UK Patient Care continues to expand its specialist training provision, successfully delivering a newly adapted Search Train the Trainer programme designed specifically for professionals working with young people in secure accommodation.
On Friday 9th October 2026, our team visited Marydale Secure Children’s Home to deliver the programme to seven delegates, marking an important milestone in the development of our specialist search training.
Building on our experience of delivering search training within NHS mental health trusts and other specialist healthcare environments, we have adapted our established programme to reflect the unique needs, vulnerabilities and safeguarding considerations associated with caring for young people in secure settings.
The training received an outstanding response, with 100% of delegates rating the course as “Very Good”.
Adapting Search Training for Young People in Secure Accommodation
Searching within a secure children’s home requires a carefully considered approach that balances safety, safeguarding, dignity and the emotional wellbeing of young people.
Many young people in secure accommodation have experienced significant adversity, trauma or challenging circumstances. As a result, procedures such as searching can be particularly sensitive and may trigger feelings of anxiety, vulnerability or distress.
While searching plays an important role in maintaining a safe environment, it is essential that staff understand not only the practical elements of conducting a search but also the potential impact that the process may have on the young person.
Recognising these challenges, UK Patient Care has developed a bespoke adaptation of our established search training programme, ensuring that the content is relevant to the specific responsibilities of professionals working within secure children’s homes.
The programme places particular emphasis on trauma-informed practice, effective communication, safeguarding and the importance of conducting searches in a lawful, proportionate and respectful manner.
Our approach recognises that searching should never be viewed simply as a security procedure. It is an interaction that must be managed professionally, with careful consideration given to the individual needs, experiences and dignity of every young person.
A Specialist Approach to Safe and Respectful Searching
The adapted programme combines practical search training with a broader understanding of the challenges associated with working with vulnerable young people.
Key areas of focus include:
- Understanding the importance of trauma-informed approaches when searching young people.
- Recognising the potential emotional and psychological impact of searching.
- Maintaining dignity, privacy and respect throughout the search process.
- Using effective communication and de-escalation techniques to reduce anxiety and distress.
- Understanding the importance of lawful, necessary and proportionate searching.
- Developing safe and effective practical search techniques.
- Supporting consistent decision-making, professional accountability and safeguarding responsibilities.
By combining these principles with practical learning, the programme aims to provide staff with the knowledge and confidence to conduct searches safely while maintaining positive and supportive relationships with the young people in their care.
At UK Patient Care, we believe that effective searching is about more than identifying and managing risk. It is about ensuring that safety is achieved through professional, compassionate and respectful practice.
Delivering the Train the Trainer Programme at Marydale
On Friday 9th October, we were pleased to deliver the newly adapted programme to seven delegates at Marydale Secure Children’s Home.
The Train the Trainer format is designed to support organisations in developing their own internal training capability, providing designated trainers with the knowledge, practical skills and understanding required to deliver consistent search training to colleagues.
This approach enables organisations to embed good practice within their teams, helping to ensure that searching procedures are understood and applied consistently across the service.
For secure children’s homes, this is particularly important. Staff must be confident in their responsibilities while remaining sensitive to the needs of the young people they support.
The delivery at Marydale provided an opportunity to introduce our adapted programme within a specialist children’s environment, bringing together our experience of search training with the specific considerations associated with secure accommodation.
Outstanding Feedback from All Seven Delegates
We were delighted with the feedback received following the training, with all seven delegates rating the overall course as “Very Good”, achieving a 100% positive course rating.
When asked to describe the course in just one word, delegates provided feedback including:
- Informative
- Fantastic
- Knowledgeable
- Very Knowledgeable
Receiving such positive feedback is particularly encouraging as we continue to develop specialist training that responds to the needs of different care environments.
The response from delegates at Marydale provides a strong indication that our adapted programme was well received by professionals working within secure children’s services.
For UK Patient Care, this feedback reinforces the importance of delivering training that is not only technically relevant but also recognises the people, environments and responsibilities involved.
We are extremely pleased with the outcome of the day and grateful to the delegates for their engagement and feedback.
Supporting Safer Practice and Positive Relationships
One of the central principles of our search training is that safety and dignity must work together.
Within secure children’s homes, staff have a responsibility to maintain a safe and secure environment while also building positive, trusting relationships with young people.
Searching can be a challenging experience for both staff and the young person involved. The way in which a search is explained, communicated and conducted can have a significant influence on how that interaction is experienced.
A calm, professional and trauma-informed approach can help reduce unnecessary distress, maintain trust and support a more positive environment.
By ensuring that staff understand the importance of proportionality, communication and individual needs, we aim to support searching practices that protect everyone involved without compromising the dignity of the young person.
These principles are fundamental to the values of UK Patient Care and are reflected throughout our specialist training programmes.
Expanding Our Specialist Training into Children’s Services
The successful delivery at Marydale represents an exciting development for UK Patient Care as we continue to expand our training provision into specialist care environments.
Our experience of working alongside NHS mental health trusts and healthcare professionals has provided a strong foundation for developing practical, evidence-informed training that places safety, dignity and compassionate care at its centre.
However, we also recognise that different care settings require different approaches.
Secure children’s homes have their own operational challenges, safeguarding responsibilities and legal frameworks. Training must reflect these differences rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach.
By adapting our established search training specifically for young people in secure accommodation, we aim to support organisations in developing confident, knowledgeable staff who understand the importance of safe, proportionate and trauma-informed practice.
We would like to extend our thanks to everyone at Marydale Secure Children’s Home for welcoming UK Patient Care and for their commitment to developing professional standards in searching.
We look forward to building on this successful delivery and supporting other organisations working with vulnerable young people.
Bespoke Search Training for Your Organisation
UK Patient Care provides specialist Search Training and Search Train the Trainer programmes for NHS mental health trusts, healthcare organisations and secure care environments.
Our programmes can be adapted to reflect the needs of individual services, including secure children’s homes and other settings supporting vulnerable young people.
Whether your organisation is looking to strengthen existing search procedures, develop internal trainers or introduce a more trauma-informed approach, our experienced team can help.
To find out more about our specialist search training programmes or discuss bespoke training for your organisation, please contact UK Patient Care.
Purple People, Exceptional Care.
Contact UK Patient Care
Email: info@ukpatientcare.co.
