Reflective practice in a residential children’s home
Creating a reflective space for support workers to explore the emotional impact of their work and develop as practitioners.
Situation
A community interest company commissioned Tavistock Consulting to provide ongoing reflective practice for its support workers in a residential children’s home. The charity’s core task is to support young people in care and those leaving care on their journey into adulthood, helping them move toward practical, financial, social and emotional independence.
Staff in these settings work closely with young people with complex needs and trauma, often navigating high levels of emotional intensity, relational challenge and risk. The work requires attuned, relational engagement while managing transitions and behaviours rooted in trauma and loss. Leaders within the charity recognised the importance of supporting staff to think together about the impact of this work, and to use reflection as a tool for resilience, development and practice improvement.
Our Approach
We designed and facilitated a bi-weekly online Reflective Practice group for support workers in the residential children’s home which was reviewed at six-month intervals. Reflective Practice provides a containing environment to process the emotional experience of the work and draws on the Tavistock work discussion tradition, allowing space to focus on detailed reflection on specific encounters to develop insight and deepen professional understanding.
Each session provides a consistent, confidential space for staff to slow down and reflect on the emotional, relational and systemic aspects of their work. Sessions support participants in thinking together about the complexities they encounter, both in relation to the young people and the wider organisational context.
Impact
Consultant feedback
Caring for others is often painful. Even with best practice, consistency and skill, young people may still run away, return to unsafe relationships or direct anger towards staff. What stands out is the team’s willingness to keep showing up and think deeply about these experiences, and how they relate to the young person’s life events. Through cycles of feeling, thinking and doing, participants create the conditions for insight, growth and better outcomes for the young people in their care
Tavistock organisational consultant
Participant feedback
‘Really enjoyable and useful space to share ideas and be more on the same page when working with our young people’
‘Being able to come together to discuss any concerns or looking at what is working well with those you work with to improve own work with the young people’
Participants consistently reported that the reflective practice space strengthened their capacity to think about the children and young people they support. Many said it helped them develop deeper insights into the experiences and behaviour of the young people, which in turn improved the quality of their day-to-day work.
Staff valued having a protected space to explore concerns and test out emerging thoughts without judgement. This supported more open conversations, greater emotional containment, and clearer understanding of the dynamics shaping their work. The group also improved connection and collaboration across the wider service.
Overall, the reflective practice sessions offered a psychologically safe setting for reflection and development, sustaining and strengthening professionals who hold some of the most relationally demanding roles.
Please note: This case study has been anonymised.