Cross Lee House is probably not like anywhere else that you have been looked after. Instead of feeling as though it is a big place where you have to do the fitting in, it is more like a family, where you all live together and learn from each other.

Up to five young people can live at Cross Lee House. Most will be between eight and sixteen years old when they arrive and will stay there for at least six months. The idea is to give you somewhere to live together while you get ready to live in a family again, either your own family or a new one which we will help you find. Some young people who live at Cross Lee House will spend time learning to live independently and will move straight into their own place from there.

We believe that every young person who comes to Cross Lee House is important and can learn to believe in themselves. When we are deciding who should come to live at Cross Lee House, we will look at whether it seems right that a young person should be living in a family and if they need some help getting ready for this. Children and young people who come to us have often had bad experiences in families, which make it hard for them to trust adults.

Together, we will try and work out whether Cross Lee House is the right place. We will not have people moving in suddenly but will let everyone help to prepare for someone new coming to live there. Sometimes, we are not sure whether Cross Lee House is the right place so we will spend time with the new young person somewhere else, until we are sure that it is best for everyone.

Everyone who lives there will help keep Cross Lee House clean and tidy, as well as helping with shopping and cooking. Because it is quite a big place, we will also have someone who comes in to help with the garden.

Cross Lee House is in Todmorden, which is in Lancashire, not very far from Manchester. There is a big garden where we hope to grow vegetables as well as flowers. The house is close to the town but also backs on to the open countryside.

Downstairs, there is a big sitting room, where you can watch TV, and another smaller room, next to the kitchen, where you can do activities, homework or use the computer. The kitchen is big enough to eat in and we try to make sure that everyone has at least one meal together each day. There is a study, where the adults will do their paperwork and young people are not allowed in there, because it is where we keep all the private paperwork safe and confidential.

There is a downstairs toilet for everyone to use. Upstairs, there are five bedrooms for children and young people, as well as one for the adults to sleep in. Your bedroom will be a private place, where you can be quiet and read and also do your homework. The main bathroom for young people is here too. On the top floor, as well as another staff sleep in room, there is a room where young people can do their own washing and drying, if they are old enough.

The schools, leisure centre and an outdoor activity centre are very close by and the adults will also help you find other activities to do in the area, either in groups or on your own.

Part of the reason for coming to Cross Lee House is to get over some of the difficult things that may have happened in the past. Some of the help given to you will be with an adult in private, or may be with someone who doesn’t work at Cross Lee House. We will also have group meetings, where you can say what you think and where you might talk about your problems together.

Because Cross Lee House is more like being in a family rather than a children's home, we believe that you should all learn in school or college with your friends, so that when you are older, you can do the things that you want to do more easily. Even if you have had lots of difficulty in schools in the past, our teacher and the workers will all help you get your place in school, as well as to support you once you are there.