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Why Relational Care?
Relational Care offers a clear, compassionate framework for residential staff and youth workers supporting young perople with complex needs. Grounded in an evidence-based, proven international framework, it empowers adults to provide steady, connected care—even in the face of aggression, shutdown, or trauma.
With a focus on calm authority, emotional safety, and persistent connection, Relational Care helps adults become a stable anchor for the young people they support.
Supporting Staff, Supporting Young People
Residential care teams work in high-stakes environments, supporting young people who have experienced significant trauma, adversity, and disrupted attachments. Many of these children and adolescents present with complex developmental needs and behaviours that can include aggression, absconding, and emotional shutdown. Staff are often required to manage crisis situations while also fostering connection, consistency, and a sense of safety for young people who may struggle to trust adults.
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The emotional demands placed on residential care workers are immense. Despite their best efforts, staff can feel isolated, overwhelmed, or disempowered—especially when traditional behaviour management tools such as rewards and consequences prove ineffective or escalate behaviours further. In such settings, reliance on compliance-based strategies can inadvertently damage relationships and contribute to staff burnout and high turnover.
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​Relational Care offers a structured yet flexible approach that aligns with trauma-informed principles and the realities of residential care. It shifts the focus from control to calm, from reaction to presence, and from punishment to persistence. Through strategies that emphasise connection, team cohesion, and non-escalation, NVR helps staff maintain their authority in ways that are relational, respectful, and sustainable.
Relational Care (also known as Non-Violent Resistance) is an innovative and systemic approach to serious and harmful behaviour in young people, including those with histories of trauma, disadvantage, and complex needs. Developed over 20 years ago by Professor Haim Omer and his team at the University of Tel Aviv, the model has since been adapted across diverse settings—including residential and out-of-home care, aggression and violence, school refusal, ADHD, anxiety, eating disorders, and suicidality.​
In each of these areas, NVR has consistently shown positive outcomes—not only in reducing harmful behaviours, but also in lowering escalation, increasing adult self-regulation, and strengthening the relationships between young people and the adults who support them.
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NVR has transformed education and care practice in multiple European regions. The city of Zurich, Switzerland, for example, adopted the NVR model as a key behavioural framework across its schools and youth services. In countries such as Germany, Austria, and the UK, NVR has been used successfully in both educational and residential care settings to address complex behaviours through connection, presence, and non-escalation.
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NVR empowers residential care workers to reclaim their confidence, presence, and influence—even under pressure. At a time when staff face increasing demands and complexity, the approach offers a way to remain grounded, united, and impactful in their role.
EMPOWERING CARE TEAMS
Relational Care offers a trauma-aware, evidence-informed framework for responding to serious behaviours in residential care. It helps staff stay grounded, united, and effective—especially in moments of high stress.
DE-ESCALATION
Staying grounded in moments of high conflict. Staff learn how to manage their own emotional responses, reducing power struggles and preventing crises from escalating further.
CARER PRESENCE
Through consistent, calm visibility and relational connection, carers are empowered to assert their role without using fear, threats, or control
SUPPORTIVE STANCE
Holding boundaries with calm, clarity, and compassion. Support staff develop the skills to respond to challenging behaviour in ways that uphold safety and respect, without compromising connection.
ACTIVE RESISTANCE
Introducing structured responses to aggression or disengagement. These tools provide clear, non-confrontational ways to address serious behaviours, and invite opportunities for repair and accountability.
TEAM COHESION
Building a united front and shared responsibility among team members. NVR strengthens collaboration across staff, reducing isolation, and creating a consistent, coordinated approach around the young person.
A framework for sustainable change
Implementation of the Relational Care framework is tailored to the unique needs of each program and organisation.
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A customised plan will be co-developed in collaboration with leadership and staff, and may include:
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Professional learning sessions introducing the RC framework and its core practices (1 day)
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Case consultation applying the RC framework, helping teams develop consistent, collaborative strategies for high-risk behaviours
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On-site support, working alongside support staff
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Phone or video coaching, offering ongoing guidance and reflection
Tamar Sloan
Psychologist | Accredited NVR Trainer
Tamar Sloan is a psychologist, educator, and accredited NVR trainer with over 25 years’ experience supporting children, families, and schools. With a background in both teaching and therapeutic practice, Tamar brings a deep understanding of student behaviour, relational dynamics, and the power of calm, consistent adult presence. She developed the Relational Presence framework to help educators respond to challenging behaviour with clarity, compassion, and connection—because every teacher deserves to feel empowered, and every student deserves to feel safe, seen, and supported.
Contact
Want to learn more? We're always happy to discuss how Relational Care could support your organisation.
04666 100 35