TRC 2026 Summit
Meet Our Poster Presenters
International Summit 2026
The summit is being hosted by Professor Lisa Holmes (School of Education and Social Work) at the University of Sussex, in partnership with the Association of Children’s Residential and Community Services (ACRC) and the International Work Group on Therapeutic Residential Care (TRC).
Why Now?
In recent years, a growing and increasingly vocal lobby has called for the elimination of all forms of residential group care for young people of all ages. Such arguments, however, often lack the nuance and complexity that characterise contemporary child welfare systems. The diverse needs and circumstances of children and their families, and the corresponding need for a varied range of service responses, are frequently overlooked in analyses that rely on binary comparisons between family‑based and other forms of out‑of‑home care. These reductive debates risk presenting children’s residential care as a single, homogeneous form of placement, rather than recognising the substantial variation in purpose, model, and practice.
About the Summit
This two‑day, in‑person summit provides a timely opportunity for those working in the field of children’s residential care to come together and explore the question: “What Constitutes Quality in Children’s Residential Care? Measuring what matters to children and their families.”
The programme has been designed to foreground the voices of those with lived experience of residential care, alongside practitioners, policy leaders, and researchers. It includes a rich mix of keynote lectures, panel discussions, and extended workshops to facilitate in‑depth dialogue, critical reflection, and the sharing of knowledge and expertise.
The event is supported by an International Committee, listed below.
◦ Jim Whittaker (USA)
◦ Jorge del Valle (Spain)
◦ Sigrid James (Germany)
◦ Martha Holden (USA)
◦ Kari Sisson (USA)
◦ Christopher Bellonci (USA)
◦ Trish McNamara (Australia)
◦ Bethany Lee (USA)
◦ Chiara Monti (Italy)
If you have any queries about the Summit, please contact the team by email:
rescaresummit@sussex.ac.uk
REGISTRATION RATE
£275/$375 Early Bird* – Register by 7th July
£350/$475 Full Rate
WHAT IF I NEED TO CANCEL MY IN-PERSON REGISTRATION?
If you need to cancel your in-person registration for ANY REASON before August 7th , we will offer a full refund minus a $50 processing fee. If you need to cancel your in-person registration August 7th or later, we will offer you the option to send a colleague in your place, no refunds will be available.
The Summit will take place in the Jubilee Building at the University of Sussex. The campus is located at Falmer, on the outskirts of Brighton, within easy reach of London and major international airports at Gatwick and Heathrow. If you will be arriving into London, we recommend using the Transport for London journey planner to help you plan your travel. The campus is easily accessible by public transportation, including trains and buses from Brighton.
Directions to the University:
Learn More Here
- Campus Map: Join us in the Jubilee Building –
Learn More Here - Accommodation Booking Site:
Book Now - Visiting Brighton:
Learn More Here
Please check the visa requirements for visiting the United Kingdom before you travel.
The International Work Group for Therapeutic Residential Care (TRC) is a small invitational association of international researchers, scholars, and practitioners dedicated to the continuous improvement of high quality therapeutic residential services through research, cross-national dialogue and dissemination of evidence-based information.
Detailed Programme Below
TUESDAY 15 SEPTEMBER
TIME: 8:30 - 9:30 AM
REGISTRATION
TIME: 9:30 AM
Welcome Lisa Holmes and Janet Boddy (England)
Lisa Holmes (England)
Policy Context
Policy Context (Bekah Atherton and Hayley Johnson, Department for Education, England)
Bekah Atherton (England)
Hayley Johnson (England)
TIME: 10:00 AM
OPENING: Addressing the conference theme
"What Constitutes Quality in Children's Residential Care" through TED-style talks
Kiran Modi (India)
Sigrid James (Germany)
Lisette Burton (US)
Kiaras Gharabaghi (Canada)
Lucy Butler (England)
TIME: 11:15 AM
BREAK
TIME: 11:45 AM
Panel Discussion with Young People: What does quality mean to them? Facilitated by Celeste Walley.
Celeste Walley (US)
TIME: 12:30 PM
LUNCH
TIME: 1:30 PM
WORKSHOP SESSION 1
Delegates will have the opportunity to select one of four parallel workshops. Further information will be added in early July.
TIME: 3:00 PM
BREAK
TIME: 3:30 PM
WORKSHOP SESSION 2
Delegates will have the opportunity to select one of four parallel workshops. Further information will be added in early July.
TIME: 5:00 PM
POSTER SESSION
Our poster session will provide an opportunity to view and discuss posters from a range of colleagues about their work as it relates to Quality Residential Care. Accepted posters include contributions from England; Scotland; US; Italy; Netherlands; China; Chile; Spain; Nepal; Ethiopia; Ireland; Ghana; Kenya; Germany and Australia. The poster session will include drinks and canapes.
TIME: 7:00 PM
CLOSING
WEDNESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER
TIME: 8:00 AM
COFFEE AND NETWORKING
TIME: 9:00 AM
KEYNOTE: Prof Rick Hood (Quality, stability and outcomes for children in children’s homes – new evidence from research)
Prof Rick Hood (England)
TIME: 9:45 AM
KEYNOTE: Prof Shamra Boel-Studt (A Decade of Quality Therapeutic Residential Care: Innovations, Evolving Standards, and Future Considerations)
Prof Shamra Boel-Studt (US)
TIME: 10:30 AM
QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS
TIME: 11:00 AM
BREAK
TIME: 11:30 AM
WORKSHOP SESSION 3
Delegates will have the opportunity to select one of four parallel workshops. Further information will be added in early July.
TIME: 1:00 PM
LUNCH
TIME: 1:45 PM
WORKSHOP SESSION 4
Delegates will have the opportunity to select one of four parallel workshops. Further information will be added in early July.
TIME: 3:15 PM
PANEL DISCUSSION: Wrap-up, reflections, and looking forward (Panel discussion with invited speakers and sector leaders.)
TIME: 4:00 PM
CONFERENCE CLOSE