Addressing Trauma and Adversity: a data driven call to action for residential out of home care.
Youth residential care is often perceived as the placement of ‘last resort’ for particularly vulnerable, complex, and troubled young people. Residential care is often characterised by poor matching, a transient workforce, unstable placements, and sterile, institution-like environments; providing little opportunity to heal from trauma.
Our data identifies the extreme complexity of the children and young people entering our program. We have used external evaluation (Verso Consulting) finding that the average complexity of the CYP entering the Uniting program exceeds CYMHS using the HoNOSCA as an indicator. CYP’s experience of Out of Home Care system has added to their trauma and identifies the adversity that they have experienced through care system and by virtue of being placed in care. Without therapeutic care grounded in stability, consistency, and relationships the trajectory for these young people is poor: resulting in school exclusion, substance use, criminal activity, and self-harm.
On this premise, in late 2019 Uniting’s board enhanced service delivery in its Youth Residential Program through the injection of organisational funds with the aim of providing therapeutic interventions for all young people across its residential homes. The therapeutic approach was guided by a documented, trauma and attachment grounded Therapeutic Model of Care which all residential carers were trained in. Early data shows promising outcomes across the life domains and can be utilised to shape and focus the timely coaching and support of individual carers, identify training needs, and promote proactive approaches to patterns of risk.
These early gains, the complexity of young people in care, and the risk of further traumatisation and harm can be seen as a powerful call to action for the adoption of therapeutic residential care across all funded services.