From 'another kind of home' to 'a different kind of family'. Re-understanding how residential child care can work

A different kind of family may seem a strange thing to attribute to residential childcare, and yet, longevity of care and caring has been achieved in a local authority residential service in Scotland. Lothian Villa in East Lothian has historically provided nurturing supportive care that has been lauded by regulators, academics and politicians alike. In this article, two Lothian Villa managers (Max Smart and Andy Thorpe) describe the journey of supportive care and healing that goes beyond another kind of home and leads to a different kind of residence; a different kind of caring to create a different kind of family.