An aeroplane without wings: educational psychology support for a children's home staff team prior to and following a critical incident

Outcomes for looked after children and young people tend to be poor across numerous domains. To address this, some children's homes in England are supported by educational psychologists using Pillars of Parenting. This 'Emotional Warmth' approach is based on the theoretical and empirical knowledge base of applied psychology. It has been shown to have a positive impact on the lives of looked after children and young people (Cameron, 2017; Cameron & Das, 2019). This paper shares the story of a traumatic incident which occurred in a children's home supported by a Pillars of Parenting psychologist consultant. Using the strong relationships built up with staff through Pillars of Parenting sessions, other tools were used to provide support for staff over two meetings. This support was given in the lead up to this event and following it. Prior to the incident, the psychologist consultant used the MAPS tool to help staff acknowledge their gifts and plan for a positive future. A critical incident response to the event was provided by two educational psychologists using a bespoke process shared in this paper. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this support was appreciated and beneficial.