Young Person A moved to Northern Ireland in 2019. Young Person A transitioned in a Safe Places home in June 2020. Young Person A had a total of thirty placement breakdowns prior to moving into a Safe Places home. These placement breakdowns occurred due to the young person’s high complex traumatised behaviours. Young Person A presented with behaviours such as self-harm, kicking, spitting, punching (physical aggression), missing from home, allegations of abuse and verbal aggression. Young Person’s A referral form documented numerous traumatic experiences and safety concerns about family involvement and previous placements. Young Person A presented to the team initially as being loud, shouting, being physically & verbally aggressive and needing to be loud as he understood from previous traumatic experiences that this is needed to be done so that he could be heard.

Young Person A engaged in a transition plan for a period of three weeks prior to coming to Safe Places, at times this was challenging for him due to unknown faces, a new location, and an unfamiliar environment. During the transition plan Safe Places homes management team and staff members had the opportunity to meet with the young person as did his co-tenant. Part of the transition plan included completing activities away from the home and gradually building it up to having an overnight stay in the home prior to moving in full time. This period of transition helped with forming relationships and letting the young person meet various team members that would be supporting him. Part of the transition planned included designing and decorating his own room with the home, this allowed for him to have ownership over his space. The transition plan helped to reduce some of the trauma stress responses for Young Person A as he got the opportunity to meet his new team and to get familiar with his new surroundings.

Within the first twelve to eighteen months within the home pain-based behaviours displayed had been challenging to the team as this included period in missing from the home, physical aggression, property damage, verbal aggression, spitting, severe risk-taking behaviours and episodes of self-harm. The team within the home responded using therapeutic crisis intervention approaches and understood the behaviour being displayed was about his trauma. The team continued to assess the needs of the young person and noted that he presented with a range of triggers that needed to be included within the positive behaviour support plan that they continued to develop and evolve. The team were able to identify how this young person presented at various stages during a crisis situation and developed effective strategies that supported the needs of Young Person A. Team members sought to build their relationships after crisis situations and assessed that this allowed for the young person to explore self-regulation strategies that could be implemented when he was presented with his various feelings and emotions. Team members were able to build relationships through activities, setting boundaries and expectations, celebrating the young person’s achievements, and celebrating his culture.

Young Person A disclosed historical traumatic incidents that happened to him prior to coming to Safe Places, the team noted this has been a strength due to Young Person A establishing a sense of safety within the home and with the team. He started to feel safe with the team to be able to work through this trauma and to share his experience in a safe space. Team members continued to support the young person via a trauma informed responses as they understood his pain-based behaviours were linked to his needs, feelings, thoughts, and experiences. Team members understand that a trauma informed approach was important to help meet the needs of Young Person A. For the team it was about creating a consistency and predictability to help to provide a sense of stability & safety for the young person. The team members collaborated with Young Person A in developing weekly activity planners, developing programmes that linked with his hobbies and interests. The team encouraged the young person to engage in activities with friends of similar age. This created opportunities for Young Person A to build trust with other people outside of the home and to have a sense of belonging and purpose. Team members worked hard on stablishing expectations and collaborating collectively with the young person in terms of seeking agreement and ownership over these, while progressing these as the young person achieved key goals. Safe Places where able to communicate and work in partnership with the relevant authority to support family contact, educational outcomes, life skills, and relationships within the community. Through supporting the Young Person A holistically, the team were able to look at support outside of the home that created a sense of belonging and connection for the young person. Team members understood the importance of targeting only two behaviours at a time and help to build opportunities for the young person to achieve success.

Team members actively focused on ongoing assessments, being consistency in a routine that supported the development for Young Person A. Incidents within the home where managed using therapeutic crisis intervention and learning from incidents helped with being able to improve the positive behaviour management strategies. Through focusing on the developmental relationship and through forming attachments this created opportunities for life safe interviews to be completed. This allowed for Young Person A to explore with a trusted adult strategy that could be implemented in a positive way to manage their feelings and emotions, while creating opportunities for learning and teaching. Young Person A was able to collaborate with the team members to develop strategies that allowed him to communicate how he felt and how he can communicate to others. This helped him with communicating his needs in meetings with various stakeholders. Team members supported this young person to develop tools that helped him in engaging in community events, socialising events and supporting the development of his identity.

Young Person B transitioned into Safe Places in August 2019, during this time the young person was placed within a co-tenancy in a Safe Places home. Young Person B transition into Safe Places due to the risks that included self-injury, relationship struggles and the ending of a fostering placement that had lasted for five years. Young Person B presented with social anxiety & engagement struggles, ADHD, FASD and complex traumatised behaviour. Young Person B struggled with relationships, and these presented as concern as it impacted on her ability to engage in social interactions with others. Young Person B had a lot of hobbies and interests that the team were able to add into her transition plan. Team members took an interest in learning and assessing the needs of Young Person B prior to the transition into the home. In learning their interests, the team members were able to engage in conversations around her likes and start to work on the establishment of developmental relationships.

Young Person B transitioned into the home after a four-week transition plan, during this time it generated an opportunity for the young person to engage with staff and visit the home. This allowed for the homes management team to complete pre-assessment work with the relevant authority to support the placement getting off to a good start. Part of the transition allowed for matching to be considered about the location of the home, the team strengths and the needs of the young person. Part of the transition allowed for interactions between Young Person B and co-tenant; this was implemented to try to get both young people ready for the transition into the home. Young Person B presented to team members throughout the transition plan as being engaging and chatty, though presented some challenges in moving into the home, which the team validated her feelings as this was a big new move for her.

When Young Person B moved into the home she struggled with her evening routine which was explored further by the team. By collaborating with Young Person B, they were able to try several evening routines that ranged from night lights, reading books, white noise machines, audio boxes, calming music etc. The team members collaborated with the young person in a trauma informed approach and worked together with the young person to establish a routine that supported safety. Through working together, they were able to create a routine that worked on the individual needs of the young person. Through trying to be innovated and as Safe Places learnt more about the young person, we were able to develop further routines that were built for creating opportunities for success. Young Person B appeared to response well to a structured routine that concluded with an audio book and consistent reassurance. This helped with creating a sense of safety at nighttime. Nighttime routine included team members helping with setting the therapeutic milieu and ensuring that consistency was followed throughout the evening in the home, to reduce the likelihood of challenging behaviours.

Team members and the homes management team where able to provide constant reassurance and tried to continue to build in elements of her routine prior to coming to Safe Places. Safe Places supported with approval from the relevant authority the continued key relationships with her previous fostering placement. This included attending birthday parties and sharing of Christmas presents and maintaining key relationships that supported her identity. Safe Places team members were able to support Young Person B in these relationships as it was part her wishes, feelings and wants. Over the last number of years these were a consistent source of comfort and these relationships continued as it was part of Young Person B identity & culture.

Young Person B was able to continue in the same location for her education (even though this was about 30 miles away from her home at Safe Places) and the team supported this with caring gestures in the morning to help with getting her up early, to get breakfast, showered and ready for the journey in the car. Team members ensured that educational needs for Young Person B were achieved this included completing schoolwork with her in the home (using hurdle help), though at times this was a challenge. Team members continued to cooperate with Young Person B to get her into a consistent routine that completed tasks after school which included life skills that were linked into her pocket money. Young Person B engaged well within her reward charts. These reward charts focused on targeting no more than two behaviours at any given time and developing these as the young person achieved positive outcomes. Rewards were set depending on the targeted behaviour and in agreement with the young person.

Young Person B engaged in planned and unplanned key worker sessions to help with creating an understanding around positive relationships, personal hygiene, managing social engagements and appropriate relationships. Young Person B created positive relationships with the team members and responded well within crisis to the team’s approach and engaged in therapeutic life space interviews at the recovery stage of the incidents, during her time within the home Young Person B established positive attachments with the team members. Young Person B was able to engage in family contact during her time with Safe Places. Family contact evolved and over time this was facilitated by the team at Safe Places in agreement with the relevant placing authority. This time with her family created opportunities to repair and restore the relationships. These relationships proved to be important for Young Person B as it linked with her identity. At times family contact was a struggle for the young person but with a consistent, predictable, and secure team it created an environment that was safe and non-judgemental for her to explore her concerns, feelings, and stresses around family contact difficulties.

Young Person B presented with challenges about her appearance and hygiene that was support by the team members through education in an informal way and via targeting this specific behaviour. Young Person B transition from primary school to secondary school while at Safe Places. Due to this substantial change and the importance of creating continuity the young person remained within the same local for school and continued to be transported every day. The young person attended extra curriculum activities at school and formed friendship groups that allowed her to attend parties and create a sense of belonging. At times there were challenges in these relationships but through the attachments formed with the team Young Person B was able to engage conversations that helped her to create opportunities to repair and restore the relationships with her friendship group

Young Person B had a sense of safety in these relationships and sought out staff members when needed during interactions or during situations that made her feel uncomfortable. Team members were able to support Young Person B to develop tools that helped her to engage in relationships with various people in her life. Team members engaged with Young Person B in a nonjudgemental and young person centre approach. Team members implemented therapeutic crisis intervention strategies that helped to manage the challenging behaviours and the team continued to assess the effectiveness of these strategies to ensure that they supported the needs of Young Person B. For the team it was important to reflect on the young person routines and try to create a routine that were built on her capabilities.

Young Person B collaborated with the team on her transition plan from the home in partnership with the relevant Authority. Young Person B left Safe Places in August 2023 to be reunited with family. Part of the transition out of Safe Places included the team member keeping contact and providing some role modelling to the family, this created an opportunity for a positive goodbye as well as creating the opportunity to share strategies, plans or measures that can further support Young Person B to thrive. During Young Person B time with Safe Places they developed co-regulation strategies, increased her self-esteem, self-confidence and appropriate relationships.

Young Person C moved into a Safe Places home in September 2020.

Young Person C transitioned into the home after a brief period and presented with a range of challenging behaviours which included verbal aggression, physical aggression, self-harm, sexualised behaviour, and property damage. Young Person C transition into a Safe Places home due to the small therapeutic model of care and the opportunity to reconnect the young person to his community.

Young Person C arrived at the home and struggled with establishing relationships with his co-tenant and team due to a history of moving placements. Young Person C was transparent with the team and with his social worker that he did not want to be in the home as he has always been let down throughout his care experience. Young Person C came into the home with no belief in the care system due to previous placement failures and his own assessment of feeling failed by the local authority and others. Team members understood this and showed empathy with the young person and allowed for time to help build the attachments & relationships. Over time the young person started to build positive relationships with the team, though this was at a slow pace. Young Person C set the pace in the relationship building; this was to help with creating a safe space for the young person. Team members continued to be present and would engage in Young Person C when needed but did not force the relationship or push these as it was important to establish this as it would support the long-term outcomes for this young person.

Young Person C had not been to education or engaged in any educational activities for the previous four years, this was due to an experience in school that knocked his confidence. The team member collaborated with the local authority in establishing a programme that could help with educational needs, this included tutoring. Safe Places supported Young Person C in this through being able to work on a long-term reward chart, this established key milestones with the young person and was achieved in line with term time as per a school. Young Person C agreed to the incentive and the team focused on targeting education.

Young Person C displayed sexualised behaviours within the home, this included touching staff members body parts, trying to hug team members from behind and at times using sexualised words that would not be appropriate for a young person of his age. Team members targeted this behaviour and use positive wording to establish clear boundaries and expectations. Team members responded in a way that was sensitive and reassuring as they felt a trauma informed response was appropriate as this could be linked to trauma and did not want to create a sense of shame or guilt.

Young Person C also struggled with his relationship with his family at times and did not have a relationship with his father, this was due to previous trauma and safeguarding concerns within the family home. These incidents contributed to the reason for why Young Person C was brought into care. Team members understood this and at times after family contact the young person would present as being angry, frustrated, and annoyed, which would result in extensive property damage. During these periods of crisis team members worked on the bases of reactive aggression and supported the young person during and after the crisis using environmental and emotional strategies within the therapeutic crisis intervention system. After the crisis had ended team members would complete life space interviews, these created opportunities for positive attachments between young person and team. Team members where nonjudgmental with the young person and understood that this as well as other behaviours were displayed due to the trauma. Young Person C did not receive restricted nor punitive consequences, as the team understood that these were pain-based behaviours.

The team acknowledge that behaviours would only change if Young Person C had positive relationships and was able to develop more healthier coping strategies to process emotions and feelings. The team members invested in supporting developmental relationships. Through using therapeutic crisis intervention and forming relationship created a sense of safety for Young Person C, who would speak with team members around his feelings, thoughts, and experiences. Young Person C would use these relationships with the team members to discuss his feelings about family contact, about education and what he really wanted to achieve in his life. Young Person C started to engage more in activities outside of the home. The team supported the young person to engage in his hobbies and interests; this was linked to the young person daily planner and supported opportunities to help build self-efficacy and confidence with this young person. This helped with him completing activities within the community which included shopping, engaging in education at school and spending more time with family members.

Young Person C continued to present with challenging behaviours, but team members were able to be firm with the boundaries and remind the young person of these prior to any activity or task. Young Person C was responsive to the team members prompts, these supported the young person in opening more about his feelings and collaborating with the team members in developing positive coping strategies, that he took ownership over. Young Person C was able to develop a range of co-regulation strategies that helped with reducing property damage, physical aggression, and verbal aggression. Team members continued to work through no more than two targeted behaviours at any given time. Team members continued to set these for the young person during his time at Safe Places. Team members continued to assess responses to the young person needs and create a sense of safety that allowed for the young person to excel within his routines, educational, family, and personal development.

After two years within a Safe Places home Young Person C was able to forge relationships with his family and made the transition back to family with support from the team and from the local authority. This was supported through facilitating family contact, building up family time independent from agencies and from Safe Places. Young Person C was able to attend family events and within a clear transition plan he was able to complete sleepovers with his family. Young Person C left Safe Places with being enrolled in an apprenticeship course and moved back to live with family. Team members support Young Person C for several weeks after he moved home to support this and to ensure that it would a be long term stable placement. Young Person C took the tools that he developed during his time at Safe Places to continue within the positive trajectory that he had created.