for parents & care givers
When your child lives with Rubicon, you still matter
When a child comes to live with Rubicon, the people and relationships that matter to them still matter to us.
the effect of change
good care starts with understanding the child
Moving into residential care can bring change for everyone around a child. Our role is not to erase important relationships or assume that a referral document tells us everything we need to know.
You know things about your child that no paperwork can fully capture: the routines they rely on, the people who matter, the things that make them laugh, the situations they find difficult, the interests they return to and the details that help them feel understood. Their history matters, but so do their strengths, preferences, relationships and the person they are now.
As we get to know a child, we listen to the people who know them and continue learning from the child themselves. That understanding helps the team respond more thoughtfully and build care around the individual rather than expecting the individual to fit a standard model.
“I feel included in what is happening in my child’s life, not just contacted when there is a problem."
Staying connected while we build safety and trust
Where it is safe and forms part of the child’s plan, Rubicon teams actively support contact with family and other important people. That can include preparing for contact, helping a child make sense of the feelings around it and providing a familiar, secure base to return to afterwards.
Communication matters beyond formal reviews too. At Rubicon House’s 2026 Ofsted inspection, family members particularly valued the team’s commitment to maintaining relationships and the regular, meaningful communication that kept them informed about their child’s daily experiences.
Our wider approach is relationship-led and informed by understanding trauma, attachment, sensory needs and regulation. Therapeutic parenting and PACE help shape everyday interactions, supported by therapeutic input, Occupational Therapy and sensory-informed thinking, Therapeutic Life Story Work, The Just Right State and Forest School. These are not labels we expect a child to fit; they give the adults around them more ways to understand, reflect and respond consistently.
Working together around the child
Families, social workers, education, health professionals and the Rubicon team may all hold different pieces of the picture. Good care depends on those pieces being brought together without losing sight of the child at the centre.
We communicate with the wider network, share observations, advocate when further assessment or specialist support is needed and adapt as our understanding develops. There may be difficult conversations and there may be times when people see things differently; our responsibility is to keep the child’s welfare, voice and progress central to the discussion.
If your child already lives with Rubicon, the team at their home should be your first point of contact for everyday questions. If you are looking for general information or need to speak to the organisation, you can contact us below.
what people say about rubicon
You Know Your Child in Ways
No Report Ever Could.