Karen O Donell

I'm joined by Sharron McAllister Reilly to explore her journey in residential childcare and how her experiences have shaped her passion for therapeutic practice and accredited training.We'll discuss the development of her three-tiered Therapeutic Parenting framework, the SCQF Level 7 Professional Certificate, and how these approaches can better support practitioners and improve outcomes for children and young people.

n this episode, I'm joined by Dan Crowley for a fascinating and heartfelt conversation about the realities of creating children's homes where young people can truly thrive.Dan shares some of the hidden insights into the sector, from how people find suitable properties and finance children's homes, to the challenges of setting them up and making them work.But we also explore something much deeper: the importance of love, relationships and creating a genuine sense of belonging for children who need it most.It's an honest, insightful conversation that brings together the practical realities of running children's homes with the human values that really matter.

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.

I talk with Dominy Roe who is managing director of Transfom Uk . This interview with Dominy Roe explores how lived experience of the care system can shape a more compassionate, relational and therapeutic approach to residential care.At its heart is a powerful question: what did children in care need then, and how can we create that for children now? The conversation explores how Dominy’s own experiences have influenced her thinking about what a children’s home should feel like — not simply a place where children are looked after, but somewhere they can experience safety, love, belonging and meaningful relationships.A central theme is trust. For children who have experienced rejection, instability or relationships that have caused harm, trusting adults can be incredibly difficult. The interview considers what love and belonging look like in practice when a child may initially reject the very relationships and care being offered to them.The conversation also challenges traditional ways of understanding behaviour. Rather than focusing solely on what a child is doing, it asks adults to become curious about what may sit underneath that behaviour. Shame, rejection, attachment experiences and fear can all influence the ways children respond to the world, while behaviours that appear challenging may have developed as important ways of protecting themselves.This thinking connects with Transform’s development of a therapeutic practice model, exploring how a deeper understanding of children’s experiences can influence everyday care, relationships and responses.The interview also recognises that therapeutic care cannot be separated from leadership and organisational culture. It explores the responsibility leaders have for creating emotionally safe environments and considers how the adults caring for children can be supported to remain warm, reflective and relational when the work is emotionally demanding.Ultimately, the conversation invites us to reconsider how we see children living in residential care: moving away from defining them by behaviours, difficulties or experiences and towards understanding the child underneath — what has happened to them, what they may be communicating, and what they need from the adults around them.It is a conversation about creating children’s homes where relationships matter, behaviour is met with curiosity rather than judgement, and children are given the opportunity to experience something fundamental: the feeling that they belong.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Kaz Jack, a Registered Manager with Pebbles Care, based in Penrith, a town close to the English–Scottish border.In this conversation, we explore the importance of relational practice, why connection should always come before correction, and the psychology behind working in a trauma-informed way. Kaz shares valuable insights into how the language we use can either support or inadvertently trigger young people, and explains why thoughtful communication is such a powerful tool in residential child care.What stood out most to me was getting a real sense of who Kaz is as a person and how her values, authenticity, and compassion shape her leadership and practice. It's a conversation full of practical wisdom and reflection that I think will resonate with anyone working with children and young people.So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy this episode of The Residential Child Care Points of View Podcast Global. Here's my conversation with Kaz Jack.

In this episode I talk to Angela Griffiths who is an independent consultant and trainer about her career & her soon to be published book about leadership and management within residential childcare settings. The yet untitled book offers those with experience and those new to the role with an essential guide to leadership and management . I’m sure you will agree with me that this is a largely unexplored but important role within RCC settings and as such you will take lots from this interview .

In this episode, I sit down with Richard Cross to explore the often-overlooked topic of group work in residential childcare. Together, we discuss why understanding group dynamics is essential for practitioners, how groups can influence behaviour, belonging, identity, and resilience, and why formal education and training programmes often give this area far less attention than it deserves.Drawing on theory, practice, and real-world experience, we examine how residential childcare workers can become more confident and effective in supporting groups of young people, rather than focusing solely on individuals.If you've ever wondered why some groups thrive, why others struggle, or how practitioners can harness the positive potential of group living, this conversation is for you.This episode challenges us to rethink an important question:Are we adequately preparing residential childcare practitioners to understand and work with groups?

An interview with Andy Thompson from CYP First a leading training provider based in England . Andy has extensive experience managing children's houses whereby his houses received outstanding ratings by OFSTED . Since 2017 Andy has been training the children's services workforce via his company 'CYP First' which her co founded with his business partner . This episode looks at Andy's journey and motivation , the challenges and realities of the role , comparisons between Scotland and England , the importance of training plus much more . This is an essential listen for anyone connected to residential childcare .

In this episode I talk with Karen O'Donnell about her twenty six year career working within the sector . We cover lots of topics including hearing about the opening of her new service for children . This was an enlightening interview that is worth a listen .

In this episode I talk to author Jane Dalgleish about her new book entitled ' An Essential Guide to Surviving and Thriving in Residential Childcare: Lessons from the frontline on how you’ll laugh, love and cry … all before lunchtime. I found this interview to be very interesting and recommend the book to everyone connected with the field .