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What does it really take to heal after trauma—and how do we help children do the same without causing more harm? I sit down with Dr Haley Lugassy, a senior educational psychologist whose lived journey from teenage trauma and isolation in Spain to rebuilding life and career in England reframes what recovery looks like. Her story is anchored by the power of one good adult, the steady fuel of hope, and the life‑changing mix of compassion and boundaries.

Haley speaks openly about enduring sensitivities like abandonment anxiety, the long work of therapy, and reclaiming body health after years of masking pain. She explains why “say sorry to your kids” is not weakness, and previews her forthcoming book - a hopeful testament to repair, accountability, and growth. 

If you care about student wellbeing, safeguarding, foster care, or parenting through adversity, this conversation offers grounded strategies and a generous dose of hope.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a colleague or friend, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more people find compassionate, practical guidance when they need it most.

Hayley’s Bio:

Dr. Hayley Lugassy is a Senior Educational Psychologist with Keys Group and the founder of Lugassy Learning Solutions, where she focuses on inspirational speaking and sharing her lived experience to support schools and families. Drawing on her professional expertise and her journey of becoming a mum at 15, Hayley is passionate about bringing compassion, boundaries, and trauma-informed practice into education and parenting. Her work opens up honest conversations about healing, hope, and creating environments where children can thrive.

Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast

Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer

Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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Imagine a world where we don’t just pull kids out of the river but walk upstream to stop them falling in. That’s the shift we make with Professor Julie Taylor, a leading nurse scientist whose work bridges health, social care, and the lived realities of families under pressure. Together we unpack child maltreatment as a public health challenge, not only a forensic problem, and explore what actually moves the needle on safety and wellbeing.

We dig into the socioecological model to map the layers that shape risk and protection: personal histories, family systems, schools, neighbourhoods, services, and policy. Julie reintroduces salutogenesis, the science of what creates health, to rebalance a field that can lean too hard on deficits. Instead of glorifying grit, we ask which supports make resilience possible: stable adults, predictable routines, inclusive classrooms, accessible care, and communities that offer belonging. From universal home visiting to parenting support embedded in trusted relationships, we look at why sustained, long-term help outperforms short, intensive bursts.

The conversation also takes on the “shiny program” problem and the evidence gap. We talk practical evaluation, data linkage, and why frontline teams need smaller caseloads, reflective supervision, and time to think. Then we zoom out to big levers. While poverty doesn’t cause abuse, it magnifies stress and chaos; reducing poverty, expanding paid parental leave, improving affordable childcare, and stabilising housing can lower risk at scale. No magic bullet exists, but a public health approach—paired with realistic investment in people and systems—can build social capital across generations.

If you care about prevention, policy, and the everyday craft of helping families, this conversation offers clarity and momentum. Follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a review with the one upstream change you’d fund first. Your insight might spark the next step forward.

Julie’s Bio:

Professor Julie Taylor is Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Birmingham, UK.

Julie is a nurse scientist specialising in child maltreatment and has extensive research experience with vulnerable populations using a wide range of qualitative and participative methods. Her research programme is concentrated at the interface between health and social care and is largely underpinned by the discourse of cumulative harm and the exponential effects of living with multiple adversities. In particular her work has concentrated on child neglect. 

Professor Taylor has given evidence at a number of inquiries and parliamentary groups and has served frequently on both funding and editorial boards.  She has authored ten books and over 150 academic articles on child abuse and neglect.

Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast

Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer

Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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A series of serendipities and the opportunity to play Winnicott's piano marked Peter Wilson's remarkable journey into child psychotherapy. In this captivating conversation, Peter reveals how a degree in industrial economics led unexpectedly to founding Young Minds, one of the UK's most influential children's mental health charities.

Peter's four years training at the Anna Freud Centre in London during the late 1960s represented a turning point in his life. Working directly with Anna Freud herself, he absorbed the psychoanalytic approach that would define his career spanning more than five decades. His vivid recollections of treating children five times weekly and the intensity of this training provide a window into a therapeutic world that has largely disappeared in our current era.

The most provocative thread running through our conversation is Peter's forthcoming book, "The Adolescent and the Psychotherapist: Why I Don't Know Matters." He argues passionately that embracing uncertainty—both in the therapy room and in policy development—opens space for genuine discovery. When teenagers respond with "I don't know" in therapy, Peter sees not resistance but an authentic state of uncertainty deserving respect. Similarly, he challenges the excessive certainty with which cognitive behavioral therapy is promoted as the treatment of choice despite what he considers limited evidence.

Peter offers a stinging critique of current mental health service delivery models, particularly how the IAPT program and market-based reforms have fragmented services and created competition rather than collaboration between professional disciplines. His observations about the demoralization of the workforce and the devaluing of relationship-based approaches highlight the human cost of these policy directions.

Looking back on his career, Peter wishes he had been more assertive in advocating for psychoanalytic approaches. This reflection reveals a fascinating tension between valuing the humility of "not knowing" while recognizing that sometimes forceful advocacy is needed to protect valuable approaches to understanding human distress. Join us for this profound exploration of a life dedicated to understanding the complexity of children's emotional worlds.

Peter's Bio:

Peter Wilson is a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist.  He qualified  in 1971, having completed his training with Anna Freud in her Centre. 

Since then, he has worked in a variety of organisations, holding senior positions in all of them. These included three Child Guidance Clinics ( now known as CAMHS), two walk- in Centres for young people, a therapeutic community ( the Peper Harow Community) and the Institute of Psychiatry. 

Peter founded a national charity, called YoungMinds, the purpose of which was to raise public awareness of children’s mental health and to improve multi- discipline services. 

Peter later became Clinical Adviser at ThePlace2Be, a national organisation providing counselling services in schools. 

Peter has maintained a small private child and adolescent psychotherapy practice, and now teaches and provides supervision. He is publishing a book in the autumn, entitled ‘ The Adolescent and the Psychotherapist: why ‘ I don’t’ know’ matters'.

Links:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcastPodcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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What if everything we thought we knew about helping traumatised children was backwards? In this profound conversation, Adela Holmes reveals the revolutionary approach that transformed lives at Hurstbridge Farm Therapeutic Residential Care Pilot in Victoria.

At the heart of effective therapeutic care lies what Holmes calls "relentless kindness" – an unwavering commitment to relationship-based approaches that prioritise connection over control. Drawing from neurobiology and decades of practice wisdom, she explains why traditional behavioural management techniques often fail our most vulnerable children.

"Before they can make any lasting change in their behaviour, they need to feel safe and loved," Holmes quotes from Bruce Perry's seminal work. She shares compelling stories that illustrate this principle in action – like the 10-year-old boy who initially resisted constant adult supervision but later panicked when he woke up alone, desperately seeking an adult presence he'd come to rely on.

The Hurstbridge model, grounded in neuroscience and relationship-based care, focuses on meeting children where they are developmentally rather than where society expects them to be. Holmes explains why going "to the lowest part of the brain implicated" is essential for creating meaningful change. This means providing countless repetitions of corrective experiences within safe, consistent relationships.

Despite facing criticism and doubt, Holmes persevered with her approach. The results speak volumes – young people who experienced multiple placement breakdowns finding stability, developing trusting relationships, and eventually creating fulfilling lives. One poignant example: a former resident who recently married and shared the news with staff who had cared for him years earlier.

For anyone working with traumatised children – whether in residential care, foster care, or therapeutic settings – this episode offers invaluable insights into creating environments where healing can truly happen. Listen now to discover how relationship-based approaches, informed by neurobiology, can transform the lives of our most vulnerable children.

Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast

Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer:

Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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Dr. Jenna Bollinger takes us on a revealing journey into the heart of what makes residential care truly effective for vulnerable children and young people. Drawing from her doctoral research on stability in out-of-home care, she challenges conventional wisdom and offers a fresh perspective on how we measure success in these settings.

The podcast opens with a powerful revelation: stability isn't simply about remaining in one placement for a long time. As Dr Bollinger explains, "If I was just told I have to leave my house today for no reason and I don't know where I'm going, I could be in my next house for 12 months, but I don't know how secure I would feel." This insight forms the foundation of her research, which discovered that meaningful relationships are what truly create stability for young people in care.

One of the most touching moments comes when Dr Bollinger shares a story about interviewing a young man who had been in residential care. When she suggested that staff caring about him made a difference, he firmly corrected her: "No, I felt loved." This profound statement highlights what makes residential care work—genuine connections that extend beyond professional boundaries, with former residents maintaining relationships with staff long after leaving care.

Dr Bollinger introduces her "Secure House" model, a practical framework for creating stability in residential settings. Built on a foundation of safety, with walls representing consistent staff relationships, and a ceiling of genuine care, this model provides organizations with clear guidance on what elements must be in place for young people to thrive. She emphasizes that while change is inevitable in these settings, how it's managed makes all the difference.

The conversation also explores how organizations themselves can become traumatized when working with trauma-affected children, and how reflective practice—particularly at leadership levels—can help create healthier workplaces where staff feel heard and valued. 

Wondering how to improve outcomes for the most vulnerable children in our community? Listen now to discover practical insights from someone who's dedicated her career to creating healing environments for young people recovering from trauma and disrupted attachments.

Jenna’s Bio 

Jenna has a Masters Degree in Forensic Psychology from the University of New South Wales, and a PhD from Monash University, where she investigated the experience of, and capacity for stability in, residential out of home care. 

Jenna has worked in out of home care in different capacities since 2012 and is currently the Director of Psychology and Clinical Services for Knightlamp, which consults on assessment and implementation of therapeutic programs in out of home care across Australia. 

Jenna also conducts a variety of assessments, including therapeutic assessments for out of home care, forensic assessments and parenting capacity assessments in the context of the child protection system. 

We hope you enjoy our conversation.

Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast

Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer:

Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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What happens when one person loves a child unconditionally? According to Susan Barton AM, founder of Lighthouse Foundation, "they'll usually make it through." This profound belief forms the backbone of an extraordinary organisation that has transformed the landscape of youth homelessness in Australia over the past 33 years.

Susan's journey began with a shocking encounter in Sri Lanka, where she witnessed a severely malnourished baby covered in abscesses and flies. That moment changed everything. Returning to Australia, she discovered that while our children weren't dying of malnutrition, they faced a different crisis—one of the highest youth suicide rates in the Western world. What started as fostering teenagers in her own home evolved into a revolutionary approach to therapeutic care that has helped over 1,350 young people find healing, with 87% never returning to homelessness.

The Lighthouse model goes far beyond providing shelter. At its core is the understanding that healing happens through relationships and community. Every home is surrounded by a "community committee" of local supporters who become surrogate extended family. All staff engage in reflective practice to understand their emotional responses when working with trauma. Perhaps most revolutionary is their approach to birth families—recognising that "children who have been abused by their parents don't stop loving their parents; they stop loving themselves." Their Young Parents and Babies Programme embodies their philosophy: "We care for the parents so they can care for their children."

Ben Pryke, who left his career in the UK after reading Susan's book on therapeutic residential care, shares powerful stories of transformation—from fathers reconnecting with their children to young mothers learning to play with their babies after their own experiences of childhood trauma. What sets Lighthouse apart is their commitment to long-term support, continuing relationships well beyond the typical age cutoffs, because as Susan explains, "You don't stop being a parent just because they've moved out."

Bio's:

Susan Barton AM founded Lighthouse Foundation 33 years ago and has dedicated her life to helping the most vulnerable children and youth. Her mission is to change the way Australia looks at the issue of child and youth homelessness towards a more therapeutic approach where we create caring communities where all young people – from babies to young adults – can feel safe, form meaningful relationships, and begin their journey to recovery. 

Susan has co-authored two books on childhood trauma, was awarded an Order of Australia for services to youth in Australia, was named Melburnian of the Year in 2009, and was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women for her significant achievements and contribution to the Victorian community, in 2012.

Inspired by the Lighthouse Foundation’s values and vision for high-quality care, Ben joined the organisation in 2018 as a Therapeutic Carer, supporting children, young people, young parents, and babies in need of a secure base.

In 2021, Ben became the Manager of Youth and Family Services; leading Lighthouse Foundation’s nine therapeutic residential care homes.

Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast

Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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Patricia Sheridan's remarkable journey from critical observer to pioneering founder reveals how one person's vision can transform an entire field. When she established Moore House School in 1988, Mrs Sheridan was swimming against the tide of conventional childcare practices in Scotland, where controlling children took precedence over nurturing their potential.

What began as a small residential school has blossomed into the Moore House Group – encompassing residential education, foster care services, and specialized support for neurodiverse children. Throughout this evolution, Mrs Sheridan maintained an unwavering commitment to a revolutionary principle: every child deserves to be surrounded by adults who genuinely believe in their capabilities and potential.

The conversation explores how Mrs Sheridan cultivated an organizational culture where everyone – from teachers to care staff to foster carers – receives consistent training in attachment theory and trauma-informed approaches. This creates what she lovingly calls the "Moore House family," a community united by shared values and language. Particularly moving is her description of care staff learning alongside children, demonstrating that vulnerability and growth are lifelong pursuits for everyone.

Mrs Sheridan's reflections on Scotland's childcare landscape reveal how far the field has come. The language of love, relationships, and potential that once made her an outlier has become mainstream, reflected in national initiatives like "The Promise." While challenges remain, particularly in shifting from damage control to prevention, her optimism is contagious.

Most powerfully, Mrs Sheridan dismantles the myth that traumatized children are inherently difficult to connect with. "Relationships are the vehicle to all healing," she asserts, sharing how creating environments where children feel worthy and capable transforms "impossible" into "I'm possible." Her story proves that institutional change begins with belief – in children's potential and in our own capacity to create more humane systems of care.

Patricia’s Bio

Mrs Sheridan established Moore House School in 1988.  Her drive was to create a service with her personal mantras “Determined to Deliver Excellence” and “I’m Possible” for young people. 

Mrs Sheridan leads the Board of Directors and continues to have a hands-on approach using a range of experiences and techniques to engage with young people to elicit their views on the service they are receiving.  

Her passion is for young people to be supported by adults who believe in their potential and adults who share the organisational values of respect, integrity and dignity for all.  

Mrs Sheridan reminds us that we are responsible for creating trusting relationships and happy memories for our young people.  She strives to ensure that our young people experience as many creative, happy, nurturing memories as possible.

Mrs Sheridan continues to strive for excellence and ensures that her passion for high quality services is cascaded throughout the organisation to encourage each and every team member to recognise the important part they play in the wellbeing and progress that our young people experience.

Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast

Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer:

Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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Richard Rowlandson draws from over five decades of experience at the Mulberry Bush School to share profound insights about therapeutic residential care for traumatised children. His journey from New York City to the English countryside led to a lifelong commitment to creating environments where troubled children can learn to live with themselves and others.

At the heart of Richard's approach is the concept of belonging. He eloquently unpacks how children who don't feel "held in mind" by adults will produce behaviours to be "on their mind" instead – even when those behaviours have negative consequences. This fundamental understanding transforms how we view challenging behaviour: "If I can't be in their mind, I better be on their mind, because if I'm not either of those places, I'm out of their mind and out of my mind."

Richard shares powerful stories that illuminate the patient, persistent work required to help children heal from relational trauma. Using the beautiful metaphor of "tempo rubato" from music – time that has been stolen – he explains how these children have had their childhood time stolen, and therapeutic communities work to give some of that time back. This perspective challenges our results-driven culture, reminding us that "the long-term hurt many of these children have suffered requires some long-term work."

For educators and caregivers in mainstream settings, Richard offers practical wisdom about the power of community. He suggests that schools have enormous untapped potential to foster belonging simply by creating regular spaces where students can reflect together on "how are we doing?" This simple shift – emphasizing "we" rather than isolating troubled individuals – could transform school cultures without requiring them to become full therapeutic communities.

Whether you work directly with traumatised children or simply care about creating more healing environments for young people, this conversation offers both practical guidance and profound inspiration. Richard's lifetime commitment to this work stands as testament to its value, with former pupils still reaching out decades later to acknowledge the difference it made in their lives.

Richard’s Bio

Richard has a long association with Residential Therapeutic Communities, having worked at the Mulberry Bush School for well over 20 years and where, from 1991 to 2001, he was its Director. He was also Director, Children and Young People, at the Peper Harow Foundation, from 2001 to 2005. 

Richard qualified as a Social Worker with an MSc from Oxford University in 1983, following the then Part 1 training in Child Psychotherapy at the Tavistock Centre. In 2005 he completed the Ashridge MA and training in Organisational Consulting. He has been Chairman of the Charterhouse Group of Therapeutic Communities and for many years the Chairman of the Care Leavers’ Foundation. In 2014 he became Chair of Trustees at the Mulberry Bush School, only recently stepping down from that position, while remaining a Trustee with a special brief for the links and development of the contacts with and participation of former pupils. He has published numerous articles and continues to lecture widely across the UK and Europe.

Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast

Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer:

Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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Andrew Isaac brings decades of leadership experience in children's social care to this eye-opening discussion about the state of foster care in the UK. As Chair of BSN Social Care and the Children's Services Development Group, Andrew offers rare insights into both the frontline challenges and policy considerations shaping outcomes for vulnerable young people.

The conversation tackles the alarming 30% increase in children entering care across England since 2010, examining how this surge has stretched resources and created unprecedented challenges. Andrew expertly dissects the intersection of funding constraints, outdated legislation, and shifting societal dynamics that complicate effective care delivery. His passion for early intervention shines through as he shares compelling economic data: every pound invested in proper care yields sixteen pounds in lifetime returns, with potential savings of nearly a billion pounds from the justice system alone by reducing the number of care-experienced young people in prison.

Most poignantly, Andrew addresses what he calls "the cliff edge at 18" – the arbitrary point where young people transition overnight from comprehensive support to navigating multiple agencies independently. The statistics are heartbreaking: care leavers are seven times more likely to commit suicide than their peers. Through powerful anecdotes and evidence-based insights, Andrew makes a compelling case for extending meaningful support beyond this artificial boundary.

The discussion also explores the delicate art of foster carer recruitment and retention, highlighting the importance of honest conversations that address concerns while emphasizing the profound difference carers make. Andrew shares touching success stories alongside practical strategies for supporting carers through challenging placements and transitions.

Whether you work in social care, are considering fostering, or simply care about society's most vulnerable members, this conversation offers essential perspective on how we might better support young people to achieve what one expert calls "the great aspiration of children in care" – an ordinary life. Subscribe now to join this important conversation about creating lasting positive change for generations to come.

Andrew’s Bio

Andrew is a highly accomplished leader within heavily regulated healthcare, children’s services and special needs education environments.  

Andrew is the Chair of BSN Social care, the parent company of six of the UK’s leading foster care agencies servicing much of England and Wales.

Andrew is also the Chair of the Children’s Services Development Group (CSDG), a coalition of leading independent providers of care and specialist education services, who work closely with policymakers, regulators and local authorities to develop policy solutions that will ensure the best possible outcomes for children and young people with complex needs. 

Andrew was previously the marketing and communications manager for the National Fostering Agency, which is when we first interacted with each other. I was under the impression that he retired some time ago, but as we will hear that does not appear to be the case.

Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast

Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer:

Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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Colby Pearce connects with the core technical team of Livramento, a residential care home in Portugal with a remarkable 200-year history of supporting girls and young women from ages 6 to 25.

• Tracing Livramento's journey from a closed orphanage during Napoleonic times to today's therapeutic community
• Exploring how a revolutionary director in the 1970s transformed the institution by focusing on education and personal development
• Developing a comprehensive therapeutic model with consultant Patrick Tomlinson that emphasizes reflective practice
• Creating graduated independence through pre-autonomous living within the home and apartments in the community
• Achieving a 99-100% academic success rate through educational partnerships and scholarship programs
• Working systemically with families to promote healthy relationships and potential reunification
• Building a culture where staff at all levels receive supervision and support to prevent burnout
• Demonstrating how residential care can be the best option for some young people when implemented with therapeutic intention

My guests, and I say guests because there are five of them, are Ivone, Maria, Bruna, Carla, and Liliana, from Lar Nossa Senhora do Livramento.

About Livramento

The Fundação Lar Nossa Senhora do Livramento (FLNSL) is a non-profit Private Social Solidarity Institution (IPSS) that receives female children and young people aged between 6 and 25 years old into its residential care programme. 

The history of Livramento is intertwined with the history of the city of Porto, dating back to the Napoleonic invasions. At that time, a group of citizens organised themselves to protect children and their mothers from abandonment and mistreatment, creating the first shelter in 1810. 

Livramento accommodates female children and young people aged 6 and over who are in a situation of danger or neglect, and whose reception is requested by the competent entities – Family and Juvenile Court or Commission for the Protection of Children and Young People at Risk. The objective of this social response is the protection and rehabilitation of children and young people, aiming at the following possible life projects: family reunification, foster care, adoption or autonomy.
 
Livramento operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, ensuring accommodation, food and personal care as well as monitoring and promoting their integral development.

In recent years, the residential shelter has undergone a very significant transformation process, which I am hoping to discuss further in this episode of the podcast.

Welcome Ivone (Psychologist), Maria (Social Worker), Carla (Psychologist), Liliana (Special Education Technician), and Bruna (Psychology Intern).

Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast

Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

 Disclaimer

Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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What happens when someone with lived experience of the care system becomes a leading voice in trauma-informed practice? Dr. Lisa Cherry's journey from writing complaints to the director of social services as a child in care to becoming an internationally recognised consultant offers profound insights into breaking intergenerational cycles of trauma.

Drawing from her 35 years of experience working in education and children's services, Dr. Cherry shares the deeply personal story of how raising her own children became "one of the deepest education experiences" she's had. Her powerful reflections on breaking cycles through consistent presence and connection with her now-adult children demonstrates the transformative potential of trauma-informed parenting and practice.

Two critical messages emerge that could revolutionise how we support vulnerable children. First, we must examine the problematic language used to describe children and young people in care - language that shapes how they're viewed and treated. Second, we need deeper understanding that behaviour is communication, especially when children lack the capacity to articulate their trauma verbally. As Dr. Cherry explains, "It's very difficult to think about behaviour as communication if you don't have time and space to think about how you communicate your own distress when distressed."

The conversation explores how starved systems with reduced funding make genuine relational work increasingly difficult, yet Dr. Cherry shares examples of organisations prioritising connection and belonging against these odds. Her three books - including the recently published "Weaving a Web of Belonging" - combine academic knowledge, professional practice and lived experience in accessible ways for busy practitioners.

Want to transform your understanding of trauma-informed practice? This episode offers both practical insights and profound wisdom from someone who's walked the path from care experience to international advocacy. Listen now to discover how we can create services that truly understand human development and support both children and the professionals who work with them.

Lisa's Bio:

Dr Lisa Cherry is the Director of Trauma Informed Consultancy Services Ltd leading a dynamic and creative organisation that provides a 'one stop' approach to delivering on research, consultancy and learning and development. Lisa is an author, researcher, leading international trainer and consultant, specialising in assisting schools, services and systems to create systemic change to the way that we work with those experiencing and living with, the legacy of trauma. Lisa has been working in and around Education and Children’s Services for over 35 years and combines academic knowledge and research with professional expertise and personal experience. Lisa has worked extensively across many sectors with Social workers, Educators, Probation Workers and those in Adult Services, training and speaking to over 35,000 people around the world including in the US, Australia and Pakistan and across the whole of the UK.

To find out more about Lisa, visit her website: https://www.ticservicesltd.com/

To listen to a podcast interview I gave on Lisa's podcast (referred to in this episode), visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D3A4g73Dqw

Links:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcastPodcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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What makes attachment so crucial for foster children, and how can carers build connection with young people who seem determined to push them away? In this illuminating conversation, clinical psychologist Colby reveals the profound impact of attachment on every aspect of child development.

Attachment isn't just about emotional bonding—it shapes how children explore their world, develop reading skills, and even their motor development. For children in foster care, who typically have disorganized attachment styles resulting from frightening or harmful parenting experiences, building secure attachment presents unique challenges. Yet understanding these challenges opens the door to powerful solutions.

Colby introduces the AURA framework—Accessible, Understanding, Responsive, and Attuned care—as a guide for creating healing relationships. When children experience adults as consistently present, understanding their experiences, responsive to their needs, and attuned to their emotional states, they gradually develop the sense that they are worthy of care and that adults can be trusted.

For young people who seem to reject connection, Colby offers a counterintuitive but effective approach: lower the dose. Brief check-ins, simple acknowledgments of their experience ("You look like you had a tough day"), and providing things they enjoy without making a fuss can communicate care without triggering defensive responses. Remarkably, research suggests that as little as five minutes of daily interactive play—like a game of Uno—can significantly improve attachment relationships.

The conversation explores how shame operates in traumatized children and how carers can respond to challenging behaviours in ways that promote healing rather than reinforcing negative self-perceptions. Children see themselves as they experience adults seeing them—the "looking glass self" concept—making it crucial for carers to recognize progress, however small.

Whether you're caring for a child with attachment difficulties or simply interested in the profound influence of early relationships, this discussion offers practical wisdom for nurturing connection and helping young people develop the self-worth that underpins a functional, happy life.

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The work gets easier when the purpose gets clearer. I sit down with social care consultant and leadership trainer Tom Ellison to unpack how a simple, jargon-free primary task can reshape children’s residential care. Tom traces his path from frontline practice to boardrooms and back into coaching, explaining why so many teams know what “good” looks like yet struggle to do it consistently. His answer is both bold and practical: define the primary task, align everyone to it, and use supervision to keep that alignment steady.

Tom breaks alignment into a living practice rather than a slogan. He challenges leaders to risk being unpopular, take up their authority without apology, and draw straight lines from daily tasks to therapeutic aims. We examine the tension between Ofsted ratings and child-centred work, and why regulation should guide, not govern, your purpose. Clear responsibility, clean handovers, and a shared culture of safety reduce chaos and create space for growth.

We dive into supervision as the engine room of thoughtful care. Tom’s two-part frame—alignment and understanding—helps teams process anxiety, recognise projection and transference in plain language, and turn reflection into action. We talk neurology, trauma-informed practice, and why sanctions often fail. Most of all, we return to practical steps: ask what you’re here to do, what it looks like when done well, what gets in the way, and what the plan is. Keep the language simple, the authority grounded, and the purpose front and centre.

If this conversation helps you think and act with more clarity, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a review with one insight you’ll apply this week.

Tom's Bio:

Tom is an accomplished Consultant and leadership trainer with over 30 years in children’s residential care, specialising in innovative leadership and mental health support for young people. Through Elevate Professional Development, launched in 2025, he delivers UK-wide workshops to strengthen care leadership. With 20 years of boardroom experience, Tom has consistently driven strategic leadership and service transformation. Holding a BPS-approved Psychology degree, a Master’s in Psychoanalytic Observational Studies, and postgraduate qualifications in Management and Strategic Management, he blends academic and practical expertise. Currently, he serves as Non-Executive Chair at AMMA Childcare Ltd, Non-Executive Director at Cedars Childcare Ltd and Empathy CIC, and advises the leadership teams of a number of organisations in the third and independent
sectors.

Links:

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Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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A childhood moment of terror when separated from her parents for mere minutes sparked Dr. Kiran Modi's lifelong mission to transform care for vulnerable children across India. 

What follows is the extraordinary story of Udayan Care, an organization Dr. Modi founded in 1994 after visiting over 150 childcare institutions. Rejecting the prevailing model of large, isolated orphanages, she pioneered the LIFE (Living in Family Environment) approach—creating small, community-integrated homes where children receive individualized care and form lasting attachments. Most revolutionary is her "voluntary mentor parents" system, where committed adults pledge lifelong relationships with these children, creating the stability so desperately needed by those who've experienced family disruption.

Dr. Modi's insights on trauma are particularly powerful. "Trauma lodges in your heart," she explains, challenging simplistic notions of recovery. Rather than pretending trauma can be erased, Udayan Care focuses on building resilience and coping mechanisms while acknowledging that for many children, the emotional scars remain. This realistic, compassionate approach permeates everything from their therapeutic models to their comprehensive aftercare programs supporting young people transitioning to independence.

The impact is extraordinary—operating in 36 cities across 15 Indian states, supporting over 16,000 girls in higher education, training 30,000 youth in vocational skills, and pioneering India's first care leavers networks. But perhaps most remarkable is how Dr. Modi bridges practice and policy, turning frontline experiences into research that drives systemic change. Her work establishing BICON (Asia's largest platform for care reform) and an international academic journal demonstrates how thoughtful integration of service, research and advocacy can transform child welfare systems.

 Kiran’s Bio

 Kiran has a PhD in American Literature from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

Kiran founded Udayan Care, a non-profit organization, in 1994. Since then Udayan Care has delivered programs at national and international level, with a focus on family strengthening and care reform. Under Kiran’s leadership, Udayan Care now operates in 36 cities across 15 states in India and has international chapters in the USA and Germany. 

Kiran developed the LIFE (Living In Family Environment) model for group homes, initiated aftercare programs, and launched the Udayan Shalini Fellowship, which has supported over 16,000 girls in higher education. Kiran also established 24 IT and Vocational Training Centers, training over 30,000 youth.

Kiran has pioneered several initiatives including BICON, Biennial International Conference on Alternative Care for Children in Asia, (BICONs), Asia’s largest platform for care reform; an international journal, ICB, Institutionalised Children Explorations and Beyond, and related initiatives. Kiran led India’s first care leavers study, resulting in new programs and the formation of the country’s first care leavers’ network, as well as a global network of care leavers. 

Kiran is a recipient of many prestigious awards, including the National Award for Child Welfare - India's highest commendation for a non-profit child welfare organisation,&

Links: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast

https://www.udayancare.org/

Disclaimer

Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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What makes therapeutic care truly effective? Simon Benjamin takes us on a journey through his remarkable career—from cleaning houses as a support worker to leading the Lighthouse Foundation as CEO—to reveal the essential ingredients of healing environments for vulnerable children and young people.

Drawing from his immersive experiences at the Mulberry Bush School in the UK and the Lighthouse Foundation in Australia, Simon articulates a profound truth often overlooked in our sector: therapeutic practice must permeate every level of an organisation to be effective. When leadership teams maintain their own reflective spaces, they model the vulnerability and trust-building that forms the foundation of healing relationships with clients.

"The alignment has got to be through the whole system, from top to bottom," Simon explains, offering a compelling metaphor for why comprehensive support structures matter. Working in child protection is like navigating rough terrain—without proper "suspension" systems like reflective practice and ongoing training, staff get "bashed up" and eventually leave, their potential for creating meaningful change lost in the process.

Most powerfully, Simon challenges organisations to examine whether their therapeutic approaches actually reach a "therapeutic level" where healing begins. Just as medication must reach a certain concentration in the bloodstream to combat disease, therapeutic care must provide enough positive experiences to create real change in people's lives. This requires more than simply being "trauma-informed"—it demands consistent, thoughtful practice embedded in organisational culture.

For leaders considering implementing therapeutic approaches, Simon's advice is clear: genuine leadership buy-in is essential, and the change process itself should model the therapeutic principles being introduced. By engaging the entire organisation in this journey, leaders create alignment that supports lasting transformation for both staff and clients.

Whether you're a frontline worker, manager, or executive in social care, this conversation offers practical wisdom for creating environments where vulnerability becomes strength and healing becomes possible. Join us as we explore how reflective practice at every level creates organisations capable of truly transformative work.

Simon’s Bio:

For two decades, Simon experienced a wide range of care models in disability, mental health, special education, out-of-home care and Aboriginal childcare services. This included caring for deeply traumatised children in both community-based and state-run residential care homes.

More than 10 years of this time was spent immersed in the well-established therapeutic milieu workplaces of The Mulberry Bush School in the United Kingdom, and Lighthouse Foundation in Australia, having been CEO for more than five years at the latter.

Simon now draws on this rich career experience, together with the latest research and evidence-based approaches, to empower organisational leaders, teams and frontline workers to better manage their own wellbeing and deliver optimal outcomes.

While his work supports a broad range of clients, Simon specialises in Out of Home Care, Mental Health, Homelessness sectors.

Links:

Simon's Website: https://blueskies.net.au/

Colby's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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What happens when leadership falters in high-stakes environments? Children and families suffer. After managing social services during Northern Ireland's most volatile political period, Lynne Peyton discovered that exceptional leadership isn't just desirable—it's essential for transforming lives.

"Culture flows downhill," Lynne explains, revealing why her CORE leadership model targets organisations from the top down. Drawing from experiences where staff navigated dangerous conditions to support vulnerable families, she shares powerful insights about creating environments where practitioners can thrive despite challenges. The ripple effect is undeniable: confident staff create empowered clients.

Lynne's journey from aspiring language teacher to social worker began when she encountered people struggling with homelessness and addiction. "I've been fascinated by people's stories ever since," she reflects. This curiosity fueled her progression through leadership roles during tumultuous times, where creative community partnerships became essential for effective service delivery.

The CORE model—Communication, Optimisation, Relationships, and Evaluation—provides a framework for sustainable leadership development. Rather than focusing solely on communication as speaking well, Lynne emphasises listening and asking powerful questions. She reframes work-life balance as "life-work integration," acknowledging that sometimes work demands everything, while at other times family needs take priority.

Perhaps most provocatively, Lynne challenges the effectiveness of internal leadership development programs. "Middle managers can't coach senior leaders," she observes, explaining why external perspective is crucial for executive growth. Her independent stance allows leaders to be vulnerable in ways impossible with internal staff.

 Bio

Born and educated in Belfast Northern Ireland, Lynne’s spirit for adventure was fostered in the Officers’ Training Corps where she participated in a  wide range of adventure training and leadership activities, including a transfer to the Virginia National Guard during a temporary social work position in a family crisis centre in Richmond in 1980. She also gained her Private Pilot license during that time.

A qualified Social Worker, Lynne is a former senior manager in Health and Social Services, having held both operational and strategic management responsibilities for mental health and services for children and families. She was the director of a not-for-profit children’s charity for a number of years. She is also a master practitioner in NLP and neuro strategies, which she believes are essential to building rapport and great communication. 

Since establishing her consultancy almost 20 years ago, Lynne has been passionate about helping organisations working with vulnerable children to get better results. Her CORE Leadership Programme (Communication, Optimisation; Relationships, Evaluation) simultaneously targets executive teams as well as managers at all levels in organisations to bring about changes in attitude, culture, confidence, performance and outcomes.  

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Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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When Graeme Kerridge first stepped into the Cotswold Community in 1977, he encountered a revolutionary approach to caring for deeply troubled young people. What he learned there would shape his understanding of human potential and systems thinking for decades to come.

The Cotswold Community was no ordinary residential care setting. Under Richard Balbirnie's visionary leadership, this former approved school was transforming into a therapeutic community based on the principles of Donald Winnicott and Barbara Dockar-Drysdale. Without locks, bars, or restraints, staff worked with boys who were often one step away from secure institutions, creating a holding environment where healing could begin.

Graeme shares the story of a 13-year-old who stole soft toys from a childcare center—a poignant revelation of his emotional deprivation. Remarkably, this same young man contacted Graeme 39 years later. Despite a rough start after leaving the community, he had maintained a stable 20-year relationship, raised university-educated sons, and broken his family's intergenerational cycle of dysfunction.

What made the Cotswold approach so effective? A commitment to being a true learning institution where staff constantly reflected on their practice. A systems perspective that recognized how every element of care connected. A careful triaging process that assessed whether they could truly help each child without draining staff resources. These principles followed Graeme throughout his subsequent career in healthcare management and international health development.

Our conversation raises important questions about Australia's current approach to troubled youth. While residential care has evolved toward smaller community houses, we lack comprehensive therapeutic communities like those that continue to operate in the UK. The economic and human case for investment is compelling—just as Graeme witnessed in international health programs where every dollar invested returned $42 to society.

Graeme’s Bio

Graeme is an international health development consultant who has worked in over 25 countries throughout Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and in the countries of the former Soviet Union. He has particularly focused on assignments supporting grants from the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM). In addition to working as a consultant and technical team leader on assignments funded by USAID, AusAID (DFAT), GIZ and other donors, for several years he was a technical manager on a major USAID project based in Washington DC where he managed and oversaw multiple teams of consultants supporting Global Fund grants around the world. 

Prior to his international development career, Graeme worked for 18 years in health care management in several states of Australia. He started his professional career, however, working for several years in the late 1970s at The Cotswold Community, an experimental therapeutic community for maladjusted children in Wiltshire, UK.  While he did not continue working in that field after returning to Australia, he often reflects on his learnings from that period in pursuing a career in the management of caring organisations.

I found Graeme's reflections fascinating. I hope you do too.

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Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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Adela Holmes brings over five decades of wisdom to this compelling conversation about healing our most vulnerable children. With a career spanning 52 years in child protection and therapeutic care, Adela shares the remarkable journey that led her from folk singing in coffee lounges to designing groundbreaking therapeutic programs for traumatized young people.

Discover the story behind Hurstbridge Farm, a pioneering therapeutic residential care program that transformed outcomes for children who had experienced complex trauma. When traditional systems were failing these young people—often criminalizing their trauma responses—Adela helped create a relationship-based model that changed their life trajectories. The results speak volumes: while similar children in traditional care settings plateaued or deteriorated, 65-75% of young people at Hurstbridge showed significant improvement.

What made the difference? Not the farm setting itself, as many assume, but the consistent, calm presence of adults who understood trauma and provided psychological containment. "People think that it's the farm environment that is the key, but it's not. It's relationships," Adela explains. Through powerful stories and examples, she illustrates how seemingly small moments—like a formerly street-entrenched boy asking her to walk with him to retrieve a birthday present—represent monumental shifts in a child's capacity to trust and connect.

Adela's passion remains undiminished after more than five decades, driven by seeing the profound difference therapeutic care makes. Her message to policy makers is clear and urgent: "Don't fiddle with what does work. Add to what does work... Spend the money now, because in 10 years' time is when the judgment will come." 

Bio:

Adela has a career spanning 52-years, during which she has worked in the child protection, child & family welfare & out of home care fields for both the Victorian state government and the non-government sector. 

 Adela has a well-established track record in designing, developing and delivering complex trauma grounded therapeutic care services for the most complex and challenging children and adolescents, and an expertise for working successfully with and supporting others to work with these children and adolescents. 

During her career Adela has designed and been involved in the ‘start up’ leadership and management of significant therapeutic service initiatives funded by the Victorian state government. These include the ‘Take Two” Intensive Therapeutic Service and the Victorian government’s successful pilot therapeutic residential care program, Hurstbridge Farm. 

12 other pilot programs were developed using the same model and, in 2011, all 13 were evaluated as being highly effective in producing positive life outcomes. 

In October 2024 Adela was awarded the inaugural Centre for Excellence in Child & Family Welfare Industry Lifetime Achievement Award for Services to Out of Home Care. 

Adela has no intention of retiring as she loves what she does and still has much energy to provide input into the healing care of children impacted by complex trauma. Adela believes strongly in the ca

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Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/


Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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Shame isn't just a fleeting emotion—it's a complex process that profoundly shapes our lives from childhood through adulthood. In this eye-opening conversation, psychosexual therapist and PhD researcher Lisa Etherson introduces her groundbreaking Shame Containment Theory, revealing how our earliest attachment experiences create enduring sensitivities that influence everything from our relationships to our work choices.

Drawing from both clinical experience and rigorous research, Lisa explains how shame functions as part of our attachment system, designed to keep us connected to others and functioning in society. She breaks down the five components of her theory: attachment injuries, shame response, contained shame (including shame scripts), shame containment strategies, and uncontained shame. This framework helps us understand why seemingly innocuous childhood experiences—like a distracted parent or an unavailable caregiver—can create lasting patterns that we carry into adulthood.

The conversation takes a fascinating turn when examining Netflix's controversial series "Adolescence," exploring how intergenerational shame passes from fathers to sons, and how violence often serves as a re-containment strategy when masculinity itself becomes a source of shame. Lisa challenges the notion that external factors like social media are the primary drivers of concerning behavior in young people, suggesting instead that we need to look more deeply at attachment and shame.

Whether you're a mental health professional, parent, or someone curious about your own patterns, this episode offers transformative insights into changing your relationship with shame. Lisa's perspective helps us see that shame isn't something to eliminate but to understand—a necessary emotion that, when properly contained, allows us to live connected, authentic lives.

Connect with Lisa through LinkedIn or explore her recently published academic article on Shame Containment Theory. Her children's book "Jake and His Shame Armor" will be available this summer, offering a tool for adults to help children understand and navigate shame in healthy ways.

Lisa is a qualified psychosexual therapist with over a decade of experience in private practice. Currently, she is also a PhD researcher. Her research focuses on developmental shame, and compulsive sexual behaviour in adult men, leading to the development of her innovative Shame Containment Theory (SCT). Her clinical work and research have cultivated a strong interest in the impact of childhood experiences on adult behaviour. Lisa is the author of Jake and his Shame Armour, a children’s book about shame.

You can find our more about Lisa's work here.

You can connect with Lisa on LinkedIn here.

Links:
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Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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Join me for a highly engaging and thought provoking conversation with Catherine (Cath) Knibbs, as we discuss the scope of harms children and young people may experience when online, Cath's reaction to the Netflix series, Adolescence, and Cath's question to me without notice about how we are failing boys in  contemporary western society and discourse.  I hope you like it!

About Cath:

Cath is a Researcher, Psychotherapist, Author, Speaker, and Doctoral candidate looking at the real harm children suffer in a world of technology, which is advancing quicker than many adults can keep up with.
 
Cath has a background in Engineering in the Army, IT, and Computer Tech of over 25 years, and over a decade of working with children and adults directly around issues relating to the internet, from Bullying to Porn viewing, from cybercrime to cybersecurity and more.
 
Cath writes about issues such as the impact of tech on the developing child, the impact of cyber trauma and the issues of immersive technology on eyes, brains, and bodies.
 
Cath runs a company educating professionals about child safeguarding around tech and digital spaces, and she teaches therapists how to be 'safe AND secure' when using tech to ensure they protect their clients.

For more information about Cath visit her website.

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Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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Emotional wellbeing in child protection

What drives us toward careers in child protection, and how might our personal histories unconsciously shape our professional approaches? Dr Nicola O'Sullivan takes us on a profound journey through the emotional terrain of social care work, revealing how her own experiences of childhood trauma unconsciously propelled her into caregiving roles.

With remarkable candour, she explores how her training at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust transformed her understanding of herself and her work. "I brought with me a lot of unconscious items," she reflects, describing how overconfidence and determination masked vulnerability. This journey toward self-awareness, though painful, proved essential to becoming what she calls "a more solid, safe practitioner."

O'Sullivan offers a refreshing perspective on psychological defences in high-stress environments like child protection. Rather than viewing defences as obstacles to eliminate, she suggests practitioners tell families, "Please don't drop your defences. You need them until we have something that might offer something better." This nuanced approach acknowledges that defences serve important protective functions while recognising when they might interfere with effective practice.

The conversation delves into systems psychodynamic theory as a framework for understanding what happens beneath the surface in helping organisations. By integrating psychoanalysis, group relations theories, and open systems perspectives, practitioners can better understand the interconnections between various parts of a social system. O'Sullivan explains how this approach helps track "processes in the work between workers and between workers and families and workers and organisations."

For those in the field, O'Sullivan's insights on supervision prove invaluable. Good supervision, she argues, acknowledges the intersection between personal experience, professional role, and the work itself. Using a clear model (she recommends the Seven-Eyed Model), supervision creates a containing space where practitioners can process difficult emotions rather than avoiding them – crucial when we consider that avoidance only increases anxiety over time.

Listen to discover why reflective practice matters now more than ever in a field where workers face anxiety not just from trauma exposure but also from fears of inspection and scapegoating. Whether you're new to social care or a seasoned practitioner, O'Sullivan's wisdom offers both validation and challenge: "Go gently, try not to feel so much shame about your own history, and find people who are wise and kind and open and curious and uncertain."

Nicola’s Bio

Nicola  is a Lecturer, Clinical Supervisor and Social Care Consultant, and has worked with children and families in community and residential settings for 24 years. 

Nicola consults to senior managers in organisations nationally and internationally, and provides individual and group supervision to social workers, social care workers, forensic teams, and frontline workers at all levels in community and hospital settings. Nicola works clinically in frontline practice with foster families. 

In this episode we discuss supervision in social work and social care settings.

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Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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Creating Therapeutic Environments for Traumatized Children: Lessons from the Cotswold Community and Beyond

What does it truly take to create healing environments for our most vulnerable children? In this thought-provoking conversation with John Whitwell, former principal of the pioneering Cotswold Community and director of the UK's first therapeutic foster care program, we explore the essential ingredients of therapeutic care across different settings.

John takes us through the remarkable transformation of the Cotswold Community from a punitive approved school to a therapeutic community for emotionally unintegrated boys. With unflinching honesty, he describes the challenges of this radical shift – the resistance from staff, the initial chaos, and the years required to establish a truly therapeutic culture. Central to this success was a clear primary task that united everyone from maintenance staff to therapists: helping emotionally unintegrated children heal and grow.

The conversation delves into crucial therapeutic principles that remain relevant decades later. John explains how Barbara Docker-Drysdale's approach to understanding behaviour as communication revolutionized their work with traumatized children. Rather than focusing on controlling behaviour, staff learned to look for the communication breakdown behind acting out and to connect with children's inner worlds through symbolic play.

Perhaps most compelling is John's gardening metaphor for therapeutic care: "We're emotional gardeners creating conditions for children to grow." This perspective recognizes that growth potential exists within each child; our job is creating the right environment for that potential to flourish. It's a powerful counterpoint to outcome-focused approaches that fail to appreciate the importance of process.

Whether you work in residential care, foster care, or any setting supporting traumatized young people, John's hard-won wisdom offers valuable guidance. His reflections remind us that meaningful healing work requires aligned teams, regular consultation, ongoing training, and the patience to create conditions where growth can naturally emerge. Subscribe now to hear more conversations with pioneers in therapeutic care on the Secure Start podcast.

John’s Bio

John was formerly a UKCP registered Psychotherapist and a full member of the British Psychotherapy Foundation (BPF).

John was also the Chair of Trustees of the Gloucestershire Counselling Service and Trustee of the Planned Environment Therapy Trust and the Mulberry Bush Organisation.

Between 1985 and 1999 John was the Principal of the Cotswold Community a pioneering therapeutic community for emotionally unintegrated boys.

Thereafter, between  1999 and 2014 John was the Managing Director of Integrated Services Programme (ISP), the first therapeutic foster care programme in the UK.

I am very much interested in John’s views from working across these different types of out of home care. I hope you will enjoy our conversation too. 

John's Website: https://www.johnwhitwell.co.uk/

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Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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Family Preservation Through Trauma Informed Practice

What does it take to safely reunify over 1,200 children with their families? Sally Rhodes, founder of Connecting Families, takes us behind the scenes of her remarkable 20-year journey building South Australia's largest family reunification service.

The conversation opens with a powerful reflection that frames everything that follows: "The decisions that we make, the things that we write, the recommendations that we make about families have long-lasting impact." This awareness shapes Sally's approach to the complex world of child protection and family preservation.

Sally's path to this work began in childhood, influenced by her father's stance against injustice and early exposure to children living in institutional care. From her first position in residential care in 1985 to establishing Connecting Families in 2004, she has maintained a consistent vision – children belong with their families whenever safely possible.

At the heart of successful reunification work lies a willingness to challenge conventional approaches. Through her Churchill Fellowship studying the Resolutions Approach in the UK, Sally developed expertise in working with families where traditional demands for "admissions" create barriers to progress. She offers compelling insights into how shame operates as a powerful impediment to change and how practitioners can create conditions where genuine safety planning becomes possible without forcing disclosures that trigger profound shame responses.

The conversation also reveals how effective teams mirror the very therapeutic relationships they aim to build with families. Just as families need psychological safety to be vulnerable and make changes, practitioners require teams where diverse perspectives are valued while maintaining aligned values and approaches. This balance creates the collective wisdom and voice that has been crucial to Connecting Families' enduring success.

Sally's Bio:

Sally has a Master of Social Work, and a Graduate Diploma in Family Therapy.

Sally, commenced working in residential care in 1985, then followed her passion for strengthening families through working intensively in family preservation services.  

In 2004 Sally established Connecting Families, a therapeutic Reunification and Family Preservation service, which has grown to 17 practitioners. 

Sally is trained in Narrative Therapy, Marte Meo, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics ,and Signs of Safety.

Sally was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to work in the UK with the Resolutions Approach - Working with Denied Child Abuse.  

Connecting Families is now the largest Reunification Service is South Australia and, together the team has safely reunified over 1200 children, and prevented the removal of many more.  

Sally provides training and consultation to Government and Non-Government organisations and remains a strong advocate for vulnerable families. Sally has been integral in leading the development of a Partnering for Safety approach to child protection through training and consulting, and is passionate about family led decision making and bringing the child’s voice into child protection work.
 
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Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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Some projects change direction without losing their purpose—and that’s where real growth happens. I sit down with Portuguese clinical psychologist Adriana Dias to explore Ravira Volta, a pilot that helped girls in residential care and their birth families build healthier relationships by widening choice, deepening respect, and keeping reflection at the centre of the work. Rather than forcing a linear “turnaround,” Adriana’s team embraced non‑linear change: testing new strategies, adjusting the plan with supervision, and redefining success as the best possible connection for each family.

We trace how an external, dedicated team preserved role clarity with the residential home while working systemically across the whole family network. Adriana explains the project’s three layers of reflection—case thinking, design adaptation, and practitioner self-awareness—and why containment is the bridge that turns overwhelming feelings into manageable thought. That process helped parents move from defensiveness to agency, weighing their daughters’ needs alongside their own limits and, at times, choosing partial reunification as the healthiest path.

The conversation tackles the hardest dilemma in child protection: children’s urgent developmental timelines versus adults’ slower change. Adriana shows how honest, reflective supervision safeguarded perspective, prevented enmeshment, and kept the team humane and effective. We also talk integration, funding a pilot, and the big shift the team made—from idealistic “full reunification” to a more nuanced aim: sustained, healthy relationships that fit each family’s reality.

If you care about child protection, attachment, self-worth, or reflective practice, this one’s for you. Listen, share it with a colleague, and tell us: how would you define a “good outcome”—and what would it take to get there? Subscribe, leave a review, and join the conversation.

About Adriana:

Adriana graduated in Psychology from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Porto in 2006. She later completed a Master's degree in Special Education – with a Specialization in Early Intervention, from the Institute of Education of the University of Minho, in 2011.
 
Adriana is a Full member of the Portuguese Psychologists Association, is specialist in Clinical and Health Psychology, and has advanced specializations in Psychotherapy and Psychology of Justice.

Adriana also holds a Postgraduate degree in Child Protection from the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra, and is currently undertaking a PhD.

Adriana recently led the Revira Volta project that sought to build healthy relationships between young people in the care of Livramento, and their birth families. 

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Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of pdcast owner, Colby Pearce

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What if the most powerful lever for child healing sits with the adults who show up every day? I sat down with trauma-informed educator and Wagtail Institute founder Megan Corcoran to unpack how belonging transforms classrooms—and why staff wellbeing isn’t a “nice to have,” it’s the backbone of consistent care. Drawing on years in alternative education and leadership, Megan lays out a clear path: support adults, stabilise culture, and simple, universal practices will start doing heavy lifting for learning and behaviour.

We explore the everyday moves that make a school feel safe: morning check-ins, predictable routines, regulating as a team, and a tone of unconditional positive regard. Megan and I also dig into secondary traumatic stress—what it looks like, how leaders can name it without stigma, and why peer support and supervision prevent professional dangerousness. You’ll hear how communities of practice create accountability and reduce isolation, and why modelling “this was hard—here’s what I’m doing about it” changes a whole culture more than any poster or policy.

At the centre I outline a practical compass: AURA—Accessible, Understanding, Responsive, Attuned. Be accessible by noticing early. Be understanding by naming the experience. Be responsive by offering support proactively. Be attuned by matching affect and guiding back to calm. These aren’t therapy techniques; they’re human habits that, done consistently, rebuild trust. We connect this to better learning: regulated nervous systems encode knowledge, and students who feel they belong can take risks, persist, and grow.

If you care about trauma-informed education, teacher retention, and real-world strategies that fit into busy days, this conversation will give you a framework you can use tomorrow and a north star you can build a school around. If it resonates, follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a review so more educators and leaders can find it.

Who is Megan?

Megan Corcoran is the founder of Wagtail Institute, where she works alongside schools, youth services, and complex settings to strengthen wellbeing and build trauma-informed communities. With nearly twenty years’ experience teaching and leading in alternative education, Megan brings both professional expertise and lived understanding to her work.

Her vision is simple but powerful: that every child has a safe and magical childhood, supported by adults who believe in their future. At Wagtail Institute, Megan partners with those adults—educators, carers, and practitioners—helping them to feel supported, heal, and thrive, so they can continue doing this important work.

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Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer:

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What if the most transformative thing we can do for children is to care for the carers first? That’s the provocative starting point for a wide-ranging conversation with psychotherapist and clinical leader Richard Cross, whose work brings attachment theory out of the textbook and into daily practice across residential homes, foster services, schools and clinical teams.

We explore how containment, supervision, and shared language turn trauma-informed care from a training buzzword into a living culture. Richard breaks down the ATIC approach—Attachment and Trauma Informed Care—built on two parallel pathways: one for staff and one for children. By mirroring the holding and reflection we want adults to offer children, organisations create teams that think clearly under pressure, tolerate uncertainty, and respond with consistency rather than reactivity. Practical structures like “amber flag” meetings and cross-service formulations help stop fragmentation and keep everyone aligned when the stakes are high.

We also tackle a contentious question: when is residential care the right first option? For some children who are phobic of family life due to traumatic histories, early, high-quality residential care provides the containment and predictable relationships required to stabilise, re-engage in education, and prepare for future family placements. Richard explains how better assessment, leadership that “walks the talk,” and credible outcome tracking help commissioners trust early interventions that reduce breakdowns and shorten the overall care journey. If you’re a practitioner, leader, foster carer, or policymaker, this conversation challenges short-term thinking and offers grounded, humane ways to match care to need.

Richard’s Bio:

Richard is a UK Registered Psychotherapist and Child Psychotherapist.

His career for over 30 years has focused on working with relational approaches in areas associated with attachment, trauma and dissociation.

Richard’s early career was focused on developing relationally based treatments within correctional environments to reduce recidivism, as well as managing democratic prison-based Therapeutic Communities for high-risk adult life-sentenced offenders (HMP Dovegate, England).

Richard collaborated with Sandra Bloom to introduce the Sanctuary Model to the UK in 2004.

Since then, Richard has developed an interest in trauma-responsive models and continued his focus on Therapeutic Communities, exploring how to bring these aspects to life in organisational cultures. One example is a multi-component approach called ATIC (Attachment and Trauma-Informed Care), which is now harnessed across multiple residential child care homes. 

Richard is actively involved in research and innovation, and he also provides consultancy services to organisations, and training to qualified mental health professionals. 

Richard is Director of Clinical Services at Five Rivers Child Care & Midhurst Children’s Therapeutic Services, where he leads teams of psychologists and psychotherapists. He is also a Fellow and Faculty member of the International Society for Trauma and Dissociation, and serves as a trustee of the Bowlby Centre in London and The Consortium of Therapeutic Communities (TCTC).

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Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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What if we've been looking at residential care all wrong? Professor Bruce Henderson, author of "Challenging the Conventional Wisdom About Residential Care for Children and Youth," presents a compelling case for rethinking our approach to caring for vulnerable children.

Drawing on over 35 years of experience with Black Mountain Home for Children and his extensive research analysis, Professor Henderson challenges the notion that residential care should be a "last resort" option. He shares the heartbreaking reality of children who bounce between dozens of placements—one young person experienced 35 different homes by age 15—creating devastating disruption in their education, relationships, and development.

The conversation explores how residential care has been unfairly maligned, often based on research involving substandard institutional settings that bears little resemblance to high-quality contemporary programs. Professor Henderson explains that the core issue isn't the setting but the quality of care provided. "You can find good and bad versions of every kind of care," he notes, "and to a large degree, the question of quality is a question of building relationships."

Professor Henderson advocates for a "children first" approach instead of "family first," emphasizing that each child's unique needs should determine their placement. For some children, especially sibling groups who might otherwise be separated, residential care provides stability, consistent education, and a therapeutic community. The Black Mountain model demonstrates how residential care can be part of a comprehensive array of services including foster care, family reunification, and transition support.

This thought-provoking discussion challenges listeners to move beyond ideological preferences about care settings and focus instead on what creates genuine healing and growth for children who've experienced trauma. Join us as we explore how high-quality residential care—when done right—can be an essential option in supporting vulnerable children on their journey toward healthy adulthood.

Bio:

Bruce is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Western Carolina University, and is a child psychologist (PhD for Minnesota) whose research until 2018 focused on the development of curiosity and memory in children, and on teaching in higher education. Since then, most of his writing has been about residential care. His book Challenging the Conventional Wisdom about Residential Care for Children and Youth: A Good Place to Grow (Routledge, 2024) is a critical appraisal of the research on residential care and a defense of high-quality residential care for children who need it. For over 35 years, Bruce has been involved with the Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth, and Families, an organization that provides residential care, but also has foster care and adoption services, transitional and independent living programs for older youth, and works to reunite children with their families of origin whenever possible. Bruce lives with his wife Judy in the mountains of Western North Carolina. 

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Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer:

Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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What does it really mean to provide therapeutic residential care to traumatised young people? Dr Kevin Gallagher draws from three decades of experience to challenge our assumptions about children's homes and how we use them.

Kevin's journey from banking to social work, driven by his own experiences of exclusion and inequality, mirrors the evolution of UK residential care itself. His candid reflections reveal how sophisticated practice develops through mentorship, theoretical understanding, and lived experience.

At the heart of this conversation lies a provocative question: why do we wait until children have experienced multiple foster placement breakdowns before considering residential care? These repeated rejections only compound trauma. Kevin makes a compelling case for using residential settings earlier and more purposefully, not as forever homes but as intentional healing environments where young people can feel "loved, welcomed, protected, and encouraged to flourish" during their stay.

The discussion navigates the tension between authentic connection and professional boundaries. As Kevin explains, staff must be "open and affected and bothered enough to have real connections" while maintaining sufficient detachment to think objectively. This balance, supported by supervision and reflection, transforms intuitive caring into sophisticated practice.

Financial considerations inevitably shape our systems, but Kevin distinguishes between "high cost" interventions (requiring significant resources) and those that are truly "expensive" (delivering poor value). His insights into how economic pressures have reshaped UK care provision over decades offer valuable perspective on similar challenges worldwide.

Whether you're a practitioner, student, policymaker or foster carer, this conversation challenges you to reconsider what residential care can and should be. The goal isn't merely containment but transformation—creating environments where traumatised young people can heal, develop, and prepare for their next chapters. As Kevin reminds us: "If it's not therapeutic, what is it?"

Kevin's Bio:

Kevin is a qualified social worker, organisational consultant, manager and has just completed his PhD. 

He has worked in residential care and education for almost 30 years (with Amberleigh since 2015), from front line practitioner, through management roles and into leadership in a diverse range of organisational structures, both public and private. 

Kevins passion is for therapeutic residential care and education, promoting the use of quality improvement standards. 

He is an Advisory Group member and Therapeutic Care Specialist at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. 

Kevin has been a trustee of The Consortium for Therapeutic Communities for over a decade, supporting and developing therapeutic practice across the UK, in particular, supporting local authorities to commission specialist provision. 

Additionally, Kevin assists providers in strengthening models and practice. 

Kevin is a very public campaigner for better understanding and use of residential care through a focus on practice evidence.

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Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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What if everything we think we know about residential childcare is wrong? What if, for some children, it's not the dreaded last resort but actually the best option for healing and growth?

Dr. Laura Steckley, who leads the MSc in Advanced Residential Child Care at the University of Strathclyde, brings three decades of practice, research, and teaching experience to challenge our assumptions. Having worked in both the United States and Scotland, she offers a refreshing perspective on what quality residential care can achieve when properly understood and supported.

The conversation upends conventional wisdom by revealing research showing many children who've experienced both foster care and residential settings actually prefer the latter. For children who find family environments emotionally threatening due to past trauma, residential care offers unique advantages: multiple caring relationships increasing the chance of meaningful connection, natural breaks preventing relationship burnout, and the therapeutic power of peer groups.

Dr. Steckley's groundbreaking research on physical restraint reveals surprising nuance. Rather than viewing restraint as universally negative, she introduces containment theory – a framework for understanding how adults help make "the unmanageable manageable" for distressed children. Her studies found some children reported restraint experiences, when conducted as acts of care rather than control, actually improved their relationships with staff.

Perhaps most powerfully, Dr. Steckley asserts that "in the daily minutiae of good care is where healing and developmental ground is regained." This elevates the importance of residential childcare workers and recognizes the complexity of their work. She also explores how shame, possibly our most "uncontainable" emotion, often manifests as rage in traumatized children, and how staff need proper support themselves to provide effective care.

The episode concludes with a fascinating discussion of attunement, using the famous "still face" experiment to demonstrate how children escalate behavior when seeking emotional connection – offering a radical reframing of how we might respond to challenging behaviors in care settings.

Listen now to gain fresh insights that could transform how you think about caring for our most vulnerable children.

Laura's Bio:

Dr Laura Steckley leads up the MSc in Advanced Residential Child Care at the University of Strathclyde and so has the very good fortune of doing teaching and learning with residential child care practitioners.  She has worked in direct and indirect practice in both the United States of America and Scotland. Her teaching, research and knowledge mobilisation are mostly addressed to residential child care practice and education, with a particular focus on physical restraint.  

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Disclaimer:

Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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What if child maltreatment wasn't an inevitable social problem, but something we could dramatically reduce within a generation? Benjamin Perks, Head of Campaigns and Advocacy at UNICEF, believes this is not only possible but within our grasp.

In this compelling conversation, Ben shares his remarkable journey from the residential care system in the UK—where he experienced gang involvement and street life—to becoming a global leader in child protection at the United Nations. The turning point? A teacher who took him under her wing when he was 15, becoming "the first adult I really had a proper conversation with."

Ben introduces us to the "Four S's" every child needs: to feel secure, safe, seen, and soothed. When children receive these fundamental experiences from family, they develop resilience against adversity. When family support is lacking, schools become the crucial secondary buffer. What's revolutionary about our moment in history is that we now have the knowledge and resources to ensure every child experiences these four essentials.

Drawing powerful parallels to public health victories that reduced child mortality by 61% through simple interventions, Ben outlines how universal parenting programs, extended parental leave, preschool access, and public awareness could achieve similar results with child maltreatment. The economic argument alone is staggering: child maltreatment costs societies up to 12% of GDP, while prevention measures would cost less than 1%.

Ben's personal healing journey demonstrates that recovery is possible at any age. After recognizing how his childhood affected his adult life, therapy transformed his world "from black and white to color." This transformation enabled him to break the cycle of insecure attachment with his own son—proof that intergenerational patterns can be disrupted with the right support.

Discover more in Ben's book "Trauma Proof: Healing, Attachment and the Science of Prevention," which weaves together scientific research with personal narratives of healing from around the world. 

About Ben:

Benjamin Perks is the Head of Campaigns and Advocacy in the Division of Global Communications and Advocacy  at the United Nations Children’s Fund, based in New York. He leads public and policy advocacy on the development and protection of children. 

He previously served in human rights diplomacy roles as the UNICEF Representative and UN Resident Coordinator ad interim to both the Republic of North Macedonia and the Republic of Montenegro. In both capacities he advocated for reforms to fulfill international human rights commitments and realization of the Sustainable Development Goals. 

He has served in Georgia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, India and Albania. He coordinated the Back-to-School campaign in the Northern Afghanistan which brought 3 million children, including 1 million girls, into school-most of them for the first times in their lives. He has led work on demobilization of child solders, deinstitutionalization of children in state care, addressing child poverty, pre-school expansion and  disability inclusion.

Edits:  Ben is referring to Kevin Brown in relation to the speaker about attachment. When I refer to mosquitoes the study was actually of fleas!

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Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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Some conversations burn slowly and then glow for days. Sitting down with Louise Allen, we trace a line from a childhood rewritten by others to a life spent restoring names, dignity, and futures. Louise grew up in care, became a long‑term foster carer, and now writes bestsellers that refuse to look away. She talks candidly about forced adoption, the quiet children who go unseen, and the neighbour who saved her by offering what the system couldn’t: warmth without conditions and a place to just be a kid.

We get practical, not theoretical. Louise shows how to keep a child’s dignity intact in a world of notes and meetings: put their photo on the table, say the answer instead of asking the painful question again, and write logs to the child because they will read them. We explore why dogs often do what adults can’t, acting as co‑regulators and night watch when self‑harm risks rise. And we challenge the culture of “minimum standards,” arguing for training, support, and respect that match the complexity of foster care. Warm welcomes, eye contact, a kitchen that smells like biscuits—these are not small things. They are the work.

Louise also opens the door to Spark Sisterhood, the charity she founded after visiting girls who’d fallen off the cliff edge of care. We unpack how inconsistent allowances, isolation, and learned dependencies collide at 18, and how Spark’s Care‑to‑Career program builds life skills, confidence, and pathways into real jobs in construction, engineering, and tech. It’s a blueprint for post‑care support that trades pity for agency and short‑term fixes for paid futures. Along the way, we touch on her Thrown Away Children books, the power of telling the truth with humour, and the new Foster Care Uncovered podcast she co‑hosts with Sarah Anderson.

If you care about children’s mental health, foster care, trauma‑informed practice, or the transition from care to independence, this one will stay with you. Listen, share with a colleague, and leave a review to help more people find these stories—and the hope inside them.

Louise’s Bio:

Louise is the award-winning author behind the bestselling Thrown Away Children series. Her stories draw from the lived experiences of being part of a foster family. Her brand-new series, Slave Girls, continues her mission to share the real, often unheard stories of children and young people—with courage, honesty, and hope.
 
Through Spark Sisterhood, Louise is building a community where girls from care are met with friendship and essential life and employment skills, and where they are encouraged to believe in themselves and their futures. One of the charity’s most exciting projects is Care to Career, a two-week programme that offers girls jobs, apprenticeships and work experience by working with employers. The programme supports young women aged 18–25. It’s about more than just finding a job, which they do, it’s about creating space for young women to thrive.
  
Having grown up in care and now fostering children herself, Louise understands the care system from the inside out; she has a unique 360˚ understanding. She is a respected and leading voice. 

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Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/\

Disclaimer

Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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In this in-depth conversation with John Turberville, CEO of The Mulberry Bush, we explore how therapeutic residential care transforms the lives of children who have experienced trauma, relational ruptures, & multiple placement breakdowns. John reflects on the organisation’s 75-year legacy, the central role of relationships, family work, trust, innovation, & reflective practice, & why high-quality residential care must be seen as a placement of choice—not a last resort—in child protection & out-of-home care.

John traces his path from a surveyor in London to therapeutic childcare in The Cotswold, & how mentors & a reflective, psychodynamic culture shaped his leadership. We unpack the Mulberry Bush’s evolution from a renowned residential school into a broader charity that integrates education, therapy, family work, outreach, consulting & accredited training. The through-line is consistent: relationships first. That means working with birth, adoptive & foster families, offering peer groups & residential family weekends, & creating real step-down pathways to stable home life when safe & possible.

We dig into why group care matters. When problems surface in groups—families, classrooms, communities—the work belongs in groups too. For some children, especially those overwhelmed by family placements, small therapeutic homes provide the containment & relational density needed to relearn trust. Alumni testimonies cut through policy noise: decades later they credit love, structure & belonging with giving them the “boundaries of life” & the confidence to parent well. John also speaks candidly about staff resilience, supervision & the need to authorise creativity. He argues for regulation that secures safety without smothering innovation, so practitioners can respond flexibly to children who don’t fit a standard mould.

Subscribe, share with a colleague, & leave a review telling us: what would you change to set creativity free while keeping children safe?

John's Bio:

John is the Chief Executive Officer of The Mulberry Bush, a national charity dedicated to transforming the lives of people affected by trauma in their childhood. He leads the development & delivery of an integrated range of specialist therapeutic & educational services, with a focus on expanding the charity’s range & reach & ensuring the highest standards across all services — guided by its three core values: Collaborative Working, a Psychodynamic Approach, & a Reflective Culture.

Formerly the School Director & Chief Operating Officer, John became CEO to further develop the charity’s ability to link teaching, research, & practice, aiming to deliver the highest quality services & excellent outcomes.

John is Chair of the Community of Communities Advisory Group at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, supporting quality assurance & accreditation for Therapeutic Communities & Therapeutic Child Care settings in the UK & internationally, * is a Therapeutic Communities (TC) specialist, auditing TC prisons.

Instagram: @mulberrybushcharity 

Facebook: The Mulberry Bush Charity 
LinkedIn: The Mulberry Bush 
YouTube: @mulberrybushschool 

Links: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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I am very excited to release my conversation with Peter Blake on The Secure Start Podcast.

We explore how children communicate through behaviour and play, why containment matters, and how to balance understanding with practical management. We share tools to notice meaning, time conversations well, and use a child’s passions to build safety, trust, and growth.

• why being relaxed and steady allows containment 
• inner and outer worlds shaping behaviour 
• OTT method: observe, think, talk in good time 
• early anxieties, attachment, and security needs 
• unrepressed unconscious and right-brain attunement 
• play as the medium for change 
• joining passions to say “your mind matters” 
• naming thinking without therapy-speak 
• projective identification and holding strong feelings 
• signs therapy can wind down responsibly

Across a warm, grounded conversation, Peter explains how to Observe, Think, and Talk in a way that children can digest, and why the right moment and tone matter more than the perfect words. We dive into early anxieties, attachment security, and the “unrepressed unconscious”—experiences from infancy that live in the body and spill into relationships. You’ll hear practical examples of responding rather than reacting, repairing ruptures, and using ordinary moments to create extraordinary change.

Play takes centre stage as the engine of therapy. From computer games to surfboards and movie obsessions, passions carry emotional truth; joining them says “your mind matters.” 

We also explore endings: how to recognise steadier behaviour, more integrative play, and a more ordinary, balanced bond as signals that therapy can wind down, with other relationships now carrying the holding.

If you’re a parent, teacher, therapist, or carer, you’ll leave with a clearer map: keep boundaries firm, language simple, curiosity open, and focus on creating a felt experience of being known. That’s where change settles in. 

Peter's Bio:

Peter is a Clinical Psychologist and Tavistock trained child and adolescent psychotherapist. For 25 years Peter worked in child and family teams in Community Health Centres in England and Australia. For the last 25 years he has worked in private practice in Sydney. He was the Foundation President of the Child Psychoanalytic Foundation, a charity  based in Sydney.

He is currently Director of the Institute of Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy ( ICAPP). This is a training body offering child and adolescent psychotherapy, based in Sydney but offered online. 

He has lectured in a number of Australian Universities and has given workshops to professionals across Australia. The third edition of his book, “Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy: Maaking the Conscious Unconscious” (2021, Routledge), is now useed as a textbook in a number of different countries. It has been translated into Georgian and Mandarin. He has contributed to numerous publications and Journals.

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Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer:

Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce. Further, any advice discussed is general in nature and does not replace clinical advice from a treating clinician. 

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What if the most powerful safeguarding tool isn’t another form, but a steady adult who shows up with love? That’s the heart of my conversation with Carla Keyte, founder of Lighthouse and a leading voice in UK residential care, as we unpack how safe, stable, loving homes are built—and measured—through relationships, not fear. We explore how love-led practice, not fear-based compliance, creates safe, stable, loving homes in residential care.

We trace the sector’s language shift from behaviour management to relational healing, and ask the tough question: how do we evaluate what children actually feel? Carla makes a compelling case that compliance is essential but should be the floor, not the ceiling. She explains why incident counts miss the lived experience of safety, and how psychologically safe teams create environments where children can play, connect, and grow. We dive into the Lighthouse model—safeguard the child, stabilise adults through supervision and reflective practice, and strengthen the home’s culture and governance—so that regulation supports, rather than stifles, love-led care.

We also challenge the idea that professional boundaries mean emotional distance. Drawing on attachment and neuroscience, Carla shows how attuned relationships rebuild trust and reduce fear. We explore how inspections could function as safeguarding partnerships, bringing multi-agency expertise to design therapeutic interventions instead of handing out labels. From Scotland’s Promise to extending support beyond 18, we highlight the policies that protect the human connection that truly changes lives. If you care about residential care quality, trauma-informed practice, and practical ways to create homes where children feel they matter, this conversation offers a clear, hopeful path forward.

About Carla:

Carla is the Founder and Director of Lighthouse, bringing extensive expertise in quality, compliance, and safeguarding across the residential childcare sector in the UK. With a background spanning Registered Manager, Head of Care, and Head of Quality & Compliance for an organisation operating over 30 homes rated Good and Outstanding, Carla has deep, practical insight into operational leadership, regulatory compliance, and governance.
 
Carla has a proven track record of resolving complex compliance issues and supporting organisations through challenging regulatory actions. Her specialism lies in developing and embedding Quality and Governance frameworks that drive sustainable improvement and ensure the highest standards of care.
 
Passionate about love-led practice and the power of meaningful relationships, Carla champions approaches that create safe, nurturing, and stable environments where children and young people can truly thrive.  

Carla founded Lighthouse to provide expert guidance and tailored support to providers navigating an increasingly complex regulatory landscape. The name Lighthouse reflects Carla’s vision: to act as a guiding beacon for organisations, illuminating the path through complexity toward excellence in care, safeguarding, and relational practice.

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Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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This is a recap of the first 33 episodes of The Secure Start Podcast, all released in 2025.  It has been an incredible honour to host them and I am looking forward to 2026!

If you take something inspirational from the video, please consider liking and subscribing to this channel and related platforms.

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Please also consider becoming as member on my Patreon page. Membership is free, but you can also take up a paid membership if you would like to support the ongoing development of the podcast. Visit: Patreon: 

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Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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What happens when belief meets opportunity and doesn’t let go? We sit down with Surja—care‑experienced leader, LIFT alum, and global advocate—to trace a path from a village in Uttar Pradesh to a seat at international tables, and to unpack what real aftercare looks like when lived experience leads. With Dr Kiran Modi offering context on Udayan Care’s model, we explore how mentoring, peer networks, and co‑creation turn care leavers into care leaders.

Across the conversation, we map the mechanics of the LIFT Fellowship: a one‑year journey that blends mentoring, life skills, and project design to strengthen aftercare systems. We talk about failing early and thriving later, about teachers who stayed late and house mentors who stay for life, and about the shift from telling hard stories to proposing practical solutions. When alumni return as coordinators and network builders, advocacy stops being an event and becomes an ecosystem. That’s where policy changes—when people closest to the gaps design the bridge.

We also step into the Global Care Leavers Community. From Africa’s aftercare gaps to language barriers in Latin America, cross‑regional learning sparks better ideas and fairer access to platforms. The network acts as a hub for research, conferences, and leadership development, making sure participation includes pay, preparation, and ongoing support. The biggest lesson? Short‑term fixes rarely change a life. Long‑term mentoring, multi‑year pathways, and true partnership between experience and expertise are what anchor success.

If you care about child protection, aftercare, youth leadership, or how to build systems that don’t let people fall through the cracks, this story will stay with you. 

Surja's Bio:

Surja is a care leaver from Uttar Pradeshm who spent nine years in a Udayan Care Childrens home. In 2022, she joined the LIFT (Learning in Fellowship Together) Fellowship, where she raised awareness about care leavers through impactful blog writing, and mobilized care leavers in Uttar Pradesh to form Care Leavers Unite, a growing state network.

Since BICON 2023, Surja has been part of the BICON Reference Group, contributing her ideas and experiences to strengthen global care leaver advocacy. In 2025, she became a member of the BICON Coordination Group, taking an active role in the BICON Committee to help shape future gatherings with her insights and leadership.

Surja is a core member of the National Care Leavers Network since 2023 and an active part of the Global Care Leavers Community, where she has been advocating for care leavers on national and international platforms for over three years.

In 2023, Surja also became the Coordinator for LIFT – the National Care Leavers Fellowship at Udayan Care, where she guides care leaders to design and implement innovative, personalized projects that strengthen care and aftercare systems while bridging gaps in support for young people transitioning out of care. Her work reflects a deep commitment to building strong connections, amplifying care leavers’ voices, and shaping better policies for aftercare across India and beyond.

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Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Podcast site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.buzzsprout.com
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer:

Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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What if lasting change for young people in care comes not from a single attachment, but from a web of “many good adults” who open doors to the wider world? We sit down with Emeritus Professor Robbie Gilligan to trace how schools, mentors, hobbies, and work links create belonging that survives the transition out of care. Drawing on four decades of research and vivid stories—from a nun buying Sinead O’Connor’s first guitar to a baker mentoring a teen before dawn—we map an outward-facing practice that turns values into opportunities.

Across the conversation, we challenge the narrow gaze that reduces a child’s world to placements and case files. School rises as a daily engine of recognition and routine; groups and residential communities offer regulation and growth; and community networks carry young people beyond age eighteen, when statutory support often fades. Robbie makes the case for social capital alongside attachment theory, showing how curated networks of teachers, coaches, employers, extended family, and former carers reduce reliance on luck and buffer life’s inevitable ruptures.

We also unpack what meaningful participation really looks like: keeping young people in the loop, protecting their face among peers, and showing visible influence from what they say. Certainty lowers anxiety; small, consistent actions build trust. The takeaway is practical and hopeful—scaffold repair, protect talents and interests through moves, and design services that help each child enter the world with more connections than they had yesterday. If you care about child protection, residential care, foster care, or the journey of care leavers, this is a grounded, humane roadmap for change.

Robbie’s Bio:

Robbie holds a Professor Emeritus appointment at the School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin. He previously served as Professor of Social Work and Social Policy at Trinity from 2001- 2022, and in total was a full time academic there for 40 years. He has worked in the area of children in care, care leavers and marginalised young people in many roles over his career including as: youth worker, social worker, policy advocate, foster carer, board member of residential and community services, adviser, social work educator and researcher. 

He has published widely in relation to the experiences of children and young people in out of home care and care experienced adults (with a strong focus on their work and education journeys). He has recently published with Vietnamese colleagues a study of care leaver experiences in Vietnam. He is currently Co-Principal Investigator of Ten Years On - a national study of care leavers in their late twenties/early thirties in Ireland.  He has also served as an adviser (2021-22) to the Organisation for Economic Coooperation and Development report on care-leavers - the first such intervention by OECD on this topic: Improving care leavers’ socioeconomic outcomes | The OECD Forum Network (oecd-forum.org). 

See https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4150-3523 for a full list of his publications and outputs

Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast

Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer

Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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What if the most powerful “intervention” in residential care isn’t a therapy model at all, but the quiet predictability of daily life held by thoughtful adults? We sit down with social care consultant Tom Ellison to dig into what actually moves the dial for children who’ve lived through adversity: simple, stable routines, a clear primary task, and relationships that feel parental, enriched, and safe.

Across a candid, story-rich conversation, we challenge the idea that progress begins with jargon or the latest training. Tom shares how reflective spaces keep teams aligned and emotionally grounded, so staff can swap firefighting for understanding. A striking case unpacks why a boy melted down around bath time, and how one missing detail from his history instantly changed the team’s feelings, responses, and outcomes. When we know a child’s story, behaviour starts to make sense; when life becomes predictably “boring,” anxiety fades and connection grows.

We also explore admission as a major intervention in its own right. Claiming a child into the home, assigning a bridging key worker, and shaping the environment to feel warm and homely lay the foundation for belonging. From there, therapy finally has the right “dose” and context to work. Tom frames the residential role as parental but extraordinary, blending consistent authority with trauma-informed nuance. We talk boundaries, phones, and the hard edges of care, including how legal measures can blur authority and inflate costs without improving outcomes.

What do alumni remember? Love, belonging, and the small, joyful rituals that said “you are ours.” If you’re building or leading a children’s home, or you work the front line, this conversation offers practical, human guidance: start with routines and roles, protect reflective time, learn one child deeply, and use authority like a good parent. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review to help more practitioners find tools that actually help kids heal.

Tom's Bio:

Tom is an accomplished Consultant and leadership trainer with over 30 years in children’s residential care, specialising in innovative leadership and mental health support for young people. Through Elevate Professional Development, launched in 2025, he delivers UK-wide workshops to strengthen care leadership. With 20 years of boardroom experience, Tom has consistently driven strategic leadership and service transformation. Holding a BPS-approved Psychology degree, a Master’s in Psychoanalytic Observational Studies, and postgraduate qualifications in Management and Strategic Management, he blends academic and practical expertise. Currently, he serves as Non-Executive Chair at AMMA Childcare Ltd, Non-Executive Director at Cedars Childcare Ltd and Empathy CIC, and advises the leadership teams of a number of organisations in the third and independent
sectors.

Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast

Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.

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What if the behaviour that drives you up the wall is actually armour against shame? We sit down with psychotherapist and author Vicky McKeown to unpack how shame and attachment shape everyday life for children, parents, and the professionals who support them. From adoption and fostering to classrooms and case reports, we trace the subtle ways shame shows up and how a shift in language and stance can transform outcomes.

Vicky shares her journey from criminology to trauma therapy and makes a strong case for working with the whole caregiving unit, not just “the child.” We break down Lisa Etherson’s shame containment theory in plain language: why shame fires when connection feels at risk, how people build protective strategies like perfectionism, aggression, or withdrawal, and what adults can do to respond without piling on more shame. We also challenge common behaviour tools in schools — public colour charts, red cards, and time-outs that silence kids but feed their inner critic — and offer simple, shame-aware alternatives that preserve dignity and teach skills.

You’ll hear how Jake and His Shame Armour opens safe conversations at home and in therapy, plus practical exercises Vicky uses to map triggers, slow tricky moments, and help parents “own their stuff.” We talk frankly about child protection and adoption disruptions, why report language matters, and how moving from blame to context supports real change while holding responsibility. If you care about trauma-informed practice, attachment, adoption, or behaviour in schools, this is a grounded, hands-on guide to seeing the mind behind the behaviour and building safety that lasts.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a colleague or friend, and leave a quick review — what’s one shame-aware change you’ll try this week?

Vicki's Bio:

Vicki McKeown is a qualified social worker, psychotherapeutic counsellor, and trauma-informed practitioner with over 15 years of experience supporting children, families, and professionals around attachment, shame, and relational trauma. She is the co-author of Jake and His Shame Armour, a children’s book underpinned by Lisa Etherson’s Shame Containment Theory. Through her work with VLM Therapy Ltd and Better Me Better Us Ltd, Vicki provides specialised training, consultation, and therapeutic support, helping individuals, families and organisations build safer, more connected, and emotionally attuned environments.

Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast

Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Podcast site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.buzzsprout.com
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/

Disclaimer:
Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce. Further, any advice discussed is general in nature and does not replace clinical advice from a treating clinician.

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What if the feelings that make this work so hard are the very clues that make it effective? We sit down with Emma Higgs, a child and adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapist and organisational therapist, to unpack how psychodynamic thinking turns raw emotion into reliable information—and how organisations can harness it to protect staff and truly help distressed children and families.

Emma traces her journey from a turbulent, formative therapeutic community to co-leading APPCIOS, a home for practitioners who work psychodynamically outside traditional consulting rooms. We explore projection, countertransference and containment as essential tools: receiving what a child can’t yet put into words, digesting it, and returning it in tolerable, meaningful form. Along the way, we name the defensive practices that creep into CAMHS, social work, policing and schools—tick-boxes, rigid agendas, behaviour-only lenses—and show how they blunt humanity and block change.

This is trauma-informed practice with depth. We contrast one-day courses and ACE scores with the lived, relational work that builds minds, restores thinking and creates hope. Emma lays out what a containing organisation looks like: clear boundaries and flexible minds, leadership that absorbs anxiety instead of spreading it, and scheduled spaces where teams can reflect, argue safely and lend each other their capacity to think. We talk about group dynamics, supervision, and why professional belonging isn’t a luxury but a clinical intervention in its own right.

If you’re a teacher, social worker, police officer, clinician or leader, you’ll leave with a richer map for surviving the job without losing yourself—and a language for making sense of the “impossible” child or the overwhelmed team. Subscribe, share this with a colleague who needs it, and leave a review telling us the one practice you’ll change tomorrow.

Emma's Bio:

Emma Higgs is a senior Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist (ACP), Psychodynamic Organisational Therapist (BPC/APPCIOS), and Psychodynamic Psychotherapist (BPC), living and working in North West England. She has extensive clinical experience across a range of NHS CAMHS services, including inpatient settings and Parent–Infant services.

Alongside her private practice, Emma works closely with organisations that support distressed children and families. She has been involved in developing and delivering a wide range of trainings for non-psychoanalytic professionals, helping them to think psychodynamically about their work. This includes bespoke training for social care professionals and the police, with a focus on children’s development and the impact of trauma. Emma is especially interested in how psychoanalytic thinking can be used more broadly within support services, and in exploring the interplay between the internal world, the external environment, and the wider socio-political context.

Emma is also the Deputy CEO of the Association of Psychodynamic Practice and Counselling in Organisational Settings (APPCIOS), a charitable organisation dedicated to supporting clinicians and practitioners working with distressed individuals through the application of psychodynamic thinking and skills.

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce. Finally, all references to case examples are anonymised to the extent that the actual case could not be identified, or are fictional but based on real-life examples for illustrative purposes.

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What if the biggest driver of harmful sexual behaviour in children isn’t deviance in the child, but disconnection in the systems around them? We sit down with Alan Jenkins—veteran practitioner, author of Becoming Ethical, and pioneer of “multi undisciplinary” teams—to rethink how shame, belonging, and power shape what children do and how adults respond.

Across vivid stories from schools and services, Alan shows how our default reactions—suspensions, isolation, forensic labels—often deepen the very conditions that fuel harm. He traces a common pathway that starts with curiosity, is supercharged by isolation and low worth, and is reinforced by a culture that teaches sex as conquest and anaesthetic. Instead of fixating on acts alone, he urges us to assess what truly regulates a child: connection to people, a sense of worth, and supervised, guided places to belong.

Central to this conversation is a sharp distinction between guilt and shame. Guilt is neat and cognitive; shame is affective and, when contained, becomes a compass. Alan calls it the shadow of love—the feeling that slows us down and attunes us to another’s boundary. Through careful, respectful work that first restores stories of loyalty, protest, and care, children can access imminent shame: the embodied “my God, what have I done?” that opens integrity and real repair. From there, practical steps follow—support circles, connection‑centred safety plans, and everyday opportunities to practise discretion.

We also turn the lens on practitioners and supervisors. Urgency to “make them face it” is often picked up as demand and met with rightful protest. Alan outlines a parallel journey: if we expect a young person to consider the other’s experience, we must stay acutely aware of our impact. That stance disarms resistance, honours healthy protest, and creates the safety needed for ethical growth.

If you work in schools, child protection, youth justice, or therapy—or you care about building communities where kids can belong without causing harm—this conversation offers a grounded, humane roadmap. Subscribe, share this episode with a colleague, and leave a review with one change you’ll make in your practice.

Alan’s Bio:

Alan has worked in a range of multi-undisciplinary teams addressing violence and abusive behaviour for more than 35 years. Rather than tire from this work, he has become increasingly intrigued with possibilities for the discovery of ethical, respectful and accountable ways of relating. The valuing of ethics, fairness and the importance of protest against injustice has led him to stray considerably from the path prescribed in his early training as a psychologist, towards a political analysis of abuse. 

Alan’s most recent publication is ‘Becoming Ethical : A Parallel Political Journey With Men Who Have Abused,’ published in 2009.

He was a director of Nada and managed the Mary St. Program for young people who have engaged in sexually harmful behaviour, along with their caregivers and communities.

Links:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast
Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce. Finally, all references to case examples are anonymised to the extent that the actual case could not be identified, or are fictional but based on real-life examples for illustrative purposes, or have client consent to talk about in an educative context.

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What if turning 18 didn’t mean turning off support? We sit down with Nimmu, a powerhouse care leaver advocate from Sri Lanka, to map what’s changing, what still hurts, and how to build a system that puts children where they thrive—whether that’s family, kinship, adoption, or residential care. With warmth and precision, Nimmu explains Sri Lanka’s current landscape: most children live in Child Development Centres, foster care is in development, and adoption and kinship care remain key alternatives. She shares how things have improved—care plans, school access, and more respectful language—while spotlighting stubborn gaps like early exits at 15–16, patchy counselling, and the silent crisis of IDs and addresses that lock young adults out of services, votes, and formal work.

We dig into the headline reform: government housing grants of two million rupees for eligible care leavers. It’s a game-changer for stability, but eligibility needs to be fair, and support can’t stop at a house key. Nimmu argues for true readiness: mental health care that starts years before transition, life skills from banking to bus travel, self-defence and safety for girls, and therapeutic caregiving that doesn’t require a therapist—just trained, consistent, loving adults. The most powerful lever, she says, is family strengthening. Divorce, poverty, and crisis push children into institutions; smart aid, mediation, and cash transfers can keep them home.

Nimmu also reveals the engine behind lasting change: peer networks. Through Generation Never Give Up and Rise Together, care leavers connect to jobs, legal help, hostels, and uni pathways. Their next step is a transition home—safe, non-stigmatising housing where young people can work or study, contribute to bills, and stabilise before moving on. It’s practical, dignified, and scalable. Across borders, care leavers are organising, sharing policy wins, and proving that voice plus community equals momentum.

If you care about child protection, aftercare, trauma-informed practice, and social policy that actually works, this conversation will recalibrate your sense of what’s possible. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review telling us: what’s the one change your community could make this year to improve leaving care?

Nimali’s Bio:

 Affectionately known as Nimmu, Nimali is a care leaver from Sri Lanka who spent over a decade in institutional care. She holds a degree in Journalism, Advertising, and Mass Communication from NIILM University in India, along with additional qualifications in criminal investigation, psychology, and social sciences. 

Nimali has represented Sri Lanka as a speaker at numerous international conferences, including  those focused on child protection and women’s rights in Nepal (2017), and the BICON International Conference in India in 2018 and 2021, in Nepal in 2023, and Malaysia in 2025. Recently, Nimali spoke at the 35th FICE International Conference in Croatia (2024).

 In 2024, Nimali was honoured as a Young Change-Maker by the UN Ambassador and Neon Media. She is an active member of the Global Care Leavers Committee and member of the Care Leaders Council. She represented South Asian care leavers in the UN Resolution Focused Group (2019). 

Nimali recently launched her autobiography ‘The Caged Girl: A Journey To justice’’ &  ‘’Dumburu Pathok ‘’ in Sinhala.

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce. 

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A toy fawn, a wordless picture book, a skull on a desk—what can these objects teach us about caring for children who’ve known chaos, loss, and confusion? We welcome back Richard Rawlinson, former director of the Mulberry Bush and long-time consultant in therapeutic childcare, to explore how everyday items become portals to insight, empathy, and better practice.

Richard traces a personal collection—gifts from children, reminders of moments, and metaphors with staying power. Bambi in a crowded cinema reveals the gap that trauma can carve between event and feeling. Rosie's Walk becomes a case study in continuity, ritual, and how the body helps the mind make sense. Damasio’s challenge to Descartes underpins it all: psyche and soma are not separate lanes. We look at what practitioners can observe—posture, presence, tone, pacing—and how these embodied signals change as safety builds.

There’s humour and humility too. A child hears “cremated” as “cream egged,” and we glimpse how kids personalise big, baffling ideas—death included—into images that fit their world. Rather than correct, we learn to guide: offer manageable doses, invite reflection, and let children lead with their meanings. Richard adds a crucial caution from his early years—don’t predict outcomes for children. What we can judge is the reliability of services, the existence of a plan B, and the quality of the holding environment.

A family photo at Yankee Stadium turns into a working model for care: boundaries that are clear but not crushing, a field of play with room to move, warning tracks before walls, and gates that open when it’s time to leave. We connect Winnicott’s work–love–play to daily routines, early signs of progress (ordinary participation, communication beyond meltdown, being in class to learn), and practical dialogue techniques like “let’s pretend you do know” to spark thinking.

Richard’s Bio

Richard has a long association with Residential Therapeutic Communities, having worked at the Mulberry Bush School for well over 20 years and where, from 1991 to 2001, he was its Director. He was also Director, Children and Young People, at the Peper Harow Foundation, from 2001 to 2005. 

Richard qualified as a Social Worker with an MSc from Oxford University in 1983, following the then Part 1 training in Child Psychotherapy at the Tavistock Centre. In 2005 he completed the Ashridge MA and training in Organisational Consulting. He has been Chairman of the Charterhouse Group of Therapeutic Communities and for many years the Chairman of the Care Leavers’ Foundation. In 2014 he became Chair of Trustees at the Mulberry Bush School, only recently stepping down from that position, while remaining a Trustee with a special brief for the links and development of the contacts with and participation of former pupils. He has published numerous articles and continues to lecture widely across the UK and Europe.

Links:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast.                Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/

Disclaimer:

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce. Finally, all references to case examples are anonymised to the extent that the actual case could not be identified, or are fictional but based on real-life examples for illustrative purposes, or have client consent to talk about in an educative context.

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Kids in care don’t just wonder where they lived. They wonder why it happened and far too often they land on the most painful answer: it must have been my fault. I’m joined by Professor Richard Rose, founder of Therapeutic Life Story Work International, to talk about how trauma-informed storytelling can turn confusion, shame and “unknowns” into a narrative a child can actually live with.

We unpack what makes Therapeutic Life Story Work different from a traditional life story book. Richard explains why files and court documents are rarely “the truth”, how they’re shaped by pressure and perspective, and why we need to gather real human stories from the people who journeyed with the child, including birth parents and previous carers, when it’s safe and respectful to do so. He shares the Rose Model, starting with information banking and eco mapping, then moving into relationship-led direct work that keeps the child’s voice at the centre.

We also get practical about what helps placements hold. We talk attachment, behaviour as communication, and why understanding the past can reduce fear in the present. Richard describes how to avoid doing harm when talking about trauma, what “editor-in-chief” ownership looks like for children creating their own story, and when the work should pause or adapt, including using tools like All About Me. We finish with Richard’s training focus through Thea, the Trauma Health Education International Academy, and what carers need to stay steady in the face of vicarious trauma.

Richard's Bio:

Richard is the Director and Founder of Therapeutic Life Story Work International (TLSWi). TLSWi provides consultancy and training on Therapeutic Life Story Work and working with 'hard to reach' children and adolescents, and develops academic training programmes in the UK and Internationally. TLSW is the only evidenced based Life Story Model in the World, TLSWi also is the professional body for Therapeutic Life Story Work and engages in research, supervision and professional development of all members. Recently, Richard has founded THEiA, designed to provide funded training to all carers in the UK, and across the world, from May 2025. THEiA is also going to offer cost effective training for Trauma, Health and Education colleagues to support their work with traumatised children and their families.
 
Richard has worked with traumatised children and families since he was 17 years old, and in that time has been shaped by those he has journeyed with over the last 43 years. He qualified in Social Work in 1989 and since then worked in the UK in local authority child protection and the highly regarded residential therapeutic treatment agency SACCS, including four years as the Clinical Practice Director of the Mary Walsh Institute. 
  
Richard is the author of four books, as well as research and guest chapters in publications such as Children in Care and various papers within University Press. 

Links:

Richard's Website: https://tlswi.com/

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast
Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce. Finally, all references to case examples are anonymised to the extent that the actual case could not be identified, or are fictional but based on real-life examples for illustrative purposes, or have client consent to talk about in an educative context.

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A child’s acting out can look like defiance, chaos, or “bad behaviour” until you treat it as communication and ask what the adults are missing. That single shift changes everything, and it sits at the heart of my conversation with John Whitwell as we revisit the work and legacy of Barbara Docker-Drysdale, better known to many as Mrs D. John explains why her influence on therapeutic communities wasn’t just theory, it was the weekly discipline of helping staff teams think clearly under pressure. 

We dig into what her consultancy actually looks like at the Cotswold Community: regular team meetings across households and school, short sharp sessions that get to the point, and a strong expectation that staff keep learning. John walks through the practical backbone of the model, including structured need assessments that become living treatment plans. We also explore why her background as a mother doing hands-on wartime work with troubled children gives her a credibility that cuts through resistance in residential child care, foster care, and education settings. 

From there, we get specific about reflective supervision, self-awareness, and containment. John shares how Mrs D helps staff separate “what belongs to me” from “what belongs to the child”, why that skill protects teams from splitting and burnout, and why management alignment with the primary task is essential for trauma-informed care. If you work in child protection, therapeutic residential care, foster care support, or school wellbeing, this conversation offers concrete lessons on building a workforce that can stay steady and effective. 

If this resonates, follow the Secure Start Podcast, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a review so more carers and leaders can find these ideas. What does good supervision look like where you work?

John's Bio:

John was formerly a UKCP registered Psychotherapist and a full member of the British Psychotherapy Foundation (BPF).

John was also the Chair of Trustees of the Gloucestershire Counselling Service and Trustee of the Planned Environment Therapy Trust and the Mulberry Bush Organisation.

Between 1985 and 1999 John was the Principal of the Cotswold Community a pioneering therapeutic community for emotionally unintegrated boys.

Thereafter, between  1999 and 2014 John was the Managing Director of Integrated Services Programme (ISP), the first therapeutic foster care programme in the UK.

Links:

John's Website: https://www.johnwhitwell.co.uk/

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast
Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/
Podcast site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.buzzsprout.com
Secure Start Site: https://securestart.com.au/


Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce. Finally, all references to case examples are anonymised to the extent that the actual case could not be identified, or are fictional but based on real-life examples for illustrative purposes, or have client consent to talk about in an educative context.

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A child breaks a window and the adults don’t rush to punishment. They sit with him, gather as a team, and ask a harder question: what have we been missing in his communication? That single moment opens up a deeper way to understand trauma, behaviour, and what “care” actually looks like when it’s done well. 

We’re joined by Paul Van Heeswijk, a highly experienced child psychotherapist and former consultant to the Cotswold Community. Paul shares the stories that shaped his practice, from early encounters with the deschooling movement to a formative visit to Cotswold and the influence of Donald Winnicott and Barbara Dockar-Drysdale. Along the way we unpack big ideas in plain language: behaviour as a request for something needed, mirroring and integration, and why teams often see different “parts” of the same child. 

We also get practical about the adults. Trauma-informed practice in residential care, foster care, schools, and CAMHS demands more than goodwill. Paul explains how children can pull carers into powerful roles, why reflective spaces help staff de-roll and reset, and how co-regulation sits beneath everything from Winnicott’s thinking to modern polyvagal theory. The closing message is a strong one: if we want better outcomes for children, we must invest in the adults who hold the work. 

If this conversation helps you rethink behaviour, care, and presence, please subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a review so more people can find Secure Start.

Paul's Bio:

Paul qualified as a Child Psychotherapist in 1981and is a Member of the Association of Child Psychotherapists. He was a Member of the Bowlby Centre until he retired in 2024. Paul worked in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and Child Psychiatry in London since 1981, including a Tier 4 Eating Disorders Unit between 2009 and 2014.

Between 1991 and 2000 Paul was Consultant Psychotherapist to the Cotswold Community. He has also consulted to several other Social Care Organisations in Ireland and the UK, and to Foster Care Agencies in England.

Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast
Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce. Finally, all references to case examples are anonymised to the extent that the actual case could not be identified, or are fictional but based on real-life examples for illustrative purposes, or have client consent to talk about in an educative context.

*Attributed to Donald Winnicott

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Kids don’t “choose” impulsivity, shutdowns, school blow-ups or constant conflict at home, yet child protection and education systems still treat many of these behaviours like attitude problems. We sit down with William “Liam” Curran, a clinical social worker and international FASD educator, to unpack what fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) really looks like on the ground, especially the hidden presentation NDPAE (Neurodevelopmental Disorder Associated With Prenatal Alcohol Exposure) that can slip past clinicians because there are no obvious facial features.

We talk frankly about why proof of prenatal alcohol exposure is so hard to establish years later, and why that missing evidence can stall Australian diagnostic pathways even when a child’s profile screams executive functioning and adaptive functioning challenges. Liam explains how children can be bounced through foster care and schools, labelled as “bad”, and misdiagnosed with ADHD or other conditions, sometimes ending up on long lists of medications while the underlying brain-based disability remains unaddressed.

You’ll also hear a practical response: Liam’s five-step screening pathway that starts with ruling out genetic look-alikes, then uses behavioural, adaptive and executive functioning tools (including measures like the Vineland) to build an evidence-based picture before the system rushes to a label. We finish with prevention, culture, workforce training, and why “meeting needs first” is the only safe approach when services don’t magically appear after diagnosis.

William's Bio:

William (Liam) Curran, Ph.D., M.Sc., LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker originally from Ireland and currently based in Providence. Registered with the Rhode Island Department of Health, Liam brings extensive experience across multiple areas of child and family social work. Over the past 15 years, he has developed a strong focus on supporting caregivers and professionals working with individuals affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). His work centers on the identification, assessment, and practical response to suspected cases of prenatal alcohol exposure, with a particular emphasis on translating complex knowledge into real-world social work practice. Liam is a published author and an established educator, having delivered international training and professional development on FASD to social workers, caregivers, and multidisciplinary teams. His approach is grounded in the social model of disability, highlighting the lived experiences of individuals and families navigating often unrecognized neurodevelopmental challenges.

In addition to his clinical work conducting neurodevelopmental assessments for children and youth with or spectated FASD, Liam serves as an adjunct professor in the School of Social Work at Simmons University, where he teaches both BSW and MSW students and advocates for bridging the gap between theory and practice. 

Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast
Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/

William's Linked In: linkedin.com/in/william-curran-48a9b0337

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce. Finally, all references to case examples are anonymised to the extent that the actual case could not be identified, or are fictional but based on real-life examples for illustrative purposes, or have client consent to talk about in an educative context.

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When people are overwhelmed, they don’t need a lecture. They need someone who can help them think again. That’s the heart of our conversation with Dr Laura Steckley, a leading researcher in therapeutic residential childcare, as we tackle one of the most misunderstood ideas in trauma-informed practice: containment.

We start by naming the problem. “Containment” often gets misused to mean restriction, restraint, or simply keeping behaviour quiet. Laura and I unpack the psychodynamic meaning instead: making the uncontainable containable, the unbearable bearable, and the unmanageable manageable. We talk about what uncontainment looks like in real life, when language disappears, anxiety spikes, and a child (or adult) feels like they are coming out of their own skin. From there we map the mechanics of good containment: receiving the emotional message, staying steady enough not to be flooded, processing it, then giving it back with empathic acknowledgement so the other person feels seen, heard and felt.

Containment also isn’t just a one-to-one skill. We explore “holistic containment” in residential care and across organisations, including predictable routines, clear policies, reflective supervision, and the meaning-making conversations that help staff and young people understand what happened. We go straight into leadership too, because senior leaders often need the most containment and get the least, and that gap can shape the entire culture of care.

If you work in residential care, foster care, education, child protection, counselling, or any trauma-informed setting, this will give you language, frameworks and practical ideas you can use immediately. Subscribe to Secure Start, share this with a colleague who carries a lot, and leave a review to help more people find the show. What helps you feel contained when the work gets hard?

Laura’s Bio

Laura previously joined me for episode 20 of The Secure Start Podcast. Those who have listened to that podcast episode will remember that Laura joined the University of Strathclyde in 2003 and that she is simultaneously part of the School of Social Work & Social Policy and CELCIS (the Centre of Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland).  

Before coming to the University, Laura worked in direct practice, management and training in residential treatment for adolescents in the United States and residential child care in Scotland.

Laura’s research interests broadly involve deepening our understanding of key areas of practice in order to improve the experiences and life chances of children and young people in residential child care.  

In this episode we plan to delve more deeply into the topic of containment.

Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast
Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce. Finally, all references to case examples are anonymised to the extent that the actual case could not be identified, or are fictional but based on real-life examples for illustrative purposes.

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We love neat metrics in children’s social care because they fit on dashboards: placement stability, school attainment, cost per child. But when you sit down with people who’ve actually lived the care system, the story gets messier and far more human. Colby Pearce is joined Professor Dr Lisa Holmes, one of the world’s leading researchers in residential childcare, to ask a simple question with huge consequences: what outcomes are truly meaningful for children in out-of-home care?

We talk about why “countable” outcomes can crowd out what children need to heal and grow, including relationships that don’t get cut off when a placement ends, a sense of belonging and identity, real agency in decisions, and protection from loneliness. Lisa brings a systems lens to the problem, drawing on ecological theory to explain why children’s trajectories are rarely linear and why it’s risky to attribute long-term adult outcomes to a single placement without grappling with timing, instability, disability data gaps, and other confounds.

The conversation then turns to residential care. Yes, it’s expensive, but expensive doesn’t automatically mean poor value for money. We challenge the “last resort” rhetoric and argue for a better frame: placement purpose. What is this placement for, for this young person, right now? We also dig into what quality residential care looks like in practice, from trauma-informed training to strong supervision that supports the workforce to do complex, relational work well. 

If you care about child welfare reform, foster care, kinship care, residential care, and outcomes that actually match children’s hopes for an ordinary life, this one’s for you. 

Lisa’s Bio

Lisa joined the School of Education and Social Work at the University of Sussex in January 2022 as Professor of Applied Social Science. Prior to this she was an Associate Professor and Deputy Director of Research in the Department of Education, University of Oxford. 

Over the past twenty-five years Lisa has carried out a range of research and evaluation projects, with a particular focus on the relationship between needs, costs and outcomes of services and support provided to children and families. Along with her colleagues, Professor James Whittaker and Professor Jorge F del Valle, Lisa is co-chair of the International Work Group for Therapeutic Residential Care and is a board member of the European Scientific Association On Residential And Family Care For Children And Adolescents (EuSARF) and the Association of Children’s Residential and Community Services (ACRC). In late 2017, along with colleagues at University College London and the University of Oxford, Lisa established the Children's Social Care Data User Group. The group provides a forum to share expertise and learning between all users and potential users (academic, practice and policy) of children's social care (child welfare) data. 

Lisa has published a range of books and journal articles. Over the past two years she has presented her research in Australia, South Korea, Spain, Finland, Croatia, Lithuania and the US.

Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast
Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce. Finally, all references to case examples are anonymised to the extent that the actual case could not be identified, or are fictional but based on real-life examples for illustrative purposes.

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Supervision can look calm on the outside while a whole attachment system is firing underneath. When a supervisee is worried about risk, second-guessing an intervention, or feeling judged, the supervision room stops being a “case review” and becomes a relationship shaped by safety, power, and emotion. That’s where attachment theory becomes more than an idea, it becomes a practical lens for clinical supervision.

We sit down with Dr Alex Rowell, clinical psychologist, educator, and certified supervisor, to talk about attachment-based supervision and why it fits across orientations, from psychodynamic psychotherapy to structured approaches. We unpack what it means for a supervisor to function as a secure base and safe haven, how anxious and avoidant patterns can show up for both supervisee and supervisor, and why the best supervision often feels emotionally attuned rather than purely administrative. Along the way, we explore parallel process, the supervisory alliance, and how a supervisor’s own attachment style can quietly shape their responses under stress.

We also get real about constraints: heavy caseloads, system pressure, and the fact that many clinicians are “voluntold” to supervise with little formal training. We discuss rupture and repair after hard feedback, the built-in power dynamic of supervision, and when developmental or CBT-style structure is exactly what a supervisee needs. If you supervise, get supervised, or train clinicians, you’ll walk away with clearer language and practical prompts for making supervision safer, sharper, and more humane.

If this conversation helps you, please subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a review so more supervisors and trainees can find it. What supervision moment made you feel most supported.

Alex’s Bio

Dr. Alex Rowell is a practicing clinical psychologist in the United Stated and United Kingdom. He has a wide range of clinical and professional experiences that include working in various inpatient/outpatient hospitals, non-profit organizations, multiple college-counseling centers, the National Health Service (NHS), higher education, and currently works virtually in private practice. His areas of interests include clinical supervision/supervising, mood disorders, self-compassion, teaching, mindfulness, burnout, and gender awareness and education. Dr. Rowell has presented on peripartum mental health, multicultural awareness, clinical supervision, Psychodynamic psychotherapy, and personality disorders at various conferences. He practices mainly from an Attachment informed, Psychodynamic, and Humanistic/Existential lens; he is also RAPPS (Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors) certified through the BPS (British Psychological Association). 

Links:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSecureStartPodcast
Podcast Blog Site: https://thesecurestartpodcast.com/

Alex's Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dralexrowell/

Disclaimer: Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce. Finally, all references to case examples are anonymised to the extent that the actual case could not be identified, or are fictional but based on real-life examples for illustrative purposes.

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