We use DDP (Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy) principles in our therapeutic model of care. 

One key aspect is the PACE model, which is an approach that American psychologist Dr Dan Hughes developed. The model promotes a way of thinking, feeling, communicating, and behaving to make a young person feel safe and it’s based on how parents connect with children during their infant years.  

If a young person feels safe, they’re able to form close relationships, build trust and explore the world with confidence.  

Playfulness – we create a fun and relaxed atmosphere where a young person can form positive connections. Playful attitudes help them understand that temporary conflicts and separations won’t harm their relationships. 

Acceptance – we help our young people understand that their inner self will never be ridiculed or rejected and that we accept them unconditionally. 

Curiosity – we constantly seek to understand a young person’s inner self and what fuels their behaviour, interactions, and relationships. 

Empathy – we do everything we can to understand a young person’s emotional state. We never forget that, given their experiences, they’re doing the best they can. 

How does our therapeutic model work?  

We have a dedicated in-house therapeutic team of psychologists, play therapists, and art and drama therapists, who are regionally located across our network of homes, assessment homes and schools.  

The therapeutic team offer direct input, as well as in-direct input through staff support, consultation, and reflective practice. 

Team around the child

We use a TAC (Team Around the Child) approach which means our therapeutic team work closely with the home, education, and assessment teams to recommend interventions that are personalised to each young person.   

CANS assessments  

We assess every young person when they initially join us and every six months thereafter using the CANS (Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths) assessment tool.  

CANS helps us gain an understanding of a young person’s needs, make decisions about which pathways are right for them and monitor the outcomes of the services we provide.  

Autism assessments 

Our in-house therapeutic team are qualified to carry out autism assessments.  

This is really beneficial to our young people because ordinarily they’d be put on a waiting list via their local authority for this type of service.  

By having this resource in-house, we can make sure an assessment is done swiftly so that they get the support they need much sooner.  

Our therapeutic model really does underpin everything that we do, and it helps us provide a consistent approach to all our services.  

Take a look at our case study...