Therapeutic Kindness in Children’s Homes: Building Strong Teams for Better Care

In this episode of the Able to Care Podcast, Andy Baker speaks with Carmel Saulbrey, Managing Director of Niche Care Homes and founder of The Kindness Code, about what it really takes to build strong, resilient teams in children’s residential care. This conversation explores the emotional demands placed on staff, why therapeutic care is about far more than specialist interventions, and how kindness, consistency and workforce development can change outcomes for both children and the adults supporting them. If you are a caregiver, teacher, parent, foster carer or support professional interested in trauma-informed practice, therapeutic care, staff wellbeing, and children’s residential homes, this episode offers practical insight and real honesty. What this episode covers Andy and Carmel explore what makes a children’s home truly therapeutic on a day-to-day level, why staff burnout and turnover are such major issues in residential care, and how even good, caring adults can struggle under pressure when supporting children with trauma. Carmel shares why she believes kindness should be treated as a professional standard, not a soft extra, and explains how The Kindness Code was created to help staff practise therapeutic responses, build confidence, and embed training in real-life scenarios. Why listen to this episode? If you work with children who have experienced trauma, this episode will help you think more deeply about: how therapeutic care shows up in ordinary moments why good staff sometimes leave difficult roles how to support teams without losing boundaries what kindness really looks like when behaviour is challenging why workforce development matters just as much as child-centred practice This is a thoughtful episode for anyone who wants to build safer relationships, stronger teams and more consistent care. Three key messages 1. Therapeutic care is lived in the small moments. It is not just about specialist sessions - it is about how adults respond, repair, connect and stay calm in everyday interactions. 2. Kindness is not weakness. True therapeutic kindness includes warmth, boundaries, honesty and consistency, even when a child is distressed or dysregulated. 3. If we care for the team, the team can care for the children. Staff need support, confidence, practice and psychological safety if they are going to offer children the regulation and connection they need. Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction and Carmel’s journey into children’s residential care 00:46 - What makes a children’s home therapeutic in real life 02:02 - Why the emotional demand on staff is so high 06:13 - Why good people leave children’s care roles 11:10 - The difference between managing behaviour and building safety 15:45 - Everyday acts of love, regulation and belonging in children’s homes 20:01 - Why Carmel created The Kindness Code 24:27 - Using AI to help staff practise therapeutic responses 31:00 - The team culture needed to stay calm, kind and consistent 42:59 - Carmel’s hopes for The Kindness Code 46:22 - A closing message for exhausted residential support workers Resources mentioned The Kindness Code Training and practice support designed to help staff embed therapeutic kindness, build confidence, and respond more effectively in children’s residential care. Niche Care Homes Carmel’s children’s residential care homes focused on therapeutic practice, workforce development and creating better outcomes for children. The Kindness Code Podcast Mentioned as part of Carmel’s wider work and message around kindness, care and staff development. About the guest Carmel Saulbrey is the Managing Director of Niche Care Homes and founder of The Kindness Code. She is passionate about improving outcomes in children’s residential care by strengthening workforce development, supporting staff wellbeing, and helping teams embed therapeutic practice consistently. Carmel believes that by investing in compassionate, confident and well-supported teams, we create better environments for children and the adults who care for them. Connect with Able Website: able-training.co.uk/podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/able-training-ltd-/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@abletocarepodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@abletocarepodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AbleTraining