Our Therapeutic Model

STEPS Therapeutic
Model 2026

A trauma- and attachment-informed model co-created with international authority Patrick Tomlinson and the Lifestyles team.

STEPS

Five foundational principles

“Theory, practice and the relationship between them are all far too complex for there to be a clear, simple and unambiguous path to follow. Theory provides us with the cloth from which to tailor our garment, it does not provide 'off the-shelf' solutions to practice problems”

— Thompson, 2000, p. 80

Lifestyles, in understanding this quote, strategise, learn, plan and develop through our practice over time. Although we work diligently to ensure high quality services that follow best practices, we also recognise that this may not always be the case, therefore we grow together through purposeful meetings that always result in action planning, sharing resources and information organisation wide and deliver high quality, often bespoke training to ensure we are forever learning.

The Model

The five principles of STEPS

  1. Principle 1 of 5

    Safety

    We embrace a culturally safe, Trauma informed, and dependable ethos. Creating environments that are physically and emotionally safe, with robust safeguarding practices.

  2. Principle 2 of 5

    Trauma Informed

    Lifestyles employ a Trauma-informed approach to caring for children and young people and we recognise the impact of trauma on a child / young person's development, behaviour, and emotions.

  3. Principle 3 of 5

    Empowering

    We cultivate a strengths-based and enabling environment.

  4. Principle 4 of 5

    Person Centred

    Placing the young person at the heart of care planning and decision-making, supporting choice and control. The young person's needs, safety and best interests are at the very core of every decision we make.

  5. Principle 5 of 5

    Stability

    Lifestyles work diligently to create predictable environments and relationships that build trust. We are a positive thinking, Strengths-Based organisation — focusing on abilities, resilience, and potential rather than deficits.

Foundations for Practice

How the model is put into practice

Psychological Safety

Lifestyles encourage and support staff to become self-aware and have a culture of supporting each other, and prioritising self-care via structure and routines outside of work.

Self-awareness is built through 1-to-1 processes such as supervision, consultation, mentoring and psychotherapy, and through group processes such as team meetings, group supervision and consultation. (Tomlinson & Moore, 2022)

Lifestyles employees pay close attention to the child/young person, themselves and each other. Senior leadership are attuned to both young people and employees. Providing a safe, non-judgmental and sometimes confidential space — including employee satisfaction surveys and individual and group forums — is key to both psychological and physical safety, and to creating an organisation of learning, development and continuous improvement.

Staff also have access to professional support through Beneden Health and relate counselling services, as well as group forums with a trauma specialist — providing containment for the emotional demands of trauma-informed care.

“The work of being trauma-informed and trauma-responsive is complex. But there is a single great way to begin that is fairly simple — increasing self-awareness.”
— Daniels, 2019
Belfast skyline — the River Lagan, modern city buildings, the Harland & Wolff cranes and the Belfast hills in the distance.

Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity

Northern Ireland context

Northern Ireland context.

Placement planning considers whether the young person feels safe in the local area and whether community dynamics may affect their wellbeing. Risk assessments may consider previous experiences of intimidation, perceived identity, and vulnerability to exploitation. The home works with social workers, safeguarding teams and other professionals to maintain safe placements.

Lifestyles recognise that the legacy of the Troubles may continue to affect some families and communities. Experiences of conflict, loss or intimidation may influence trust, identity and emotional wellbeing across generations.

Staff use trauma-informed approaches, supporting young people to discuss experiences if they wish, providing emotional support, and ensuring the home environment remains safe and neutral. Staff remain mindful that certain events or discussions may trigger distress and take steps to minimise re-traumatisation while promoting empathy, respect and understanding among young people.

I believe strongly in the process of co-creating models — rather than importing them.

Patrick Tomlinson · Therapeutic model co-creator

Want to see the full model?

For a full therapeutic model enquiry, an enquiry on policies and procedures and statements of purpose for our homes, please contact Brian Wells.

Email Brian WellsGeneral enquiries

The full 80-page model is shared on enquiry and at our discretion.