Overview
An accredited, practice-led Level 4 qualification for professionals working therapeutically alongside children and young people impacted by early-life trauma and disrupted relationships.
Develop the understanding, confidence and reflective capacity needed to work therapeutically alongside children and young people impacted by early-life trauma and disrupted relationships. The Level 4 Certificate in Therapeutic Child care is an accredited, practice-led qualification for professionals working across residential child care, education, social care, health and youth and criminal justice.
Rooted in nearly 80 years of Mulberry Bush therapeutic practice, the course brings together psychodynamic thinking, reflective learning and participants’ professional experience. It supports practitioners to look beyond presenting behaviour, consider what a child may be communicating and respond with greater curiosity, consistency and understanding.
The qualification has been mapped against the mandatory Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People Workforce and Residential Child Care, while extending learning to Level 4. It is accredited by APPCIOS and Crossfields Institute and contributes to continuing professional development.
The Level 4 Certificate is designed for individuals and organisations working alongside children and young people, particularly those impacted by trauma, emotional distress and disrupted relationships.
It is relevant to professionals working within children’s residential care, social care, specialist and mainstream education, health and mental health services, youth work, youth and criminal justice, and family and community services.
The course is suitable for practitioners who want to progress beyond introductory training and develop a deeper understanding of therapeutic childcare. Organisations can commission the programme for teams, and individual practitioners are also encouraged to enquire about available cohorts.
For most of our courses, no previous therapeutic training is required. Our sessions provide an accessible introduction while also creating opportunities for experienced practitioners to revisit and reflect on their existing practice.
The Foundation Degree is different, as it is work-based. You must be working with children or young people for at least 16 hours each week, through paid employment or a voluntary role, with opportunities to apply and reflect on your learning in practice. You do not need specific previous qualifications, but you may be asked to complete a short written task as part of the application process.
What you will learn
The course is delivered through four core modules:
- Principles of Therapeutic Child care
- Concepts, Theories and Techniques in Therapeutic Child Care
- The Impact of Trauma on Children and Young People
- Working with Children and Young People’s Behaviour
Through these modules, you will explore:
- What makes child care and professional practice therapeutic
- The impact of early-life trauma on children’s emotional and social development
- How attachment experiences can influence relationships and behaviour
- How behaviour can communicate thoughts, feelings and emotional needs
- Psychodynamic approaches to understanding children and young people
- The importance of individual and group relationships
- How adults’ emotional responses can inform reflective practice
- Ways to respond to distress without punishment or judgement
- How reflection and experience can strengthen professional decision-making
- How therapeutic thinking can be applied within everyday care, education and support
You will be encouraged to connect theory with situations from your own role, learn collaboratively with others and consider how new understanding can be transferred into practice.
Yes. Most of our courses can be commissioned by organisations and delivered in person or online, adapted to the context, needs and experiences of your setting. Several courses can be delivered to teams of up to 30 staff.
Training a team together can be particularly valuable, as consistent practice often depends on clear communication, shared understanding and a shared language between the adults involved.
Some are. Our Foundation Degree in Therapeutic Work with Children and Young People is validated by UWE Bristol and leads to a Level 5 qualification. It also incorporates the mandatory Level 3 Diploma requirements for practitioners working within the children’s residential sector.
Our Level 4 Certificate in Therapeutic Childcare is accredited by APPCIOS and Crossfields Institute, and has been mapped against the mandatory Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People Workforce and Residential Child Care.
Other courses are non-accredited and contribute to continuing professional development.
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Benefits and Outcomes
The course supports you to develop as a more thoughtful, confident and therapeutically informed practitioner.
By completing the programme, you can:
- Strengthen your understanding of trauma, attachment and emotional development
- Look beneath presenting behaviour and consider its possible meaning
- Respond to children and young people with greater curiosity and understanding
- Build more consistent and meaningful professional relationships
- Develop confidence when working with complex behaviour and emotional distress
- Reflect on how your own feelings and responses affect your work
- Apply psychodynamic and therapeutic thinking within everyday situations
- Contribute more confidently to team discussions and professional decision-making
- Support the development of reflective practice within your organisation
- Gain an accredited Level 4 qualification that supports continued professional development
The learning can also support progression into new, specialist or more senior roles across children’s services.
Mulberry Bush has been developing therapeutic approaches to working with children, young people and the adults around them for nearly 80 years.
Our training is rooted in practice. It draws on the day-to-day experience of our therapeutic schools, alongside established theory, current research and learning from professionals across children’s services. Our trainers have direct experience of working within the field and understand both the value and the emotional demands of this work.
We do not offer simple responses to complex situations. Instead, we support practitioners to develop the understanding, confidence and reflective capacity needed to make thoughtful decisions within their own roles and organisations. Our approach is:
- Collaborative – we seek to work with, and learn from, others who share our vision and principles.
- Psychodynamic – we promote an approach which enables us to understand the meaning of behaviour as communication.
- Reflective – we believe in the value of learning through reflection and experience.
And, we live by our values:
- Expertise – we are pioneers, thought-leaders, influencers and change-makers.
- Empathy – we care, support and work with professional, practitioners and the people we serve to enable them to make their own change and collaborate with and are here for everyone who needs us.
- Everyone – we are a community we collaborate and are here for everyone who needs us.