The Secure Start® Podcast

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever watched a care team get dragged into chaos and wondered why “good practice” disappears under pressure, this conversation gives you a clearer answer than blame or burnout. We sit down with Simon Benjamin, founder of Blue Skies Independent Consulting, to unpack a hard truth from trauma informed therapeutic care: great outcomes for children are built on organisational health, not just individual skill or good intentions. We talk leadership from the inside out, including what Simon learned moving from frontline residential care to CEO, and why coaching can be the difference between reacting all day and leading with purpose. We dig into Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team and the idea of vulnerability based trust: the ability to say “I don’t know”, challenge decisions early, and create psychological safety that makes honest conflict possible. In therapeutic organisations, that culture isn’t optional, because we ask children to take emotional risks and we need leaders to model the same courage. We also get practical about what “therapeutic” should mean in residential child care and other out-of-home care settings. Simon explains the “therapeutic level” idea using a medical dose analogy and outlines what it takes to reach it: consistent repairing experiences, ongoing training, reflective practice, and structured debriefs that help shift teams stay aligned. We finish by tackling cost, funding levers, ROI, and the outcomes that actually matter when defining success. Subscribe to Secure Start, share this episode with a leader in your network, and leave a review. What’s one leadership behaviour you think most improves care quality? Simon's Bio: Simon Benjamin is the Principal Consultant and founder of Blue Skies Independent Consulting. Simon works across two worlds — trauma-informed therapeutic care and organisational health. He brings over twenty years of experience from frontline residential care through to CEO level, in therapeutic care. Simon's Website: https://blueskies.net.au/ Our 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. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail A young person once told our guest, “You’re the first adult I’ve ever had a conversation with.” That single line sets the tone for a deep, practical look at what makes therapeutic residential care work and what quietly breaks it. I sit down with Doug, an evaluator and long-time practitioner in youth and community work, to talk about how trust is built through small, repeatable actions and why being heard can be a turning point for children and young people living with complex trauma in out-of-home care. We dig into the evidence from Victoria’s therapeutic residential care pilots and six subsequent outcome evaluations. Doug explains why data collection is not a “nice to have” but part of trauma-informed practice: it helps teams see progress they would otherwise miss, builds staff self-efficacy, and supports young people to develop a different internal story about who they are. We explore the specific measures used, including HoNOSCA, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and outcome scales designed to capture both reductions in harmful behaviours and the growth of positive capacities like relationships, self-care, and stability. Several essential elements come through clearly: the catalytic role of therapeutic specialists, rostered reflective practice meetings, consistent and trained staffing, and a placement approach that respects agency and matching. We also tackle the hard questions about cost, redundancy, and why forced placements can “explode” good work, then walk through the economic finding that a large portion of added cost can be recouped quickly through reduced hospital use, police involvement, and placement disruption. Douglas's Bio: Director Faircloth McNair and Associates Contact & Information: https://www.fairclothmcnair.com.au/ I am full of hope, and I dream that the collective effort of people of goodwill can improve the lives of countless children and young people who face adversity in their childhood. I have 25 years of consulting expertise and experience in provision of research, evaluations, reviews and other project work for Government and not for profits in child protection, First Nations support, Disability and Aged Care. My consulting work is augmented by 3 decades of counselling, pastoral and youth work. I have led 6 outcome and 1 place-based evaluations of therapeutic residential out of home care (TRC) services in Australia over 4 state jurisdictions from 2011 to 2022 using comparable methods and tools supporting longitudinal insight into poor and unmanaged mental health of young people in Australia's Out of Home Care system. I have also led: • The review of Placement Prevention and Reunification Services for Aboriginal Children, Young People and their Families in Victoria (2016) • A project providing Therapeutic Residential Care System Development and Design for all NSW Residential Out of Home Care services (2016) • A evaluation of therapeutically designed and delivered intervention for young people ‘The Goodlife Farm’ (2019) • The research, evidence and design to develop and deliver youth Centres that support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to break the cycle of disadvantage and to thrive – for the Message Stick Foundation (2023 -2025) The work I have participated in has drawn national and international recognition for its impact and for its solution focus. The recognition is demonstrated relevant Reports, Submissions, Citations and Presentations (available for review at: https://www.fairclothmcnair.com.au/citations-and-references-faircloth-mcnair-and-associates 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. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail If you think you can do therapeutic residential care and leave it all at the door, Marie Clutton has a gentle challenge for you. Young people notice what we carry, even when we do our best to hide it, and they can spot the difference between performance and authenticity in seconds. That single truth reshapes how we think about professional distance, boundaries, and what it means to be a safe adult around boys and young men who have experienced trauma and displayed harmful sexual behaviour. Marie brings over 20 years of experience in therapeutic childcare and therapeutic community practice at Amberleigh Care, an accredited service supporting young males aged 11 to 18. We talk about how a therapeutic community differs from general residential care, including the role of group work, community meetings, and the idea that relationships are the treatment, not something that sits alongside it. You’ll hear why connection and belonging can be protective factors, and how peer support plus peer challenge can open doors that adult-led interventions often cannot. We also get practical about safeguarding and risk management: individual risk assessments, structured routines, strong communication, and regular reviews. Along the way, we name the emotional reality for staff too and the importance of containment spaces like reflective group supervision and staff dynamics, so the work does not spill destructively into home life. If you care about trauma-informed care, child protection, youth justice, harmful sexual behaviour interventions, or safer residential care practice, this conversation offers both heart and rigour. Subscribe to Secure Start, share this episode with a colleague, and leave a review to help more people find it. What part of relational safety do you think the sector still underestimates? Marie's Bio: Marie brings over 25 years of experience in therapeutic childcare and residential care management. She has been part of Amberleigh Care for two decades and possesses extensive expertise in leading within a therapeutic community (TC). She is a qualified groupwork practitioner, holds a Diploma from the IGA, qualified in care leadership and management, is a designated safeguarding lead, is trained DDP Level 2 and AIM3 Assessment and Intervention, and holds a diploma in Child Care. Amberleigh Care operates two accredited therapeutic communities for young people, and Marie oversees all therapeutic community processes across the organisation. Her responsibilities include facilitating group dynamics, and collaborating with care, therapy, and education teams. She also works directly with young people in group settings to ensure they feel heard, valued, and engaged within the community. Marie continues to support young people after they leave Amberleigh Care through peer mentor roles, enabling them to remain connected, share experiences, and contribute to the development of the communities. She is also involved in external events, providing young people with opportunities to share their stories through presentations and workshops. Marie has served as co-chair of the TCTC Children’s Network for over five years and contributes to research initiatives that support wider professional networks. 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. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail A child disappears into the underside of a foam settee, furious when the adults cannot find her. Another child “loses” Super Ted again and again, and what looks like chaos turns into a quiet test: will you come looking, will you bring me back, will I still belong? I sit down for the second instalment of my recent conversation with Richard Rollinson, much-loved elder of the Mulberry Bush therapeutic community, to unpack what belonging really means in out-of-home care and therapeutic residential care. We talk about how the stories we tell children about their parents can either stabilise them or split them apart, and why it matters to honour birth family without denying harm. Richard shares a practical reframe for the child who says “my mother doesn’t love me”, and we tease out the difference between making a necessary judgement and being judgemental. From Kryptonite and the fear of being human to Santa versus Satan and the trap of perfection, we explore how young people get stuck in all-or-nothing thinking, and how adults can offer a “common garden” alternative: ordinary, mixed, and survivable. We also tackle a bigger question in residential care policy: the drift towards one-or-two child homes and what we risk losing when we move away from therapeutic communities and the power of the group. If you care about trauma-informed practice, belonging, life story meaning, and better care for children and young people, press play. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation. 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. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Care gets framed as gentle and cosy, but that story falls apart the moment you work closely with children who have lived through fear, loss and disruption. I sit down with Richard Rollinson for another instalment of objects that help use remember and think, to explore a tougher, more honest view: care as something we carry, not just something we do. Richard brings two objects to make the point - a Care Bear and the Oxford English Dictionary - and cites definitions that connect “care” to grief, mental suffering, doubt and sorrow. It lands because it sounds like the real emotional labour of child and youth care, residential care, foster care and therapeutic support. We remind the listener about Richard’s love of objects and storytelling: how a childhood habit of arranging things, an unforgettable stage performance filled with objects, and decades of practice in the Mulberry Bush community shaped a way of communicating that invites people in rather than telling them off. We talk about presence, remembering and the strange truth that a single detail can hold a whole world, including a photo where a father’s shoe becomes a doorway into family history, disability and connection. We also get practical about safeguarding and organisational culture. Richard contrasts whistleblowing with something that should sit beside it: voicing concern early, as course correction, so teams can question routines before harm happens. That leads into containment and reflection about how supported staff can hold children’s feelings without becoming punitive, how naming an experience can calm a storm, and how good containment spreads through a group in the best possible way. If you care for children, lead a team, or want trauma-informed practice that stays human under pressure, you’ll find plenty to pause on. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway or the object that carries your story. 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. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail “All you need is a big heart and a spare room” might be the most damaging sentence in foster care. I'm joined by Gareth K. Thomas, former foster parent and childhood trauma consultant (Clarified), to unpack why that kind of messaging sets carers up to fail and pulls children into yet another painful move. If we want placement stability and better outcomes for children in out-of-home care, we have to stop treating foster parents like the hired help and start treating them as the primary healing environment. We talk about what trauma-informed fostering looks like on the ground: co-regulation, widening the window of tolerance, and the small “magic micro moments” that add up to a therapeutic bath no weekly appointment can match. Gareth shares why the best services don’t do therapy to children in isolation, they bring carers into the work and build a shared understanding across schools, social workers, and clinicians. We also dig into the uncomfortable bit, how “support” can become shaming training when a carer says they’re struggling, and why reflective space matters when everyone’s prefrontal cortex is going offline under stress. You’ll also hear practical examples of the scaffolding that keeps families going: consistent short breaks, empathic listener phone calls, therapeutic supervising social workers, and peer groups where lived experience is treated as real expertise. Gareth closes by sharing what he wants from policy leaders, plus what he’s building next, including Trauma Space and a new book on therapeutic parenting for teens and tweens. If this conversation helps, subscribe, share it with someone in the care sector, and leave a review so more carers and professionals can find it. What would you change first to make fostering sustainable? Gareth's Bio: Gareth K Thomas is a former foster parent and child trauma specialist. He’s a trainer, speaker and (soon-to-be-published author). He works as a trauma-informed consultant through his organisation, Clarified, and is in the process of launching Trauma Space, which will be a course collection and community for those parenting and working with children who’ve experienced trauma. 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. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail “Residential care is the last resort” sounds like a policy line, but it lands as a verdict on children and on the people who care for them. In this podcast conversation, Co-Director of the Residential Child Care Project at Cornell University, Martha Holden, and I push back on that idea and explore what happens when group care is treated as a serious, skilled, trauma-informed option rather than a dumping ground for system failures. We dig into what TCI is actually for: preventing harm during crisis, reducing power struggles, and helping staff respond to aggressive behaviour without re-traumatising kids. Then we zoom out to the bigger question, what guides the other 23 hours of the day? Martha explains why CARE was built as a foundational program model, how shared principles create congruence across shifts, and why consistency is not a “nice to have” when young people are highly sensitive to change and unpredictability. We also get practical about quality and accountability. Measuring residential care against foster care often ignores the reality that many young people arrive after multiple placement breakdowns, so we argue for outcomes that track change from each child’s starting point using effect sizes. If you care about residential child care, out-of-home care, workforce wellbeing, and what evidence-informed practice looks like on the ground, this conversation will sharpen your thinking. Subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a review. What would you stop doing tomorrow to lift the quality of care? Martha's Bio: Martha is a Senior Extension Associate with the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, and Co-Director of the Residential Child Care Project at Cornell University. Ms Holden is the author of the book, CARE: Creating Conditions for Change a program model for child caring agencies. She is the lead developer of the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention System (TCI) in use in children’s residential organizations since 1980, redeveloped for foster and adoptive parents in 1996, and redeveloped for schools in 2012. She provides technical assistance and training to residential child caring agencies, schools, juvenile justice programs, and child welfare organizations throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, Spain, and Israel. In addition to her extensive experience in training, writing, and curriculum development, Ms Holden has served as an administrator overseeing the day-to-day operation of a residential treatment agency for children, including its education resources. During her career, Martha has been studying how to prevent the occurrence of institutional abuse and improve the quality of care for children in out of home placements through program development, training, technical assistance, and influencing organizational culture. 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. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail A child can walk into a house with a full fridge and a clean bed and still feel terrified. That’s the gap we’re trying to close, and it’s why this conversation matters. I’m joined by Mary-anne Hodd, founder of Journeys That Care, a CPD accredited training and consultancy that blends lived experience with psychology, teaching, and therapeutic practice. Mary-anne grew up in the care system and now supports the adults around care experienced children across fostering, residential care, local authorities and schools. Together we dig into what actually changes outcomes: not perfect plans or flawless paperwork, but relationships that hold steady over time. We talk about the adults who keep showing up, the “fresh start” that helps a young person risk trust again, and why hope often takes years to bloom after leaving care. We also go deep on language in social care. What do labels like “challenging behaviour” and “hard to engage” really do to a child’s story, especially when those words end up in files a young person might read as an adult? Mary-anne shares her experience of requesting her records, the long wait, the emotional hit, and the one simple line that brought her identity back to life. We unpack how to write case notes with compassion and curiosity while staying professional, and how understanding rights and entitlements can lift aspiration instead of shrinking it. If you work in trauma-informed care, child protection, out-of-home care, education, or youth mental health, you’ll take away practical ways to centre the child’s voice and create everyday moments of safety. Subscribe, share this episode with someone in the sector, and leave a review so more carers and professionals can find it. Mary-anne's Bio Mary-anne Hodd is the founder of Journeys That Care, a CPD-accredited training, consultancy, and speaking organisation that combines lived experience with professional insight. Care-experienced herself, she draws on a background in psychology, teaching, and therapeutic practice to support the adults who work with and around children and young people in care, right across the UK. Her work is about bridging the gap between policy, practice, and lived experience, supporting the adults around children and young people to build and sustain relationships in which both they and the children they care for feel safe, hopeful, and able to thrive. She is passionate about amplifying lived experience, challenging assumptions, and supporting professionals to create environments where children and young people feel understood, valued, and able to thrive. 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. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Turning 16 should not feel like a countdown to being on your own. Turning 18 should not require a letter proving you deserve a roof over your head. I sit down with German social worker, researcher, and care leaver Tanja Abu to unpack how leaving care really works in Germany and why the systems designed to build “independence” can end up creating pressure, instability, and loneliness instead. We talk about what makes Germany distinct, including the fact that residential care and group homes are the most common placements, and how that shapes public perceptions compared with foster-care-heavy systems. Tanja walks us through recent legislative changes, including extended aftercare and the long fight to stop forcing young people in care to hand over most of their income to the state. We also name what too often sits behind the data: classism, structural inequality, and how poverty can drive families into welfare involvement while wealth buys privacy and options. From there we get practical about transition points. Tanja describes Germany’s “two cliff edges”, the push to semi-independent living at 16 and the high-stakes jump at 18, and why checklist-based assessments of readiness miss the real determinants of long-term stability: trusted relationships, belonging, and mental health support that does not punish you for needing it. We also dig into care leaver self-organisation, global community building, and the difference between genuine participation and tokenism, including why lived experience expertise must be paid and respected rather than mined for emotional impact. If you care about leaving care policy, residential care practice, trauma-informed support, or care leaver advocacy, this conversation offers both challenge and clarity. Subscribe to Secure Start, share this episode with someone in child and youth welfare, and leave us a review with your biggest takeaway or question. Tanja's Bio: Tanja Abou is a German social worker, researcher, author, and social justice educator whose work focuses on classism, intersectionality, and structural inequality. She identifies as a queer “poverty-class academic” and brings together academic research, lived experience, and political education. Tanja works at the University of Hildesheim on the CLS – Care Leaver Statistics project, the first longitudinal study on young people transitioning out of residential and foster care. Alongside her research, she teaches and facilitates workshops on anti-classism, and is a founding member of the Institute for Classism Research. Tanja’s background includes years of practice in Berlin’s youth welfare system and training as a systemic therapist. She is the author of Classism in the Education System , a critique of structural barriers and the stigmatization of poverty in education. Beyond academia and activism, Tanja also works creatively as a children’s book author (including Starship Cosinus ), comics artist, and occasionally as a DJ. 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. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail “Problem behaviour” is a label that can make adults defensive, punitive and quick to control. We wanted to slow that down and ask a different question: what if the behaviour is pain, showing itself the only way it knows how? For the 50th Secure Start Podcast conversation, I am joined by Professor James Anglin, one of the world’s most influential voices in children’s residential care and therapeutic group home practice. We talk through Professor Anglin’s journey from philosophy and Gestalt training into frontline child and youth care, then into the research that shaped his landmark framework. He explains grounded theory in plain language and why building theory from practice gives workers something they can actually use at 2 am when a young person is dysregulated. At the centre is a struggle for congruence: aligning decisions across funders, leadership, supervision and frontline care so the whole system acts in children’s best interests, not just the words on a policy page. We dig into three major processes: creating an extra-familial living environment, responding to pain-based behaviour, and helping young people develop a sense of normality and dignity. Along the way we unpack the interactional dynamics that make change possible, the real harm of repeated placement breakdown, and how the Cornell CARE model has scaled these ideas across countries and cultures. If you work in child protection, residential care, foster care systems, trauma-informed practice or therapeutic care, this is a concrete guide to doing the work with clarity and humanity. Subscribe to The Secure Start Podcast, share this with someone shaping policy or practice, and leave a review. Professor Anglin's Bio: Professor Anglin began his career as a child and youth care worker in a mental health centre in Vancouver, after which he developed a 6-bed group home for adolescents in Victoria Canada. He then pursued graduate studies, worked in social policy in Ottawa and Toronto, and returned to British Columbia in 1979 to join the faculty of the School of Child and Youth Care at the University of Victoria. He served as the School of Child and Youth Care Director for three terms, after which he became the University’s Associate Vice-President Academic and Director of International Affairs. From 1995 to 1999 he was an international advisor to the South African Inter-Ministerial Committee on Young People at Risk involved in the country’s Transformation of the Child and Youth Care System. Currently, he is President of FICE-Canada, Chair of FICE Americas, Asia and Australia Region, and a member of the FICE-International Coordinating Committee. He also serves as a member of the International Work Group on Therapeutic Residential Care, His major research interests have included parent education and support, quality assurance, professionalization of child and youth care, and what constitutes quality residential care for children and youth. James is a Research Affiliate with the Bronfenbrenner Centre for Translational Research at Cornell University advising on the development and implementation of the Cornell CARE Program Model that is now being delivered in 7 countries.. He has published widely in international journals and texts, and serves on the Editorial Boards of the Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care, the Residential Treatment for Children and Youth journal, and the International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies . 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. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Some children live through severe developmental trauma in plain sight, then grow up to find they are missing from the research, the services, and the stories we tell about “who trauma happens to”. I sit down with Ruth Clare, author, TEDx speaker, and intergenerational trauma educator, to talk about what it means to grow up as the child of a traumatised Vietnam veteran in a home shaped by family violence and addiction, and why children of veterans are still treated like a footnote rather than a category that deserves targeted support. We unpack how many child safety and mental health systems quietly depend on a functional adult to report harm, advocate, and follow through, and what happens when every adult freezes or looks away. Ruth shares why compassion is easier when trauma looks like sadness, and why it becomes much harder when trauma shows up as anger, defiance, or volatility. From there, we turn to the places where support can actually be embedded, especially schools, and why an integrated model matters when children spend most of their time either at home or in the classroom. Ruth also brings practical nervous system science into the conversation, including the Dan Siegel hand brain model and the moment the thinking brain goes offline. We talk through accessible regulation tools, how neurodivergence can overlap with trauma-like reactivity, and why “strictness” can escalate threat responses rather than create learning. We finish on funding and reform: how to trial new programs like Parenting After Trauma and its 4R model, and why supporting teachers and carers is one of the fastest paths to safer kids. If this resonates, subscribe and share the episode with someone working with children, and leave a review so more people can find these conversations. What would change in your workplace if asking direct questions about safety was everyone’s job? Ruth's Bio Ruth Clare is an author, TEDx speaker and intergenerational trauma educator whose work bridges research, nervous system science and lived experience. Author of three books, Ruth's award-winning memoir Enemy (Penguin, 2016), tells the story of growing up as the daughter of a traumatised Vietnam veteran in a home marked by family violence and addiction. Her TEDx talk has over 600,000 views. Ruth's work is dedicated to preventing children growing up in families like hers from falling through the gaps. With a background in biochemistry and communications, Ruth translates complex trauma research into practical tools and psychoeducation for individuals, practitioners and organisations. She is the developer of Parenting After Trauma (PAT), a structured group program for trauma-affected parents in veteran and first responder families, built around her original Four R model: Recognition, Regulation, Repair, and Reframing. 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. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail 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. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail 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. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail 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. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail 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. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail 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 Support the show

Send us Fan Mail 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. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail 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. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail 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. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail 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. Support the show