How We Work

Here at Phoenix Independence, we encourage our support team to adopt a Trauma-Informed Practice approach when working with young people due to the adverse child experiences many have experienced. 

Trauma-Informed Practice is a strengths-based approach, which seeks to understand and respond to the impact of trauma on people’s lives. The approach emphasises physical, psychological, and emotional safety for everyone and aims to empower individuals to re-establish control of their lives.

In addition, our team also work within and combine TIP with the PACE model when working with our Young people – PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity & Empathy) model is used within the service as a day-to-day way of working with residents.

Playfulness

’When people laugh and giggle, they become less defensive and more reflective. Playfulness can help keep it all in perspective… It can also diffuse a difficult or tense situation when the support worker has a touch of playfulness in his or her discipline.’

Acceptance

Unconditionally accepting a child makes them feel secure, safe, and loved. ‘Actively communicating to the child that you accept the wishes, feelings, thoughts, urges, motives and perceptions that are underneath the outward behaviour. It is about accepting, without judgement or evaluation, their inner life. The young person’s inner life simply is it is not right or wrong. The support worker may be very firm in limiting behaviour while at the same time accepting the motives for the behaviour.’

Curiosity

Without judgement young person become aware of their inner life. ‘Curiosity involves a quiet, accepting tone that conveys a simple desire to understand the person: “What do you think was going on? What do you think that was about?”

Empathy

A sense of compassion for the person and their feelings. The worker will stay with the young person emotionally, providing comfort and support.

The adult is also communicating strength and commitment, with confidence that sharing the person’s distress will not be too much. Together they will get through it.’

PACE can be used by any adult to validate, explore, and understand a young person’s feelings. It is an approach which limits shame, promotes compassion, and brings a sense of mutual support, strength, and resilience. When an adult spends time and demonstrates an interest in a young person’s inner life the adult contains and regulates the person’s emotions, eventually the person will learn to do this themselves.

Staff work in line with the PACE model by adapting their communication and interaction styles when working with young people to ensure that they feel listened to and accepted. The PACE model also supports children and young people to be able to in time work towards self-regulating their own emotions and the way in which they respond to others.