‘A New Way to Care: Transforming Children’s Residential Care with DDP’ Conference

Every child deserves to feel safe, valued, and connected — but for those who’ve lived through trauma, multiple moves, and broken attachments, this can feel out of reach. As residential care providers, you face the daily challenge of supporting children with complex emotional needs while also caring for staff teams.

How this conference can help

Discover how Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP) — a proven, relationship-based therapeutic approach — can bring real, lasting change to your services and the young people you care for. Rooted in research and frontline practice, DDP focuses on creating safety, trust, and connection through everyday relationships, helping children heal and thrive.

Why Attend?

Learn from experienced residential care leaders who have implemented DDP in the UK and USA about the obstacles they’ve faced — and the creative, compassionate solutions that have worked.

Hear directly from young people about how DDP made a difference in their lives, and what safe, trusting care feels like.

Find out how managers and staff teams have been supported, strengthened, and re- energised through adopting a DDP approach.

Explore vital topics like recruitment, staff wellbeing, and leadership — because supporting your team well is the key to supporting children well.

If you’re ready for new ideas, fresh energy, and a framework that works for children — this is your conference. Be part of shaping the future of residential care.

Learning objectives

The presenters who will be adults and young people with experience of the DDP way will offer participants the opportunity to learn about:

• The DDP Practice model in action
• The cascade of PACE, the core attitude of DDP
• Teamwork, management and supervision the DDP way
• What’s different about this way of working? Successes and challenges
• The central importance of support and self care

Who would benefit from this conference?

All those working in the children’s residential care sector.

More details

To book your place visit the Adoptionplus website or email trainingwithus@adoptionplus.co.uk. Payment plans available on request.

Download the flyer from the Adoptionplus website.

Speakers

Dr Edwina Grant is a Chartered Educational Psychologist and DDP Practitioner, Consultant and Trainer. Edwina has long held a passion for supporting best practice in residential care. She has over 30 years of experience of both working in and also consulting in this setting. Most recently she co-authored the book ‘Working with Relational Trauma in Children’s Residential Care’ (JFK 2024) with George Thompson and Kim Golding.

Dr Kim Golding is a Clinical Psychologist living in Worcestershire, UK. Kim is a certified DDP trainer and is involved in accrediting and training other professionals in DDP. Kim is author of a range of books and DDP-informed parenting programmes. In addition to the book with George and Edwina, Kim co-authored: ‘Healing Relational Trauma with Attachment-Focused Interventions’ with Dan Hughes and Julie Hudson, published December 2018, ‘The Healing Relational Trauma Workbook with Dan Hughes published February 2024. In 2020 Kim was awarded a CBE for services to children and young people.

Dr George Thompson, MD, a child psychiatrist, is co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Velocity Accelerated Treatment Center – a psychiatric residential program that pairs intensive inpatient treatment with long-term aftercare. George is Chairman of the Polyvagal Institute’s board of directors and was formerly Treasurer of the DDP Institute Board of Directors. He is co-author, with Edwina and Kim, of the book on applying DDP principles to residential care mentioned above. He is also co-author of Polyvagal Theory and the Developing Child with Marilyn Sanders. Conference organisers are also pleased to welcome speakers from residential care homes in both the UK and the USA who are actively implementing Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP). In addition, young people with lived experience of DDP in residential care will share their personal stories—reflecting on how it felt and the impact it has had on their lives.