In this episode, Anne Horne talks with Professor Gillian Schofield to unpack the Secure Base model - a framework grounded in attachment research that supports children and young people in care. Together, they trace the model’s development, break down its five key caregiving dimensions, and discuss how it has been adapted for foster care, kinship care, adoption, schools, and residential settings.
Listeners will also hear about practical training approaches, updated resources, and the model’s growing international reach. Gillian shares valuable tips for implementing Secure Base across teams and services, along with guidance on where to find books, tools, and further training to put the model into practice.
Gillian Schofield OBE is Emeritus Professor of Child and Family Social Work at the University of East Anglia, where she worked for over 30 years. She was also the Head of School of Social Work. Her main focus of research has been in long-term foster care. Other areas of funded research have included looked after children and offending; care planning and the role of the Independent Reviewing Officer; leaving residential care; LGBTQ young people in care; transitions from foster care to adoption.
With Dr Mary Beek, she developed the Secure Base model, an attachment and resilience-based framework relevant to foster care, adoption, residential care, schools, professional teams and a range of other settings. The Secure Base model has been implemented widely in the UK and internationally.
Ann Horne is CoramBAAF’s Training Development Consultant and, a Kinship Care Consultant alongside job share partner Clare Seth. Ann has been a local authority social worker in children's services for 20 years. She has worked in kinship care for the last 14 years and for 7 of these co-managed a dedicated kinship care team in Brighton and Hove.
Watch the conversation
Listen to the conversation
Read the conversation
We have provided a transcript for this podcast episode to offer an alternative version and promote accessibility. Please note that this is a transcription of a video interview. The content remains the same whilst some changes have been made to improve readability in a written format. Therefore, there may be some inconsistencies between the recording and the written conversation.
Related resources
Secure Base model (UEA)
An introduction to the secure base model and its role in assessment and support practice (Training course)
Making long-term foster care a positive permanence option - Messages from 25 years of research (Webinar recording)
The secure base model author interview with Gillian Schofield and Mary Beek (Podcast episode)
More by Gillian Schofield and colleagues
Promoting attachment and resilience
Attachment handbook for foster care and adoption
The child placement handbook eBook only