The Secure Start® Podcast
The Secure Start® Podcast
Podcast Description
In the same way that a secure base is the springboard for the growth of the child, knowledge of past endeavours and lessons learnt are the springboard for growth in current and future endeavours.If we do not revisit the lessons of the past we are doomed to relearning them over and over again, with the result that we may never really achieve a greater potential.In keeping with the idea we are encouraged to be the person we wished we knew when we were starting out, it is my vision for the podcast that it is a place where those who work in child protection and out-of-home care can access what is/was already known, spring-boarding them to even greater insights.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores critical themes in child protection, including effective therapeutic practices, family reunification, and historical lessons in out-of-home care. Episodes feature discussions on specific topics such as the impact of trauma on children and innovative approaches to foster care, illustrated through the experiences shared by guests like John Whitwell and Sally Rhodes.
In the same way that a secure base is the springboard for the growth of the child, knowledge of past endeavours and lessons learnt are the springboard for growth in current and future endeavours.
If we do not revisit the lessons of the past we are doomed to relearning them over and over again, with the result that we may never really achieve a greater potential.
In keeping with the idea we are encouraged to be the person we wished we knew when we were starting out, it is my vision for the podcast that it is a place where those who work in child protection and out-of-home care can access what is/was already known, spring-boarding them to even greater insights.
What does it really mean to provide therapeutic residential care to traumatised young people? Dr Kevin Gallagher draws from three decades of experience to challenge our assumptions about children's homes and how we use them.
Kevin's journey from banking to social work, driven by his own experiences of exclusion and inequality, mirrors the evolution of UK residential care itself. His candid reflections reveal how sophisticated practice develops through mentorship, theoretical understanding, and lived experience.
At the heart of this conversation lies a provocative question: why do we wait until children have experienced multiple foster placement breakdowns before considering residential care? These repeated rejections only compound trauma. Kevin makes a compelling case for using residential settings earlier and more purposefully, not as forever homes but as intentional healing environments where young people can feel ”loved, welcomed, protected, and encouraged to flourish” during their stay.
The discussion navigates the tension between authentic connection and professional boundaries. As Kevin explains, staff must be ”open and affected and bothered enough to have real connections” while maintaining sufficient detachment to think objectively. This balance, supported by supervision and reflection, transforms intuitive caring into sophisticated practice.
Financial considerations inevitably shape our systems, but Kevin distinguishes between ”high cost” interventions (requiring significant resources) and those that are truly ”expensive” (delivering poor value). His insights into how economic pressures have reshaped UK care provision over decades offer valuable perspective on similar challenges worldwide.
Whether you're a practitioner, student, policymaker or foster carer, this conversation challenges you to reconsider what residential care can and should be. The goal isn't merely containment but transformation—creating environments where traumatised young people can heal, develop, and prepare for their next chapters. As Kevin reminds us: ”If it's not therapeutic, what is it?”
Kevin's Bio:
Kevin is a qualified social worker, organisational consultant, manager and has just completed his PhD.
He has worked in residential care and education for almost 30 years (with Amberleigh since 2015), from front line practitioner, through management roles and into leadership in a diverse range of organisational structures, both public and private.
Kevins passion is for therapeutic residential care and education, promoting the use of quality improvement standards.
He is an Advisory Group member and Therapeutic Care Specialist at the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Kevin has been a trustee of The Consortium for Therapeutic Communities for over a decade, supporting and developing therapeutic practice across the UK, in particular, supporting local authorities to commission specialist provision.
Additionally, Kevin assists providers in strengthening models and practice.
Kevin is a very public campaigner for better understanding and use of residential care through a focus on practice evidence.
Disclaimer:
Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
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