Article by Kibble Service Manager, Lola Devine
When I found out I had the opportunity to attend the CYC-Net Conference in Newfoundland, I felt incredibly honoured and excited. It’s not every day you’re given the chance to represent your organisation at an international conference, and I was grateful for the opportunity to learn, share ideas and bring those experiences back to Kibble.
I then pictured the usual conference experience: long days, uncomfortable chairs, networking with strangers and feeling a little out of place.
Although some of that was true; what I wasn’t expecting was meeting some of the biggest names in Child and Youth Care, getting to see whales in their natural habitat, being ‘Screeched In’ as an honorary Newfoundlander in a ritualistic ceremony (apparently following in Anthony Bourdain’s footsteps), and returning to Scotland with Kibble having been recognised with an international award for Outstanding Contribution. Not bad for a week’s work.
An Island Brimming with Character
Newfoundland has a personality all of its own.
The colourful houses, coastal scenery and genuinely welcoming people make it unlike anywhere else I’ve visited. Despite being thousands of miles from home, there was something oddly Scottish about it all.
Maybe it was the history. Maybe it was the humour. Maybe it was the weather (although we were lucky!).
Whatever it was, it never felt far from home.
One of my favourite memories was heading out whale watching with my colleague, Donna, in our spare time. The conference spoke of relationships and connection, and this experience was a powerful extension of the conversation – a reminder to slow down and connect with people, places and nature. Seeing magnificent humpback whales surface a few metres from the boat was an experience I’ll never forget,
Then there was the Screech-In ceremony. For those unfamiliar with Newfoundland tradition, it involves a local ceremony, sampling the region’s famous tipple, kissing a cod fish and becoming an honorary Newfoundlander! Anthony Bourdain famously took part in this ritual during his visit, so naturally I felt I was keeping excellent company.
Safe to say the crowd loved it. The cod, however, looked rather less enthusiastic.
The Importance of Everyday Moments
Of course, the conference itself was the reason we were there.
One thing became obvious very quickly.
Whether you’re working in Canada, Scotland or elsewhere, we’re all wrestling with many of the same questions.
How do we retain great staff?
How do we build relationships that genuinely heal?
How do we lead well when services are under increasing pressure?
And how do we continue putting children at the centre when systems don’t always make that easy?
Several sessions really resonated with me because they reflected conversations that we’re already having at Kibble.
The discussion around healing relationships reinforced something we know well – that relationships aren’t a small piece of the intervention; they are the intervention. As residential practitioners, we spend thousands of ordinary moments alongside young people, and it’s often those everyday interactions that make the greatest difference.
A session exploring relational supervision and leadership particularly stood out. It challenged leaders to think less about managing tasks and more about creating environments where staff feel connected, supported and able to do emotionally demanding work. Anyone working in residential care knows that if we want young people to experience safe relationships, our staff need to experience them too.
There was also a strong emphasis on developing relational practitioners through supervision, something that aligns closely with Kibble’s commitment to reflective practice and continuous learning. It was reassuring to see that the conversations we’re having in Scotland are also taking place internationally.
It wasn’t about discovering revolutionary ideas. It was about realising that good practice looks remarkably similar wherever you go.
Proud to Be Part of the Conversation
One of the highlights of the trip was spending time with Martin Stabrey, Chief Operating Officer at CYC-Net – a global online community and knowledge-sharing platform dedicated to advancing the field of child and youth care
Martin spoke incredibly highly of Kibble and of Scotland’s ongoing support for CYC-Net. It was a genuinely proud moment – not just personally, but professionally – to hear such positive recognition for the organisation and the contribution Kibble continues to make to the wider Child and Youth Care community.
Sometimes you don’t realise how highly your organisation is regarded until someone from the other side of the world tells you.
Our Voice Carries
As if the week hadn’t already been memorable enough, it finished with Kibble receiving recognition from CYC-Net for outstanding contribution.
Awards are always nice. But this one felt different.
It recognised years of commitment to developing Child and Youth Care – not just within Kibble, but through sharing practice internationally, supporting learning and contributing to a profession that benefits when organisations work together rather than in competition.
Standing there, representing Scotland on an international stage, was a reminder that although we’re a relatively small country, our voice carries.
Bringing It Home
The biggest thing I brought back wasn’t a notebook full of ideas, but a lot of reassurance that the work happening at Kibble stands comfortably alongside some of the best Child and Youth Care organisations in the world.
That our focus on relationships, reflective practice and trauma-informed care isn’t just something we talk about internally – it’s recognised internationally as good practice.
I’m so grateful to Kibble for this opportunity, and have come home with new connections, a slightly expanded waistline (thanks to Newfoundland hospitality), and a healthy respect for just how small the Child and Youth Care world really is.