, having lost many as a result of Brexit and the pandemic – but he has found an approach that works for getting the right people. “We struggled to recruit getting back to pre-Covid staffing levels, but we are almost there. I look for my staff based on attitude and aptitude, not necessarily past experience, as we can teach people what they need to know. How they respect and value children with special needs is the most important thing.”
