Children and young people who have experienced trauma, neglect or disrupted attachments need more than routine care—they need informed, therapeutic relationships that help them feel safe, seen and supported. That’s why we’ve developed the Level 4 Certificate in Therapeutic Child Care (Online): a flexible, accredited course designed for professionals who want to make a deeper impact in the lives of vulnerable children.
Whether you work in social care, education, youth justice, or health, this course will provide you with the knowledge and practical tools to offer relational, trauma-informed care that truly makes a difference.
What is the Level 4 Certificate in Therapeutic Child Care (Online)?
This is a nationally recognised qualification, accredited by Crossfields Institute and supported by APPCIOS (The Association for Psychodynamic Practice and Counselling in Organisational Settings). It is delivered by expert practitioners from The Mulberry Bush, a leading therapeutic community with over 75 years of experience supporting children with complex needs.
The course is delivered entirely online (with one optional residential component), making it accessible for working professionals across the UK. Sessions run every three weeks starting from 14th July 2025, allowing you to study alongside your existing commitments.
What the Course Covers
This course is structured to build your understanding from foundational theory through to practical, trauma-informed application. Across 15 sessions, you’ll explore a carefully designed curriculum that reflects real-life challenges and opportunities in working with children and young people.
1. Principles of Therapeutic Child Care
You’ll explore what it means to offer therapeutic care, as distinct from basic caregiving. This includes developing emotionally attuned, consistent, and relational responses to children who may have experienced harm, loss, or disruption.
You’ll learn:
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The core values behind therapeutic work with children
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How everyday interactions can become healing opportunities
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Why empathy, patience, and predictability are essential tools
2. Psychodynamic Theory in Practice
This part of the course introduces the key psychodynamic concepts that underpin therapeutic care—such as containment, projection, transference, and defence mechanisms.
You’ll learn:
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How unconscious emotional processes influence children’s behaviour
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How to respond to behaviour that is rooted in past trauma
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How to use supervision and reflection to manage your own emotional responses
This helps professionals see beneath the surface of behaviour and understand what children might be communicating non-verbally.
3. The Impact of Trauma on Child Development
You’ll take a deep dive into how early experiences of trauma—such as abuse, neglect, or chaotic attachment—shape the developing brain and nervous system.
You’ll learn:
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How trauma affects regulation, attachment, learning, and identity
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The signs and symptoms of trauma-related responses
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What children need in order to rebuild trust and feel safe again
This unit provides the foundation for offering compassionate and developmentally informed care.
4. Relational and Reflective Practice
Relational practice is at the heart of therapeutic child care. You’ll explore how to form safe, respectful, and trust-based relationships with children—and how your own emotions, boundaries, and responses play a role.
You’ll learn:
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How to build relationships that promote emotional growth
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How to reflect on your own feelings and reactions without judgment
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How to maintain professional warmth while avoiding burnout
You’ll also explore how reflective practice helps you pause, process, and respond, rather than react in high-stress moments.
5. Understanding and Responding to Behaviour
Challenging behaviour is often a communication of unmet need or unresolved trauma. This module helps you interpret behaviour through a therapeutic lens and respond effectively.
You’ll learn:
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How to de-escalate behaviour without shame or punishment
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How to provide structure and boundaries that feel safe
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Practical strategies for daily use in classrooms, care homes, and health settings
You’ll move from managing behaviour to understanding and containing it.
6. Multi-Agency Working in Child Care Settings
You’ll look at how therapeutic work doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s most effective when embedded in collaborative, well-coordinated systems of care.
You’ll learn:
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Best practices for communication between education, health, social care, and justice professionals
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How to advocate for children’s needs within wider systems
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How to contribute to care plans, safeguarding strategies, and team reflections
This unit prepares you to be a confident, informed voice in complex care environments.
What You’ll Learn
Trauma-Informed Strategies You Can Use Immediately
You’ll learn how to recognise trauma responses in children and young people—what they look like, where they come from, and how best to respond.
Whether you’re supporting a child in distress at school or managing behaviour in a residential home, these strategies will help you move from reacting to responding with intention, care, and structure.
How to Build Therapeutic Relationships
At the heart of healing is relationship. You’ll discover how to form emotionally attuned, safe, and trusting connections with children—even those who have experienced fractured relationships in the past.
This involves understanding non-verbal communication, being consistent and reliable, and knowing how to maintain professional boundaries while still showing warmth and empathy.
Understanding Behaviour Through a Therapeutic Lens
Behaviour is communication. You’ll learn to see beyond surface-level challenges and identify the unmet needs, fears, or trauma that might be driving what you see.
You’ll leave the course with a stronger ability to support regulation, create predictable environments, and de-escalate situations before they become crises.
Reflective Practice and Emotional Resilience
You’ll be encouraged to reflect on your own experiences, values, and emotional responses. This is a vital part of therapeutic work—and a protective one too.
By increasing your self-awareness and resilience, you’ll be better able to handle emotionally demanding situations, avoid burnout, and grow as a thoughtful, grounded practitioner.
Stronger Communication and Multi-Agency Working
Working with children rarely happens in isolation. You’ll build the confidence to collaborate across schools, social care teams, health professionals, and families.
You’ll also learn how to contribute meaningfully to care planning, safeguarding conversations, and professional meetings, helping ensure joined-up support for each child.
A Deeper Understanding of Child Development
You’ll gain insight into how trauma, attachment, and environment shape a child’s development—emotionally, socially, and neurologically.
This helps you meet children where they are, offer age-appropriate support, and promote long-term healing and growth, not just short-term solutions.
Together, these skills will elevate your daily practice and help you make a deeper, more lasting impact—whether you’re in a classroom, children’s home, healthcare setting, or community service.
Why You Should Sign Up
This course is ideal for:
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Residential childcare workers
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Teaching assistants and pastoral school staff
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Youth justice and probation professionals
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CAMHS and children’s health staff
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Anyone working with children in trauma-affected settings
By enrolling, you’re investing in a course that:
✅ Is flexible and designed to fit around your working life
✅ Is accredited and valued across sectors
✅ Offers real-world skills you can use from day one
✅ Connects you to a national network of trauma-informed professionals
✅ Builds your confidence, reflection and emotional insight
How can you sign up?
The next online cohort starts 14th July 2025. Places are limited and early booking is encouraged.
🔗 Click here to book or learn more
If you want to better understand the children you support, respond to their needs with confidence, and grow in your professional role—this course is for you.
