Now in its 14th year, the Rahul Moodgal Prize for Therapeutic Child Care continues to shine a light on the compassion, reflection and dedication at the heart of therapeutic child care.
Sponsored by Rahul Moodgal, a patron and generous supporter of The Mulberry Bush, the prize is awarded to a student from our Foundation Degree in Therapeutic Work with Children and Young People. This year, the standard of final-year projects was exceptionally high, leaving the judging panel with some very difficult decisions to make.
The prize includes an award of £251, a deliberately distinctive amount chosen by Rahul to reflect the personal meaning and values behind his continued support of therapeutic child care.
This year’s winning projects explored:
As a result, and for the first time, we are delighted to announce two winners: Donna Crozier and Jack Smith. Both projects stood out for their thoughtfulness, relevance to practice, and potential to support learning across the therapeutic care sector.
Donna Crozier
Donna’s forward-thinking action research explored the impact of AI-assisted writing tools on children’s records in a therapeutic residential school setting.
Jack Smith
Jack’s reflective and relationally focused research explored the impact of intentionally noticing and praising positive behaviour on staff-pupil relationships and pupil outcomes in an SEMH setting.
Jack is the Medical Officer within the Pastoral Care Team at St Edward’s School, a specialist SEMH provision for boys, where he works at the intersection of education, physical health, mental health and wellbeing. His role involves supporting pupils with complex social, emotional and mental health needs, working closely with families, safeguarding professionals and external agencies to promote positive outcomes for vulnerable young people.
Reflecting on his work and the values that guide his practice, Jack said:
“I am passionate about relational practice, therapeutic childcare and child and adolescent mental health. I believe that meaningful change happens through safe, trusting relationships and am committed to providing consistent, attuned and compassionate support to the children and families I work with.”
Jack’s practice is informed by attachment theory, trauma-informed approaches and therapeutic containment, with a particular interest in how everyday interactions can promote emotional regulation, resilience and engagement in education. Speaking about receiving the award, he added:
“I was honoured to be awarded the Rahul Moodgal Prize for Therapeutic Child Care. This recognition means a great deal to me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share work that reflects the importance of relationships, reflection and everyday practice in supporting children and young people.”
Jack also shared his gratitude to the staff who participated in and supported his research, as well as the colleagues, mentors and practitioners who have supported, challenged and inspired his development.
Jack continued:
“Above all, I would like to acknowledge the children and young people I have had the privilege of working alongside. They continue to teach me the importance of relationships, resilience, trust and hope, and they remain the greatest source of learning, reflection and inspiration in my work.”
Both projects offer valuable insight into practice and have the potential to be shared more widely with staff, students and other professionals across the sector. We would like to offer our warmest congratulations to Donna and Jack, as well as to all of this year’s FdA students for the quality, thoughtfulness and commitment shown in their final year work.
We couldn’t be prouder of our Foundation Degree students, whose learning, reflection and commitment continue to bring so much good to Therapeutic Child Care.
Find out more about our Foundation Degree in Therapeutic Work with Children and Young People
A previous FdA cohort at their graduation
