Care plans in Emotional Behavioural Difficulties (EBD) homes and therapeutic residential homes both aim to meet individual needs, but they differ in structure, focus and underlying approach. The key distinction lies in how they address behaviour versus trauma and emotional healing. This article addresses how care plans differ in Emotional Behavioural Difficulties EBD versus therapeutic homes.
Core difference
EBD home care plans prioritise behavioural management, stabilisation and social functioning, while therapeutic home care plans emphasise emotional recovery, trauma-informed intervention and psychological development.
Comparisons of care plans
| Element | Emotional Behavioural Difficulties (EBD) Homes | Therapeutic Residential Homes |
| Purpose and Focus | To support children displaying persistent emotional and behavioural difficulties impacting daily life and relationships. | To provide a psychologically-informed environment aimed at recovery from trauma, attachment disruptions, and mental health issues. |
| Assessment Framework | Focused on risk assessments, behaviour tracking, and social functioning baselines. Common tools include ABC charts, behaviour logs, and incident reviews. | Includes psychological assessments, trauma mapping, attachment history, and emotional regulation profiling, often using clinical supervision or therapeutic assessment tools. |
| Intervention Methods | Centred on structured routines, behaviour modification strategies, reward systems, and crisis planning | Integrates therapeutic models such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP), or play/art therapy—led by trained therapists or psychologists. |
| Professionals Involved | Registered managers, care staff, SEN and education professionals, behaviour support workers. | Multidisciplinary team: therapists, psychologists, counsellors, social workers, and trained childcare practitioners |
| Tone and Language of the Plan | Directive and behaviour-focused, outlining measurable behavioural outcomes (e.g., reduction of aggression, improved classroom behaviour). | Reflective and therapeutic, focusing on emotional development, safety, attachment repair, and self-regulation goals |
| Child’s Role in Planning | Child input centres on rule-making, daily goals, and positive behaviour contributions. | Child participation focuses on reflecting feelings, setting therapeutic goals, and understanding triggers through guided sessions |
| Outcome Measures | Reduction in behavioural incidents, improved school attendance, foster placement readiness | Emotional stability, improved mental health and resilience, positive attachment formation, readiness for less intensive placements |
Key practice implications
- EBD homes often operate under a behavioural model aligned with social learning theory, aiming to help young people manage disruptive or risky behaviours and stabilise before moving to a family placement or independent living.
- Therapeutic homes, in contrast, create a clinical or trauma-informed environment, using therapeutic frameworks to enable children to process trauma and rebuild trust and self-regulation capacity.
- Ofsted guidance emphasises that care plans in both models must be personalised and aligned with each child’s wider relevant plans (care plan, EHCP, pathway plan), but therapeutic settings are required to demonstrate how therapy and therapeutic relationships form part of everyday care practice.
Conclusion on how care plans differ in Emotional Behavioural Difficulties EBD versus therapeutic homes
In conclusion, EBD care plans focus on controlling behaviour and promoting functional routines, while therapeutic care plans focus on healing, attachment and psychological well-being. Many modern services blend both approaches, creating an integrated care plan where behavioural regulation supports long-term therapeutic recovery.
By: Godfrey Mushandu /LinkedIn
