Our services take a person-centred approach, supporting people to take part in activities they enjoy while also building their confidence and giving them opportunities to develop new skills. Jamie, who is supported by our Treehouse service, loves to bake, and recently enjoyed one of his weekly baking sessions choosing to make cupcakes and a pizza to take home for dinner.
It was a really fun session, but for Jamie, it was so much more than that.
It gave him the opportunity to make decisions about what he wanted to prepare, helping to build choice-making skills and encouraging independence.
With support from Wellbeing Practitioner Mark, Jamie measured out the ingredients for the cakes and mixed everything together. This supported his learning around following instructions, sequencing tasks, measuring, and developing hand-eye coordination. While the cakes were baking, Jamie added his toppings to the pizza base, which helped him practise multitasking, planning ahead, and managing different stages of an activity. And when the cupcakes had cooled, Jamie decorated them with brightly coloured icing. This part of the session encouraged creativity, fine motor skills, and sensory engagement, while also giving Jamie the chance to express himself and take pride in the finished result.
Jamie is working towards his National 2 Social Subjects: Making a Decision, and these sessions offer great opportunities for him to develop his skills in the kitchen while having fun. Jamie was excited to take his tasty treats home to share with his family.
To find out more about how our Treehouse service supports neurodivergent young adults, visit our website – link in bio.
Is your young person leaving school this June?
If you’re unsure what comes next, you’re not alone.
When school ends, many families are left asking the same question: what happens next?
For many neurodivergent young people, leaving school can mean losing structure, routine, and support — and being left without a clear path forward.
At Gate, we understand that reality and we’re here to help.
We provide a safe, structured environment where young adults can build confidence, develop real-life skills, and begin to see a clearer path forward.
Join us at our Open Evening to see how we support young adults to build confidence, develop life skills, and move towards a future that fits them – at their pace.
You’ll meet the team, see the space, and talk through what comes next in a way that feels right for you and your young person.
📍 The Donaldson Trust, Preston Road, Linlithgow EH
📅 Thursday 18th June
⏰ 5-7pm
You don’t have to navigate this alone.
A future that fits starts with the right support.
Book your place at our Open Evening at the link in our bio.
#neurodiversity #SchoolLeavers #neurodivergence
Good luck to our amazing team taking on the Hairy Haggis relay as part of the @edinburghmarathonfestival this Sunday (24 May)!
After months of training and preparation, Graeme Donald, Stephen Caulfield and Angela Evans (Donaldson Trust colleagues) and Sandy McGowan (a parent of a young person we support) are ready for the starting line.
They will collectively complete the relay over 26.2 miles to raise funds for the Sensational Learning Centre, which supports neurodivergent children and young people who face challenges in traditional mainstream education settings.
This is an amazing challenge and we’ll be cheering our team on every step of the way.
The team has raised almost £700 so far, and there`s still time to show your support. If you would like to sponsor the team, visit the link in our bio.
#neurodiversity #fundraising #EdinburghMarathonFestival
Supporting neurodivergent young people to have new experiences creates opportunities to build confidence, develop resilience, discover strengths they may not have realised they had, and show themselves they can take on challenges in ways that work for them.
The young people supported at our Vibe service took on a new challenge at @eicaratho, where they had the chance to explore climbing and bouldering in a fun and supportive environment.
The instructor guided everyone through important safety requirements before introducing harness work, including learning how to safely belay and support each other. The group then stepped up to the climbing wall where they had the challenge of lowering themselves back down — a trickier task that took confidence and trust.
They also tried bouldering without harnesses, testing different skills and problem-solving abilities.
One of the young people enjoyed it so much that they went back to the centre to go bouldering again the following day, bringing their brother along to join in. Sometimes the biggest outcomes aren`t reaching the top of the wall, they`re discovering a new interest, finding confidence in your own abilities, and realising you`re capable of more than you thought.
Vibe supports neurodivergent young people aged 12-18 who are not in full-time attendance in mainstream education, helping them to improve their wellbeing to enable them to re-engage with learning. To find out more about Vibe support, visit the link in our bio.
We’re hiring: Term-Time Learning and Wellbeing Practitioner, Linlithgow
We’re looking for a proactive, empathetic and flexible practitioner to join our Sensational Learning Centre, a specialist school supporting neurodivergent pupils with complex additional support needs.
This is a full-time, term-time role (32.5 hours), giving you the opportunity to do meaningful work while maintaining a strong work-life balance, with school holidays off.
We’re looking for someone who:
– Has experience supporting individuals with additional support needs
– Has a good understanding of safeguarding
– Is a confident communicator with strong reading and writing skills (National 4 or equivalent in English and Maths)
– Can respond flexibly while providing consistent, structured support
– Has BSL (or a willingness to learn) – a bonus
You’ll be part of a values-led, supportive school community where wellbeing and pupil voice are at the heart of everything we do. In return, you’ll receive great benefits, including professional development, up to 12% pension contribution and a salary of £25,276 FTE (£14.96 per hour).
Closing date: Thursday 28 May (9am)
Interviews: Friday 5 June
Find out more and apply: https://bit.ly/4ui8nJe
We’re so proud to share that our Sensational Learning Centre is now a @unicef_uk Rights Respecting School (Bronze).
This journey has been about more than an award – it’s about making sure every pupil feels heard, respected, and valued.
By embedding children’s rights across our school, we’ve seen pupils grow in confidence, speak up about what matters to them, and play a more active role in shaping their school experience.
We’re excited to keep building on this as we work towards our Silver award, with our pupils continuing to lead the way.
Find out more about our Sensational Learning Centre: https://bit.ly/4ui8nJe
#Education #Neurodiversity
⏰Closing Monday – don’t miss out!
We’re hiring Wellbeing Practitioners (Adult Services) in Linlithgow, and there’s still time to apply this weekend.
If you’re passionate about supporting neurodivergent adults to build independence and wellbeing, and want a role with real work-life balance, this could be the opportunity for you.
We have 2 part-time roles available:
– Thurs & Fri, 9am–4pm (job ref: WP13)
– Tues–Thurs, 11.30am–2.30pm (job ref: WP9)
No evenings, no weekends – just consistent, supportive work where you can really make a difference.
You’ll provide calm, person-centred support, helping people with daily living, wellbeing, and achieving what matters most to them.
You’ll also join a supportive, values-led team, with great benefits including generous annual leave, up to 12% pension contribution, and a salary of £25,276 FTE (£14.96 per hour).
Be quick – closing date is Monday 18 May 2026
Find out more: https://bit.ly/4ui8nJe
⏰ Closing Monday – don’t miss out!
We’re hiring Wellbeing Practitioners (Adult Services) in Linlithgow, and there’s still time to apply this weekend.
If you’re passionate about supporting neurodivergent adults to build independence and wellbeing and want a role with real work-life balance, this could be the opportunity for you.
We have 2 part-time roles available:
– Thurs & Fri, 9am–4pm (job ref: WP13)
– Tues–Thurs, 11.30am–2.30pm (job ref: WP9)
No evenings, no weekends – just consistent, supportive work where you can really make a difference.
You’ll provide calm, person-centred support, helping people with daily living, wellbeing, and achieving what matters most to them.
You’ll also join a supportive, values-led team, with great benefits including generous annual leave, up to 12% pension contribution, and a salary of £25,276 FTE (£14.96 per hour).
Be quick – closing date is Monday 18 May 2026
Find out more:https://bit.ly/4ui8nJe
