Glenys Bristow

Senior Specialist, Therapeutic Residential Care

Glenys is our Senior Specialist, Therapeutic Residential Care where she advocates to ensure the needs of young people and residential workers are front and centre of what we do.

Glenys has spent 35 years in therapeutic residential care as a care worker, manager, trainer, and organisational consultant.

In 2003, Glenys was awarded the Robin Clark Award and later the Residential Care Learning & Development Strategy (RCLDS) Leadership Award in Residential Care for demonstrating achievement and innovation having a significant impact on residential care systems and outcomes for children and young people.

Glenys is passionate about providing relevant and up-to-date industry-informed training and caring for the workers who care for the young people. Glenys recently completed her Doctor of Education researching what makes a good residential worker – Artistry Fact or Fiction?

Glenys lives on lands of the Wurrundjeri Woi Wurrung People of the Kulin Nation with her family, and two dogs that can sometimes be heard snoring in the background of online meetings.

Articles written by

Glenys Bristow

A Traumatised Organisation: The system as a client
A Traumatised Organisation: The system as a client
The concept of organisations as living systems is not new. Extensive work, particularly in the area of systems thinking, has brought this perspective into the...
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What you told us about restrictive practices
What you told us about restrictive practices
In July 2023 we asked for your help to better understand how ‘restrictive practices’ were understood and interpreted in therapeutic residential care (TRC) across Australia....
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Q&A with the trainer: Behaviours that challenge
Q&A with the trainer: Behaviours that challenge
One of our most frequent requests at the CETC is for more training on how to respond to the behaviours of young people in out-of-home...
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The most difficult thing about residential care work
The most difficult thing about residential care work
The most difficult aspect of working in residential care is not managing the behavioural challenges of the children and young people, the demanding shifts, or...
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Hard vs soft skills: which are more important in residential care work?
Hard vs soft skills: which are more important in residential care work?
Not everyone is suited to being a therapeutic residential worker. Working in therapeutic care requires special skills and qualities, some that can be taught or...
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How are restrictive practices interpreted in therapeutic residential care?
How are restrictive practices interpreted in therapeutic residential care?
This blog article was written by Glenys Bristow,  Senior Specialist, Therapeutic Residential Care, CETC. Restrictive practice in therapeutic care The Royal Commision into Violence, Abuse...
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Book Review: The Brightness of Stars, Stories from Care Experienced Adults to Inspire Change
Book Review: The Brightness of Stars, Stories from Care Experienced Adults to Inspire Change
Care Home Flickering’s                                                                                                                                                      SearchingFor unconditional love,Away from horrorsOf night time wanderings;Boys and girls lookingfor comfort inall the wrong places.Pushing,Fighting a slow death,One mosaic piece at aTime,...
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Blocked care: ‘You’re not alone; it’s a brain thing.’
Blocked care: ‘You’re not alone; it’s a brain thing.’
“No one knows what it is like to care for a child in trauma until they have cared for a child in trauma,” said Noel...
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Do ‘no touch’ policies in residential care keep workers and children safe? It’s not that simple
Do ‘no touch’ policies in residential care keep workers and children safe? It’s not that simple
Lyn was 16 and had grown up in foster and residential care. Lyn was interviewed about her experience and views about out of home care....
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Changing your practice to being trauma informed in therapeutic residential care
Changing your practice to being trauma informed in therapeutic residential care
Whilst the following Arabian proverb takes a bit to get your head around it leads rather nicely into this blog and our brief introduction on...
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Behaviours that challenge: What has happened to you?
Behaviours that challenge: What has happened to you?
Children and young people living in Therapeutic Residential Care in Australia often present with a range of behaviours that challenge us. The complexity and difficulty...
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Therapeutic residential workers? Who are we?
Therapeutic residential workers? Who are we?
This blog is to introduce my recent research with therapeutic residential workers. Further blogs and practice guides relating to finding, keeping, acknowledging and celebrating the...
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