Category — Papers written since joining ISP

During the course of our presentation we will be looking at transitions from different perspectives: ISP as an organisation in transition; the transitions that foster carers go through from the time they first think about fostering through to becoming skilled and experienced carers; children who come into foster care, often ill-equipped to cope with this transition and many others they may have to face, both large and small.

This paper is about therapeutic child care. My understanding of what this means was acquired during my 27 years at the Cotswold Community. I was privileged to work with two excellent Consultant Psychotherapists: Barbara Dockar-Drysdale for 18 years and Paul Van Heeswyk for 9 years. I learnt a huge amount about management and the creation of an appropriate staff culture from Richard Balbernie, Isabel Menzies Lyth and Dr Eric Miller. My practice was supported and developed as a result of understanding and discussing the work of D W Winnicott with Mrs Drysdale and others. I also drew on the work of Bettelheim, Redl and Wineman and many others.