Working with Relational Trauma in Children's Social Care

A guide for social care workers on how DDP can be used in social care settings with children and families who have experienced developmental trauma.

A guide to using dyadic developmental psychotherapy (DDP) to support children and families in social care settings. It explores not only direct intervention with children, but also ways to apply DDP principles to difficult decisions for social workers, and adaptations to sensitively support children and families from a range of backgrounds.

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) is a therapeutic approach that uses attachment theory to support children and families who have experienced relational trauma. By consciously offering PACE (playfulness, acceptance, curiosity, and empathy), adults can help children - and each other - to feel more secure and open to others.

This guide explains how to apply the principles of DDP to every level of working with children and families in the social care system. It covers how DDP can be used to support everything from building relationships between children and carers to decision-making on an organisational scale. It also explores ways to adapt DDP-based strategies to take different cultural and social considerations into account, allowing social workers to ensure their practice is tailored to each family's individual needs.