At Tutum House, every young person arrives with their own story, and Alice’s* journey is one that reflects both the impact of early trauma and the powerful change that can happen through consistency, care, and trust.
Alice joined Tutum House in September 2024 at the age of fourteen, following a series of placement breakdowns and a childhood shaped by neglect, abuse, and instability. When staff first met her, she was living in an emergency placement, she presented as confident, independent, and certain of one thing, she did not need anyone.
In the early days, Alice appeared to settle quickly, but beneath this was a strong need for control, she often took on an adult role within the home, struggled to accept nurture, and at times went missing, placing herself in unsafe situations. She formed clear preferences for certain staff and would test boundaries, trying to understand who she could trust.
The team at Tutum House responded with patience and consistency, boundaries were clear, but so was the care. Staff remained emotionally available, offering Alice something she had rarely experienced before, reliability without conditions.
Gradually, this began to make a difference and over the following months, there was a noticeable reduction in missing episodes, and when challenges did arise, patterns became clearer. Alice began to show a growing ability to recognise her triggers and, importantly, started to accept support during difficult moments rather than pushing it away.
One of the most significant milestones in Alice’s journey was her reengagement with education, having been out of school for several years, returning to learning was a huge step, with encouragement and structure, she began attending regularly, building confidence and taking pride in her progress.
As time went on, staff began to notice a softer side of Alice emerging, around six months into her placement, she started to reconnect with her “inner child.” She engaged in creative activities, allowed herself to be playful, and began to accept comfort from the adults around her, this shift was a powerful sign that she was beginning to feel safe.
Alice also developed meaningful relationships within the home, she built trust with staff, engaging more openly in conversations and key work sessions, and formed a positive peer relationship, enjoying shared activities and laughter. While she still faced challenges, particularly around friendships outside the home, she increasingly chose to talk through these experiences rather than resorting to harmful behaviours.
Alice began to focus more on her independence, she already had strong practical skills, but she was now learning how to balance these with emotional awareness and self care.
After turning sixteen, conversations about semi independence began, initially, Alice was hesitant, expressing a desire to remain in a place where she felt safe and supported. During this time, she experienced a significant incident involving an assault on a staff member, however, in a marked change from the past, she took responsibility for her actions and reengaged with the Youth Offending Team, demonstrating growing maturity and accountability.
By early 2026, Alice began to look ahead with greater clarity, she expressed a wish to return to her home county to be closer to her family and her boyfriend, she also began sitting her foundation level exams, showing commitment to her education and her future.
Alice’s wishes came true and she secured a semi independent placement, marking an important step toward independence. By March, she continued to make progress across all areas of her life, demonstrating increased emotional regulation, stronger relationships, and a clearer sense of direction.
Alice’s time at Tutum House, spanning sixteen months has been her longest and most stable placement, during this period, she has made remarkable progress, from reducing high risk behaviours to building trust, re engaging with education, and reconnecting with herself.
Her journey has not been without challenges, but her resilience, honesty, and willingness to grow have been at the heart of her progress.
The team at Tutum House are incredibly proud of Alice and all she has achieved, as she moves forward into the next chapter of her life, she does so with greater confidence, stronger relationships, and the belief that her future can be different.
