Keeping in Touch
News from Entrust Care Partnership
January 2026
Rebuilding Futures: Therapeutic Support for Children Beyond the Classroom
The Wren Project focuses on growth, healing, and giving children and young adults a new start.
Some children don’t thrive in traditional classrooms — but that doesn’t mean they stop learning. It means they need a different kind of space.
The Power of Safe Spaces spotlights the emotional and mental well-being side of The Wren project.
Learning Looks Different Here
The Wren project has been running since September 2025. What a busy, fun first term we have had.
We open on a Monday, Thursday and a Friday from 10-2 and have had amazing attendance considering the young people struggle so much to leave their homes.
Why Therapeutic Alternative Provision Matters More Than Ever
Not all children are ready to step straight into an education setting — especially those carrying school trauma, anxiety, or long periods of non-attendance. For many, the first step isn’t a classroom at all. It’s safety. It’s regulation. It’s trust.
That’s where therapeutic, holistic provision becomes essential.
Raising Awareness: A Different Kind of First Step
Our work isn’t about teaching curriculum. It’s about rebuilding the foundations that make learning possible:
Emotional regulation
A sense of safety and predictability
Trust in adults
Confidence in themselves
The ability to separate from home
The resilience to try again after trauma
J’s Journey: Years of Foundations Leading to a Break-through
J has been receiving support for many years, both from us and from other profession-als working within his home environment. For a very long time, all his support had to take place at home because his school experience had affected him so deeply. The idea of stepping into any kind of setting outside the family home felt impossible.
Over the years, working gently and consistently on the foundations he needed long be-fore learning could even be considered: emotional regulation, trust in adults, confi-dence in himself, and the ability to feel safe away from home. Progress was slow, sometimes invisible, but always meaningful. Every moment of connection, every regu-lated session, every small success was laying the groundwork for something bigger — even if none of us knew when, or if, that moment would come.
What has always been clear is that when J leaves home feeling happy, regulated, and secure with his support workers, he can engage in ways that his earlier experiences never allowed him to. A sense of emotional safety became the foundation that ena-bled him, after years of preparation, to begin attending The Wren twice a week. It came at exactly the right time — a moment when he was finally ready for the next step, something we once couldn’t imagine.
In just one term, the progress has been remarkable. Our gentle, no-pressure approach has enabled J to gradually extend his time with us — sometimes only by a minute or two, but each increase represents a huge personal achievement. These tiny steps have rebuilt trust, confidence, and a sense of control that school trauma had once taken from him.
One of the most heart-warming developments has been the friendship he has formed with another peer of a similar age. Watching this connection grow has been a powerful reminder of how much children can flourish when they feel understood, respected, and safe.
We have been genuinely blown away by everything J has achieved so far. School trau-ma can cast a long shadow, and rebuilding a child’s sense of safety takes patience, consistency, and compassion. But J’s journey shows that with the right approach — gentle, flexible, and free from pressure — children can begin to put the pieces back together and rediscover their confidence.
We will continue to share updates on how our young people are getting on.
Showing Impact: Progress That Truly Matters
Our impact isn’t measured in grades or timetables. It’s measured in moments:
A child leaving home without distress
Staying one minute longer than last week
Forming a first friendship after years of isolation
Walking through the door with a smile
Feeling safe enough to try something new
These are not small wins — they are life-changing. They show healing, readiness, and growth. They show that the child is slowly putting the pieces back together.
Engaging Schools and Local Authorities
We position ourselves as the missing link—the supportive bridge between young people, their families, and the education system. We aim to work collaboratively with schools and local authorities to ensure that every young person has the opportunity to thrive.
Some of the young people we support may, in time, be ready to access a suitable school setting. When that happens, we help make the transition smooth, informed, and sustainable. For those who are not yet ready, we remain a consistent, reliable provision—offering stability, growth, and a pathway forward at a pace that works for them.
Our partnership with our families
At Entrust Care Partnership and at The Wren Project, partnership with parents is at the heart of everything we do. We see ourselves as part of the wider family network around each child, and we work closely with parents and carers to make sure everyone feels supported, understood, and valued. More than 70% of our staff have a child with a disability, so our commitment to families isn’t just professional — it’s personal. We understand the challenges, we celebrate the triumphs, and we stand alongside families every step of the way.
Here are some of the things we have been up to
We are extremely proud of everything ALL our young people have achieved, and we are deeply grateful for the dedication of our staff, and the support and trust shown by our wonderful parents and carers. Take good care, Zoe xx
Thank you for your continued support
Thank you for reading our latest Newsletter, and thank you to Zoe Hughes, our Service Manager for writing it, contact zoehughes@entrustcarepartnership.org.uk for further details about The Wren.
If you know anyone else who may enjoy this Newsletter do please share.
If you are interested in any of Entrust Care Partnership services, One to One Support, Holiday Breaks, Football Clubs, The Telling of Us Dance, Art for All, Thai Boxing, Friendship Group, Pathway to Employment, HAF Playscheme, please contact lynnebarton@entrustcarepartnership.org.uk
Finally we still have a few spaces at our forthcoming Parent Carer Workshop
With love and best wishes
Lynne Barton
Director
Entrust Care Partnership