About
This course introduces staff to the PACE approach, a trauma informed relational model created by Dr Dan Hughes. PACE helps adults build trust, reduce defensiveness and support emotional safety for young people living in supported accommodation. It offers a simple but powerful framework based on Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy, and is designed for everyday use in conversations, key work and moments of distress. The course explores how trauma, fear and mistrust can shape behaviour and communication, and how staff can respond in ways that lower threat and increase felt safety. Learners are shown how Playfulness can soften tension, how Acceptance reduces shame, how Curiosity opens understanding and how Empathy supports emotional regulation. Each section includes real examples, scenarios and practical phrases that staff can use immediately with young people. PACE is not a clinical therapy. It is a way of being with young people that communicates warmth, predictability and respect. Staff learn how to use PACE safely within professional boundaries, how to attune their responses to individual needs and how to avoid practices that may overwhelm or shame young people. The course also covers how PACE aligns with the Supported Accommodation Regulations 2023, Ofsted expectations, trauma informed practice and relationship based care. By the end of this course, staff will feel more confident communicating with young people, responding to emotional distress, building trust and supporting positive relationships. PACE helps create environments where young people feel heard, valued and able to grow.