Therapeutic parenting groups
Guidance for carers and professionals to nurture, heal, and support children's needs.
While direct therapeutic intervention can help, real impact often comes when those who care for children—foster carers, social workers, teachers—are supported too.
Our therapeutic groups empower carers and professionals to make a difference. Take a look at how we could help.
The Attachment Group
This group programme, inspired by Kim Golding’s Foundations for Attachment, is designed to help foster carers feel more confident in using therapeutic parenting. Through a mix of group reflection, discussion, and practical activities, carers explore how developmental trauma affects children and how to respond in ways that build trust and connection.
Over six sessions, carers dive into topics like attachment styles, the impact of trauma and shame, and the principles of therapeutic parenting—especially using PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy).
Find out our upcoming dates and locations below:
Please note that our Derby City group dates for Jan 2026 are now fully booked.
Meet Casey, one of our Attachment Group practitioners, and find out what to expect:
What does the group cover?
Please see our leaflet. We cover lots of themes, concepts and ideas that are relevant to people caring for children with attachment difficulties. However, this isn’t straight-forward training, so we will respond to the needs of the group and try to apply those concepts to the experiences of group members.
How many people will be in the group?
We can run groups with as few as 4 people and as many as 10 people in total. Typically groups have 6-8 foster carers in them.
Who can attend?
The group is for registered foster carers currently caring for children in care in Derby and Derbyshire. This includes connected person/kinship foster carers.
Can I attend online?
No, I’m afraid this is an in person only group. The nature of the group activities and discussion and the building of trust, connection and safety between people works much better when everyone is physically present.
How long are the sessions?
Sessions are 3 hours long, from 10:00-13:00 to allow for school drop offs and pick ups. We have at least one break per session and tea, coffee and biscuits are supplied! We also offer an optional online meet up a week before session 1 to give you a chance to meet us and each other before the first session.
I can’t attend all of the sessions. Can I still attend?
We understand that it’s hard to commit to six long sessions but it’s really important for the dynamics of the group and the continuity of the ideas that you are able to attend all six sessions please.
I’ve done attachment training already OR I’m new to fostering and worried I’ll be less experienced than everyone else. Should I still attend?
We have very experienced foster carers attending and getting a lot from the group alongside carers who have only just begun their fostering journey who also tell us how helpful it was. For some it refreshes or reframes some familiar ideas, others are exposed to lots of new concepts. Everyone tends to benefit from the support to reflect on what they are doing and why, with a group of people who ‘get it’.
How do I join the group?
Your fostering social worker/child’s social worker can complete and submit the referral form for you. We’ll confirm receipt and then get in touch with you to confirm your place or discuss any queries with you.
RE-Play (TBC)
Connection through play!
More information to be added in due course about a newly developed group therapeutic parenting intervention.
TBC
Intro to Trauma, Attachment & Therapeutic Parenting
This in-person training programme offers a trauma-informed approach to understanding the emotional and behavioural needs of children and young people. It explores how early experiences of neglect, inconsistent caregiving, and relational traumas affect attachment, brain development, and a child’s sense of safety.
- Attachment styles and the impact of developmental trauma
- Therapeutic parenting using the PACE model: Play, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy
- Understanding shame and its influence on behaviour
- The 'Window of Tolerance' and strategies for co-regulation
- The 'Two Hands of Parenting': combining nurturing care with safe, non-punitive boundaries
This training equips caregivers and professionals with practical tools to support healing, build trust, and foster secure relationships with children and young people who have experienced trauma.
Visit our training page for more information, upcoming dates and to register your interest.
Therapeutic Parenting with PACE Training Programme
Currently this programme not included within the new 2025 service model, but is available for spot purchase by individual provisions.
This programme provides a series of monthly half-day training sessions can be provided for groups of supervising social workers, residential care workers or foster carers.
The goal of this is to build confidence and skills for therapeutic parents, recognising the challenges they may face in doing this.
From January 2026 we will be launching a new way to sustain reflective and trauma informed practices across a broader reach in Derby and Derbyshire.
For more information visit: Reflective Practice: our RELATE approach