Supporting Children and Young People with Complex Needs

Caryn Onions worked at the Mulberry Bush, UK, initially as Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and latterly as Head of Research / Deputy CEO. She has contributed to research on therapeutic education and residential care. Caryn has written and spoken widely about her clinical interests which also include parent-infant psychotherapy. Heather Price is a Senior Lecturer at the Open University, UK, and a psychodynamic individual and couple psychotherapist. She has led research projects in collaboration with the Mulberry Bush looking at its milieu therapy, reflective practice provision for staff, and placement and post-placement experiences of the organisation’s residential care leavers.Dave Roberts is the Director of Training and Development / Deputy CEO at the Mulberry Bush, UK, where he has worked for over 25 years. His focus is developing practice-based models of staff training and professionalising the childcare workforce. He formally led the award-winning Foundation Degree in Therapeutic Work with Children.

• 1. Introduction.- 2. Roots of the Mulberry Bush approach.- 3. New beginnings.- 4. Behaviour as communication.- 5. What to do with strong feelings?.- 6. Working things through with children and .families.- 7. Supporting staff.- 8. Keeping children at the heart of collaborative working.- 9. Leavings and endings.- 10. Becoming research minded.- 11. Conclusion.