Clive Shirland & Joe

I recently sat down with Clive Shirland for a conversation about something I think we need to keep talking about — the future of residential care and what we can do better for children and young people. We talked about the things that really matter. Do we have the right approaches? Are we giving staff and services the resources they actually need? Could mentoring and coaching make a difference? And when we use the word “outstanding”, what should that really mean for the child or young person experiencing the care? For me, one of the biggest questions is what happens beyond care. How do we help young people build a future that they can genuinely look forward to? Not just getting by, but having opportunities, relationships, confidence and people around them who believe in what they can achieve. Clive brings his own experience and perspective to the conversation, and we don't pretend to have all the answers. That's part of the reason for having these conversations in the first place. If you work in residential care, lead a service, support young people, or simply care about where the sector is heading, I hope you'll give it a listen.