Rich and Tim speak to foster carer Gareth K Thomas: what every social worker should know about children in care, trauma‑informed parenting and supporting carers

In this episode, we sit down with foster carer Gareth K Thomas to explore his experiences of caring for children who have lived through trauma, and what it really means to offer trauma-informed care in practice.

Gareth shares honest reflections on the realities of foster care - the rewards, the challenges, and the emotional impact of supporting children who have experienced adversity. We talk about how trauma shows up in behaviour, how carers can make sense of what they’re seeing, and the importance of staying curious, compassionate, and regulated in the face of difficult moments.

The conversation also explores:

• What trauma-informed care looks like day-to-day
• The importance of relationships, trust, and consistency
• Supporting children without losing sight of yourself
• The wider system around foster care - what helps and what gets in the way

As ever, this is a grounded and thoughtful discussion that keeps the focus on real-life practice, not theory alone.

Gareth on LinkedIn: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/garethkthomas/

Gareth's website: 

https://garethkthomas.com/

https://www.clrfd.com/48/

Gareth's forthcoming book

https://a-z-book.com/