The Sanctuary Model, Creating Safety for an Out-of-home Care Community

The adoption of the Sanctuary Model within Churches of Christ Care Pathways, an Australian non-government organisation in the child protection sector, has influenced a fundamental attitudinal shift towards enhanced wellbeing for clients, employees and carers alike. By drawing on the four pillars of Sanctuary, which incorporate theoretical and practical strategies, a safe environment can be created to heal trauma on an individual, organisational and community level, with the view towards a future of growth, change and resilience. The four pillars; Theory, SELF (Safety, Emotion Management, Loss and Future), the Seven Commitments and the Tools, support healing from trauma, and bring about organisational change. Examples from Pathways Residential Care and Fostering Services are used to illustrate the way in which the Sanctuary Model has enhanced safety within this out-of-home care community.