SPARK Care Framework
The SPARK Care™ Framework is the UK’s first Neuro-Smart, Trauma-Informed Care model designed from lived experience.
It’s a practical, step-by-step framework that finally bridges the gap between relational care (like PACE) and the practical structure needed for neurodiverse children.
It gives your team a shared language and a predictable 6-step routine for every single interaction. This is how you stop firefighting and start improving consistency and predictability in care, build staff confidence and get the measurable improvement in care outcomes that Ofsted demands.
▷ Key Takeaways
- The UK's Only Neuro-Smart Framework: SPARK is the only UK model built to merge trauma-informed principles with the specific brain-based needs of children with ADHD, Autism, PDA and FASD.
- A 6-Step Practical Tool: It's not just theory. SPARK gives your staff 6 simple, repeatable steps (S²-S-P-A-R-K) for every interaction.
- Builds Self-Esteem, Not Just Compliance: SPARK isn't behaviour management; it's a framework for building the Six Pillars of Self-Esteem in children.
- Creates Ofsted Evidence: The framework provides a clear, auditable system for structured supervision and leadership models, giving you the evidence you need for your 'Well-Led' and 'Safe' inspections.
▷ What Is the SPARK Care Framework?
At its heart, SPARK is a 6-step daily practice model. It's an easy-to-remember acronym that gives your staff a "how-to" guide for every interaction, from the calm moments to the challenging ones.
It stands for:
- S²: Safety & Scan: Pause. Notice body, mood and environment.
- S: Safety & Downshift: Calm your voice and body first. Secure safety before you correct.
- P: Predict & Preload: Warn before change. Make life predictable to lower anxiety.
- A: Adjust & Choice: Shrink the demand. Offer two real, small options to restore control.
- R: Regulate & Model: Co-regulate. Let them borrow your calm. Your nervous system is the anchor.
- K: Kindness & Repair: Always return after a rupture. Restore dignity and connection, every time.
This simple, shared language is the engine for embedding trauma-informed routines across all your shifts.
▷ The "Neuro-Smart" Difference: Why SPARK Works
You've seen the gap. Traditional trauma models are great, but they often assume a neurotypical brain. They fail when a child's brain can't regulate or "talk it out" in the way the model expects.
SPARK is different. It's "Neuro-Smart."
It's built by our founder, Ash, based on her more than 5 years of frontline experience and her personal, lived experience as a neurodivergent person who grew up in care.
It reframes behaviour from "won't" to "can't right now." It gives your staff practical tools to support sensory, executive function and processing needs first which is the only way to make trauma-informed care stick.
▷ How SPARK Improves Outcomes: Beyond Behaviour
SPARK is not a "behaviour management tool." It's a "self-esteem building framework."
This is the magic. Every SPARK step you take is designed to build one of the Six Pillars of Self-Esteem in a child. These pillars are Safety, Belonging, Voice, Responsibility, Self-Acceptance, and Integrity.
How it works:
- When you use A - Adjust & Choice, you're not just avoiding a meltdown; you're building the pillar of Voice and Responsibility.
- When you use K - Kindness & Repair after a crisis, you're not just moving on; you're rebuilding the pillars of Belonging and Integrity.
This "Overlay" model turns your team's daily, micro-interactions into a powerful, measurable engine for psychological growth.
▷ Supervision, Leadership and Measurable Improvement
For Registered Managers and Deputies, this is how you build a confident, stable team and satisfy inspectors.
- Reduces Staff Turnover: SPARK provides clarity. That clarity builds staff confidence. Confident staff who feel effective and supported don't burn out and leave. This is how you start reducing turnover through structured development.
- Creates Structured Supervision: The framework includes tools like the Staff Mirror and SPARK Quick-Fire Questions. Your supervision becomes practical, reflective and consistent, focusing on embedding skills, not just ticking a box.
- Delivers Ofsted-Ready Evidence: SPARK is a complete, auditable system. With our Fidelity Tools and Quarterly Audits (part of our pilot), you can prove to inspectors that your leadership is strong, your practice is consistent, and your care is genuinely trauma-informed.
▷ How to Implement the SPARK Care Framework
SPARK isn't just a training day; it's a full culture-change programme. The best way to implement it is through our 6-Month Founding Partner Pilot Programme.
This is an exclusive, high-support partnership where we work with you to embed SPARK, create personalised care plans and co-create a final Ofsted-Aligned Evaluation Report to prove your success.
▷ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is the SPARK Care Framework?
A: It’s an evidence-based, Neuro-Smart model for embedding trauma-informed care in the UK. It uses 6 practical steps (S²-S-P-A-R-K) to create predictable, consistent environments and improve supervision.
Q: Who is it for?
A: It's designed for Registered Managers, Deputies and all staff in residential care who want to improve outcomes, reduce staff turnover and build a genuinely consistent, trauma-informed culture.
Q: How does it work?
A: It works by giving staff a shared, repeatable 6-step process for every interaction. This practice is aligned with building the Six Pillars of Self-Esteem in children, turning daily care into measurable psychological growth.
Q: What makes it measurable?
A: The framework includes built-in fidelity tools, staff reflection guides and (in our pilot programme) quarterly audits and a final evaluation report to track improvement over time.
Q: Is SPARK recognised by regulators?
A: Whilst not currently "recognised", the framework and its principles align directly with Ofsted for a 'Well-Led', 'Safe' and 'Effective' service, providing clear evidence of a high-quality, reflective culture.
