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Course Summary

Working with children who have experienced trauma, attachment disruption, or emotional distress requires more than traditional behaviour management—it demands a relational, trauma-informed approach. This practical, one-day course introduces social care professionals and foster carers to the PACE framework (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy), giving you down-to-earth tools to build trust, promote co-regulation, and support emotional safety in everyday settings.

Throughout the day, you will explore how attachment history and neurodivergence influence a child’s behaviour, communication, and emotional regulation. You will learn actionable strategies for de-escalating distress, navigating difficult transitions, and handling conflict while maintaining strong relational boundaries. Designed specifically for front-line practitioners, this training helps care teams establish a shared language and reflective practice that reduces burnout and creates a nurturing environment for children in care.

Practical Relational Skills for Foster Carers & Residential Care Teams

Our UK Level 3 course bridges theory and real-world caregiving, offering practical guidance specifically tailored for residential care homes, foster care agencies, and community support settings. While this course is not a certified Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) clinical qualification, it delivers high-impact, day-to-day therapeutic caregiving skills that empower staff teams, align with safeguarding standards, and support multi-agency collaboration.

  • Core PACE Principles: Learn how to apply Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy in daily routines and high-stress moments.
  • Trauma & Attachment Insights: Understand how fear, masking, and unmet needs drive challenging behaviours.
  • De-escalation & Relational Repair: Practical tools to reduce defensiveness, build emotional literacy, and repair relationships after ruptures.
  • Reflective & Team Practice: Build consistency across care teams, protect staff well-being, and embed trauma-informed values across your organisation.

Beyond the core four attitudes, this unit unpacks key relational concepts like blocked care (when chronic stress impairs a carer's capacity for empathy), relational testing versus trauma-driven distress, and the distinction between co-regulation and compliance. Participants explore how shame-informed responses diffuses defensiveness, helping staff navigate complex neurodivergent communication styles and sensory overload without resorting to punitive controls.

Course Learning Outcomes

Review the learning objectives below. Expand each aim to view the detailed criteria this course covers.

1Understand the principles, purpose and psychological foundations of PACE.
  • 1.1Describe the core components of PACE - Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy - and their relevance in children’s services.
  • 1.2Explain how attachment, trauma, emotional development and relational safety underpin PACE‐informed practice.
  • 1.3Identify the differences between PACE (non‐DDP) and formal Dyadic Developmental Practice/Therapy, including scope, boundaries and application.
  • 1.4Analyse how PACE supports emotional regulation, connection and trust for children with trauma histories, disrupted attachments or neurodivergent profiles.
  • 1.5Summarise how PACE aligns with strengths‐based, shame‐aware and neurodiversity‐affirming approaches.
2Understand how PACE influences communication, behaviour and relational engagement.
  • 2.1Describe how PACE‐informed communication supports co‐regulation, attunement and emotional safety.
  • 2.2Identify how curiosity, acceptance and empathy reduce escalation, defensiveness, masking and fear‐based behaviour.
  • 2.3Explain how playfulness can be used safely and appropriately to build connection, reduce tension and support relational repair.
  • 2.4Analyse how trauma, unmet needs and sensory/emotional overload influence behaviour and how PACE responds to these presentations.
  • 2.5Distinguish between behaviour driven by distress, unmet needs, trauma responses, neurodivergent communication and relational testing.
3Understand trauma‐informed, relational and practical applications of PACE in residential care.
  • 3.1Explain how to apply PACE principles during everyday interactions, transitions, routines and moments of challenge.
  • 3.2Describe strategies for using PACE to support emotional literacy, emotional regulation and safe expression of vulnerability.
  • 3.3Identify approaches for maintaining relational safety, including pacing, attunement, co‐regulation and non‐judgemental presence.
  • 3.4Summarise how staff can use PACE to de‐escalate conflict, respond to distress and support relational repair following rupture.
  • 3.5Explain how to challenge harmful behaviour, shame‐based responses or defensive patterns while maintaining acceptance and empathy.
  • 3.6Analyse how consistent boundaries, predictable responses and positive role modelling strengthen PACE‐aligned relational practice
4Understand professional responsibilities, boundaries and organisational approaches to embedding PACE.
  • 4.1Explain how organisational culture, policies and behaviour management systems can support or undermine PACE‐informed practice.
  • 4.2Describe ethical, safeguarding and professional boundaries considerations when using PACE with children in care.
  • 4.3Identify strategies for embedding PACE across teams, including shared language, reflective practice and relational modelling.
  • 4.4Summarise how supervision, staff self‐awareness and reflective practice enhance PACE‐aligned relational engagement.
  • 4.5Analyse how staff wellbeing, emotional regulation and team consistency influence the effectiveness of PACE‐based support.
  • 4.6Explain how multi‐agency working, information‐sharing and collaborative planning strengthen PACE‐informed interventions.

Who is this course for?

This PACE training course is designed for residential care workers, foster carers, key workers, and social care staff looking for practical, trauma-informed tools to support children in care and build strong, trusting relationships.

Duration

1 day course - we can be flexible on start and finish times to suit your needs such as school run friendly times or twilight sessions.

Availability

This PACE course is offered in two delivery formats:

  • Remote Online: Led by a live tutor via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, allowing participants to join remotely. (Also known as virtual classroom training)
  • Face-to-Face: Delivered in person at your location or a venue you arrange. (Also referred to as on-site training)

View a comparison of Remote and in-person face to face training .
Complete our quick enquiry form for a price and available dates.

Certification

Each learner completing this course will receive a digital (PDF) certificate of learning.

Accreditation

The course contents are accredited by the Open College Network (OCN) Credit4Learning as a Level 3 course.

Remote or Face to Face

Choose the learning environment that works best for you: our expert-led training is offered in two convenient formats - remote tutor led online or in person face to face.

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1 Day Course

Flexible start and finish times to suit you. Contact us for available dates.

Accredited

The course contents are accredited by the Open College Network (OCN) Credit4Learning as a Level 3 course.

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Course FAQs

What is the difference between this PACE training vs DDP training?

This course focuses on practical, day-to-day therapeutic caregiving using PACE principles in social care and foster settings. It is a UK Level 3 professional development course and is NOT a formal Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) clinical qualification or DDPI-certified therapy course.

Why should care staff and foster carers complete PACE training?

PACE training provides practical, trauma-informed techniques to help children feel safe, understood, and emotionally secure. It helps staff look beyond challenging behaviour, reduce escalation, and build strong, trusting relationships that foster long-term recovery.

How does PACE training help with challenging or distressed behaviour?

Rather than relying on rewards and consequences, PACE teaches carers to respond with curiosity and empathy. This approach lowers defensiveness, diffuses fear-based responses, and helps children co-regulate during moments of emotional distress.

Is this PACE training suitable for foster care agencies and residential homes?

Yes. The course is specifically tailored for front-line practitioners across children’s residential care, foster care agencies, and community social care. It helps teams develop a consistent, shared approach to relational care.

Do I need prior qualifications to attend this Level 3 PACE course?

No prior specialist qualifications are required, though a basic understanding of social care or foster care environments is helpful. The course is pitched at UK Level 3, making it accessible, practical, and directly applicable to daily practice.
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