Foster With Slough, Slough Children First’s fostering agency, held its annual conference last week, bringing together carers, practitioners, and leaders.
All were committed to one goal, deepening the understanding of trauma-informed care and strengthening the borough’s therapeutic approach to fostering.
For many carers, the day provided a rare chance to pause, reflect, and learn alongside others walking the same path.
The conference, designed to support and equip foster carers and home from home carers, focused on the impact of trauma on children and young people, attachment and behaviour, and the value of therapeutic responses such as PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy). How to connect with children emotionally, setting consistent routines and boundaries to create a sense of safety, replacing “time out” with “time in” to maintain connection during difficult moments, and using natural consequences to help children understand cause and effect.
Carers engaged in reflective group discussions, explored anonymised real-life case studies, and contributed feedback through interactive digital tools. These practical tools further give carers the confidence to respond with empathy, reduce conflict, and begin to build secure, healing relationships with the children in their care.
They were also introduced to a curated reading list to continue their self-directed learning, ensuring the conference's impact will extend well beyond a single day. The event represented a continued investment in Slough’s fostering community and a clear step towards embedding a therapeutic ethos across the entire service
One foster carer shared, “We had a productive day filled with fun and valuable learning experiences. Thank you to everyone involved”.
Saima Arif, head of regulated services at Slough Children First, said: “This conference was about more than training, it was about connection, reflection, and equipping our carers with the confidence and skills they need to offer truly therapeutic care”.
“We are incredibly proud of the dedication our carers show every day,” said Sue Butcher, Executive Director of Children’s Services and Chief Executive of Slough Children First. “This conference reflects our commitment to supporting them not just with words, but with meaningful training and a long-term vision for therapeutic care.”
We are pleased to say that our carers left the conference feeling more connected, empowered, and ready to apply what they had learned. The conference marked another important step in embedding a fully therapeutic approach across the fostering service in Slough.
For more information about Foster with Slough visit www.fosterwithslough.co.uk or call 0300 131 2797.