In Residence

Every Child Leaving Care Matters. Dear Friends, I am writing this letter on behalf of and with the agreement of all of our Board members who have assisted its preparation. First and foremost, we would all like to thank you for your continued and relentless support. Some of you have been with us since the … Read more

I am not sure whether the term “log-jam” has been used in, or applied to, counselling and psychotherapy alongside familiar concepts such as resistance, defence mechanisms, blocks and blockage, repression and denial.  But it came to mind some time ago when we were trying to describe the nature and dynamics of a situation in which … Read more

Udayan Care: Concept Note Consultation on ‘Trauma Informed Care: Concepts & Practices for children in Alternative care’ March 17, 2017, New Delhi ‘Trauma is when people live with more fear than hope’ – Anonymous The Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015 have set out a vision for a world where all children are happy, healthy … Read more

Helping Children Through Music Therapy One of the most heart-breaking things we, as adults, witness is the suffering of children. We see a television advertisement showing an abused or sickly child and send them whatever money we can spare; we donate old clothes, toys and books to shelters and hospitals; we even volunteer our time … Read more

Failing Better Within the Context of a Child and Adolescent Social Care Environment (You Failed Me, But Do You Really Care) First a note, this paper is inspired by a paper written by Richard Rollinson, Executive Director of the Planned Environment Therapy Trust, I concluded that the follow-on from his paper would need to be … Read more

[The following is a brief but powerful personal communication from a Care Leaver, SK, who was responding to my request to meet and discuss the subject of Belonging as it related to Care leavers and their experiences and perspectives. This and other of his reflections greatly assisted me in writing a paper entitled, Towards Belonging … Read more

[In early 2016 two Charities – The Care Leavers Foundation and The Rees Foundation –both committed to supporting Care Leavers and with very common aims and ethos – agreed to merge and use the synergies gained by this to extend even more our capacity to support Care Leavers and help them make a difference for … Read more

It is well known that care leavers experience disproportionately more disadvantage than the general population. And we know in what areas this is likely to manifest itself: education, housing, finance, criminal justice, self-esteem, health etc More often than not there is some acknowledgement of the effects of this disadvantage but very little being done to … Read more

The title for the three year New Belongings project, which was funded by the Department for Education (DfE) between 2013 and 2016, came from the shocking use by care leavers in more than one setting of the term ’segregated’ to describe their experience of leaving care. Not just isolated, marginalised, neglected or unsupported. Segregated. Deliberately … Read more

Dear Friends, Chris Nicholson is giving a presentation at Kypseli TC in Athens on Saturday 8th April @ 12.00 – 1.30pm ‘The monster within:  the psychological function of monsters in fairy tales and children’s fiction‘ Abstract: The monster is powerful motif in fairy tales and children’s fiction and, some would say, the stuff of nightmare, … Read more

A Free Event at  West Kent College, Tonbridge 6th & 7th April, 2017 Within the last few years, the relationship based approach of social pedagogy has been capturing the imagination and changing the practice of many professionals in social care, education, health and the creative arts. With a longstanding tradition in many European countries and … Read more

The Centre for Social Work Practice (CfSWP) is delighted to be part of the International Centre and to support its mission and aims through collaboration and dialogue. CfSWP is a charity committed to ensuring that reflective practice, with its focus on relationships, takes its rightful place not only in social work practice, but also in … Read more