Eaton Hill in Derbyshire had two children in its care at the beginning of 1948, when it opened as a children's home. From 1981 it began to develop a specifically therapeutic culture "providing a high standard of care, treatment and perseverance when working with traumatised and damaged young people who exhibit various forms of anti-social behaviour. Many have a history of failure or rejection in other community and residential placements", according to its entry in the directory of the Charterhouse Group of Therapeutic Communities. It closed it doors on September 14, 2004.
The entry describes the house as "attractively furnished and decorated to give a feeling of homely warmth and comfort", and "set in three acres of parkland surrounded by woods and pasture....the physical surroundings of the house and grounds provide an environment which helps our residents feel secure and valued; a place where their fears and anxieties can be identified and resolved." It goes on to say "Together with the overall environment and therapeutic culture, we aim to give a clear and overt message about individual behaviour, group expectations, shared responsibilities, the need for warmth and self-expression, and the value of the individual - powerful factors in stimulating personal growth, enabling development towards maturity."
Geraldine Curtis teaches art to adults and piano, lives locally, and has a blog which mentions the therapeutic community, and through which the Archive made contact. She has taken a set of photographs of Eaton Hill, and has made them available on Flickr.