The Kindness Code - Episode 17 - What does therapeutic care actually look like?

And so today we're talking about what does therapeutic mean? Because actually it's a word that's really bandied about, and I've been asked a few times.

I'm kind of like, probably I'm not super clear on what does it mean to be a therapeutic care home and what does it mean for the home and what does it mean for the people who are in there with the kids every day?

Yes, it's a good topic because you're right, it's talked about all the time and it's a bit of a buzzword sometimes.

So today I just want to break it down a little bit really and we'll talk through some of the different approaches and things like that.

But ultimately, therapeutic care is really, it's the approach that we take to the way we support the children every single day and it should be running through our veins in everything that we do, not something that is lifted off of paper and written somewhere else.

Amazing, because, so how does it actually... show up like what is the basis because it's very what we do is very relational is that is that kind of the the the basis of what we do and if you're totally and that

would have been the word i would say relationships you know and i think lots of the other episodes that we've done and talked about you know it's all examples of what therapeutic care is But it can get lost.

And ultimately, it's your relationships.

It's the connections that you have with the children.

It's how well do we know them? How do we understand them? How do we talk to them? How do we adapt what we do to understand them and ultimately help them heal? And that's not just applicable to residential children's homes.

It's just working with children, you know, even your own children.

We apply and people listen to this.

We'll apply therapeutic practices regularly.

without knowing that they're doing it because it just is.

And, you know, you hear people talk all the time about something, an activity that might have done this.

Oh, I just find it so therapeutic when I am knitting or, you know, whatever.

And it's that.

It's those little things that can just switch your mind off and take you somewhere else and make you feel connected and safe and relaxed.

And we can do it in so many different ways.

And it's not...

It's not how we write it down and it's not how we record it and tell Ofsted, look how brilliant and therapeutic we are.

It's how we live it and how the children experience it.

So, because there is that conflict, isn't it? So you've got to record all these things.

So you've actually just got to be present and be really kind and relational and connect with these kids.

And often, you know, we all know there's sometimes behaviours which are challenging, but we're there to show up for the kids.