Patricia Sheridan's remarkable journey from critical observer to pioneering founder reveals how one person's vision can transform an entire field. When she established Moore House School in 1988, Mrs Sheridan was swimming against the tide of conventional childcare practices in Scotland, where controlling children took precedence over nurturing their potential.
What began as a small residential school has blossomed into the Moore House Group – encompassing residential education, foster care services, and specialized support for neurodiverse children. Throughout this evolution, Mrs Sheridan maintained an unwavering commitment to a revolutionary principle: every child deserves to be surrounded by adults who genuinely believe in their capabilities and potential.
The conversation explores how Mrs Sheridan cultivated an organizational culture where everyone – from teachers to care staff to foster carers – receives consistent training in attachment theory and trauma-informed approaches. This creates what she lovingly calls the "Moore House family," a community united by shared values and language. Particularly moving is her description of care staff learning alongside children, demonstrating that vulnerability and growth are lifelong pursuits for everyone.
Mrs Sheridan's reflections on Scotland's childcare landscape reveal how far the field has come. The language of love, relationships, and potential that once made her an outlier has become mainstream, reflected in national initiatives like "The Promise." While challenges remain, particularly in shifting from damage control to prevention, her optimism is contagious.
Most powerfully, Mrs Sheridan dismantles the myth that traumatized children are inherently difficult to connect with. "Relationships are the vehicle to all healing," she asserts, sharing how creating environments where children feel worthy and capable transforms "impossible" into "I'm possible." Her story proves that institutional change begins with belief – in children's potential and in our own capacity to create more humane systems of care.
Patricia’s Bio
Mrs Sheridan established Moore House School in 1988. Her drive was to create a service with her personal mantras “Determined to Deliver Excellence” and “I’m Possible” for young people.
Mrs Sheridan leads the Board of Directors and continues to have a hands-on approach using a range of experiences and techniques to engage with young people to elicit their views on the service they are receiving.
Her passion is for young people to be supported by adults who believe in their potential and adults who share the organisational values of respect, integrity and dignity for all.
Mrs Sheridan reminds us that we are responsible for creating trusting relationships and happy memories for our young people. She strives to ensure that our young people experience as many creative, happy, nurturing memories as possible.
Mrs Sheridan continues to strive for excellence and ensures that her passion for high quality services is cascaded throughout the organisation to encourage each and every team member to recognise the important part they play in the wellbeing and progress that our young people experience.
Disclaimer
Information reported by guests of this podcast is assumed to be accurate as stated. Podcast owner Colby Pearce is not responsible for any error of facts presented by podcast guests. In addition, unless otherwise specified, opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not reflect those of the podcast owner, Colby Pearce.
