The Mulberry Bush Charity

What The Mulberry Bush Charity does

The Mulberry Bush Charity (Registered Charity 309565) is a UK therapeutic child-care organisation founded in 1948 by Barbara Dockar-Drysdale and Stephen Drysdale, headquartered in Standlake, Oxfordshire, with 101–250 employees. Its core service is The Mulberry Bush School, a residential primary school for children traumatised by abuse, neglect and early-life loss, where 68% of pupils have experienced neglect and 52% have witnessed significant violence. The charity's underlying technology is a proprietary therapeutic methodology combining psychodynamic theory, reflective supervision (Tony Morrison's four-function model), and Dockar-Drysdale's 'Provision of Primary Experience' framework, packaged into the Emotional and Social Curriculum (with 126 activity cards and the SEA Scale assessment tool) sold to schools in Bronze/Silver/Gold tiers.

The organisation generates revenue through four principal streams: (1) donations and fundraising (individual giving, corporate donations, trust and foundation grants, legacies, Gift Aid, JustGiving/Blackbaud/PayPal online channels); (2) paid training and accredited qualifications including a UWE Bristol-validated Foundation Degree, APPCIOS/Crossfields Institute Level 4 Certificate, TCEPT (£2,000), LLE (£630), SEMH and de-escalation courses (£480/session), and Nurture Network membership (£170/school); (3) the Mulberry Bush Business Club corporate membership programme with tiers from £500 to £5,000+ per year; and (4) bespoke organisational development and executive coaching via the Consulting arm. Customer segments span mainstream and specialist schools (150+ curriculum customers), local authorities (8 in Peer Review Networks), NHS/health, social care, criminal justice, and corporate ESG partners. The charity holds accreditations from Ofsted, UWE Bristol, APPCIOS, Crossfields Institute, RCPsych (Enabling Environments Award co-founder), the Fundraising Regulator, and CPD bodies. As of 2025 the Board has announced the permanent closure of the Mulberry Bush Third Space (MB3) training venue in Gloucestershire effective 31 May 2026 due to unsustainable operating costs, while continuing to grow the curriculum, online training and consulting lines.

Name

The Mulberry Bush Charity

Legal name

The Mulberry Bush Organisation Ltd

Website

https://mulberrybush.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Mulberry Bush Charity is a UK therapeutic child-care organisation founded in 1948 that runs a residential primary school for traumatised children in Oxfordshire and sells proprietary trauma-informed training, curriculum products and consulting services to schools, local authorities and healthcare organisations across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Therapeutic Care Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trauma-Informed Care & Crisis Response (School-Based) (EDAKAMAF), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Therapeutic child care
• Trauma-informed education
• Residential special education
• Children's therapeutic services
• Professional training programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, corporate donations, trust and foundation grants, legacies and wills. Includes Gift Aid scheme where they reclaim 25% tax on UK donations. Payroll giving options available.
2. Business Club Membership: Corporate membership program with four tiers (Bronze £500-£1,500, Silver £1,500-£3,000, Gold £3,000-£5,000, Platinum £5,000+) providing logos, visits, training sessions, workshops, and event access.
3. Training Courses: Fees from training programs including Transitions (£480), Emotion Coaching, SEMH Introduction (£480 per session), De-escalation (£480), Nurture Network (£170 per school), Level 4 Certificate, Foundation Degree, TCEPT (£2,000), Living Learning Experience (£630), and Reflective Supervision.
4. Consultancy Services: Bespoke organisational development, executive coaching, therapeutic service development, and effective teamwork consultancy for education, social care, health, and criminal justice sectors.
5. Curriculum Products: Sale of Emotional and Social Curriculum packages: Bronze (£530), Silver (£745), Gold (£1,325) with varying levels of materials, training, and supervision sessions included.
6. Third Space Services (Closing 2026): Venue hire and residential training at MB3 site, including Planned Environment Therapy Archives access. Site closing 31 May 2026 due to unsustainable costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Mulberry Bush Charity operates a specialist residential therapeutic primary school for traumatised children and delivers outreach, consultancy, research and accredited training to schools, social care, health and criminal justice organisations. Its portfolio includes the Foundation Degree in Therapeutic Work, Level 4 Certificate in Therapeutic Childcare, the Emotional and Social Curriculum for Schools, TCEPT, Living Learning Experience and corporate Business Club membership. Revenue is generated through donations, training fees, consultancy and corporate partnerships.

Product overview

The Mulberry Bush is a charitable organisation offering a portfolio of therapeutic services, educational programmes, and professional training. The core offerings include The Mulberry Bush School (a specialist residential primary school in Standlake, Oxfordshire), Mulberry Bush Outreach (training and consultation services), Mulberry Bush Consulting (bespoke organisational consultancy), Research initiatives, and Third Space MB3 (a national centre for reflective practice, closing May 2026). The product portfolio extends to training courses including the Foundation Degree (FdA) in Therapeutic Work with Children and Young People (validated by UWE Bristol), the Crossfields Institute Level 4 Certificate in Therapeutic Childcare, the Therapeutic Environments Practitioner Course (TCEPT), Living Learning Experience (LLE), and specialist training programmes covering SEMH, de-escalation, emotion coaching, reflective supervision, transitions, nurture networks, peer review, and observation forums. The Emotional and Social Curriculum for Schools is available in Bronze, Silver, and Gold packages. The Mulberry Bush Business Club offers corporate membership tiers for partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Mulberry Bush School Specialist residential primary school in Standlake, Oxfordshire providing therapeutic care and education for children who have experienced abuse, neglect and early life trauma. Places are typically commissioned by local authorities.
• Mulberry Bush Outreach Training, consultation and support services delivered to schools, care services, and organisations working with vulnerable children, their families and communities.
• Mulberry Bush Consulting Bespoke organisational development, executive coaching, effective teamwork support and therapeutic service development for education, social care, health and criminal justice organisations.
• Research Services Research initiatives in therapeutic residential and foster care, including the SEA Scale assessment tool, the International Centre for Therapeutic Care, and the Planned Environment Therapy Archives.
• Mulberry Bush Third Space (MB3) National Centre for Reflective Practice in Toddington, Gloucestershire offering residential training, venue hire and access to the Planned Environment Therapy Archives and Special Collections. Site closing 31 May 2026.
• Foundation Degree (FdA) in Therapeutic Work with Children and Young People Two-year foundation degree validated by UWE Bristol covering trauma-informed practice, child development and therapeutic relationships. Work-based learning requiring 16+ hours weekly work with children. Next intake September 2026.
• Level 4 Certificate in Therapeutic Childcare One-year accredited programme by APPCIOS and Crossfields Institute for practitioners working with children who have experienced early life trauma. Available in-person and online with residential component. CYPNow 2024 Finalist.
• Therapeutic Environments Practitioner Course (TCEPT) Course for practitioners in NHS, Criminal Justice, Education and Care sectors. Flexible completion in 1-3 years with guided reading, monthly supervision and 3 residential workshops. Course fees £2,000.
• Living Learning Experience (LLE) Three-day intensive residential experiential learning at the Wilderness Centre, Gloucestershire. Explores group process, reflective practice and therapeutic environments. £630 per person including accommodation and meals.
• Emotional and Social Curriculum for Schools Curriculum package supporting children to develop five core competencies: self awareness, self management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making. Available in Bronze (£530), Silver (£745) and Gold (£1,325) packages with varying materials, training and supervision.
• Training in Emotion Coaching Evidence-based three-session online course helping children understand and manage emotions. Next course starts 24 September 2026. Bespoke in-person options available.
• Introduction to SEMH Training Three-session CPD-accredited training covering making sense of behaviour, attachment-informed practice and brain development and trauma. £480 per half-day session or £1,350 for all three sessions.
• De-escalation Training 2.5-hour in-person CPD-accredited training empowering staff with practical de-escalation tools and strategies. £480 up to 30 delegates; £50 per person for open courses.
• Reflective Supervision Training Two-day residential course accredited by APPCIOS for developing reflective supervision skills, based on Tony Morrison's four-function model (Management, Development, Support, Mediation). Includes first annual refresher after twelve months.
• Transitions Training Training programme for professionals working with children on preparing children for change. Includes access to a transition tool. £480 for up to 30 staff (in-person) or £50 per person for open online courses.
• Nurture Network Termly online network for school staff developing nurturing practices. Includes CPD input, peer learning and reflective practice. £170 per school per term including 2 TA online sessions.
• Peer Review Networks Reflective self-evaluation process where schools receive visits from colleagues acting as 'critical professional friends'. Operates across local authority areas.
• SENCO and Teaching Assistant Network Network meeting six times per year for SENCOs and Teaching Assistants to share best practice and contribute to professional development. Held at St Mary's Convent Wantage and Orchard Meadows Primary School Oxford.
• Observation and Reflective Forum Model Support service for schools struggling with individual children displaying challenging behaviour. Includes observation, reflective forum and development of consistent school-wide approaches using a 'six stages of crisis' structure.
• Reflective Supervision Services Reflective supervision services based on the model developed by Tony Morrison with four key functions: Management, Development, Support, and Mediation. Available as bespoke training for organisations.
• Mulberry Bush Business Club Corporate membership program with four tiers: Bronze (£500-£1,500), Silver (£1,500-£3,000), Gold (£3,000-£5,000) and Platinum (£5,000+) providing logos, school visits, training sessions, workshops, networking events and consultancy team support.
• Online Training Videos Online training video content making the Mulberry Bush therapeutic approach accessible to professionals across the UK. First launched in 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150 schools now using the Emotional and Social Curriculum
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• UWE BristolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of the West of England validates and awards the Foundation Degree (FdA) in Therapeutic Work with Children and Young People. This partnership provides academic accreditation and degree conferral for the only course of its type in the UK delivered by a therapeutic care organisation.
• Crossfields InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrossfields Institute provides accreditation for the Level 4 Certificate in Therapeutic Childcare, mapping against mandatory Level 3 Diploma requirements. Course was developed and piloted with a Local Authority team.
• APPCIOScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPPCIOS (Association of Professionals in Community and Intensive Services) provides accreditation for Reflective Supervision Training and Level 4 Certificate. Successful completion allows joining The Mulberry Bush network of supervisors.
• Wilderness CentreminorOthersVenue partnership for Living Learning Experience (LLE) residential training programs. Three-day intensive experiential learning takes place at the Wilderness Centre in Gloucestershire.
• Royal College of PsychiatristsmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerSarah Paget, Head of Mulberry Bush Consulting, is co-founder of the Enabling Environments Award at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The LLE program helps meet RCPsych Community of Communities standards.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Place2Be: UK children's mental health charity providing school-based counselling, training, and mental health support for pupils and staff. Highly comparable to Mulberry Bush's outreach, training, and school-based curriculum model, serving similar local authority and academy customer segments.
• Anna Freud Centre: Leading UK children's mental health charity delivering training, research, and clinical services, including Schools Wellbeing Partnership. Closely comparable on training/consulting revenue model, research output, and policy influence in children's mental health.
• YoungMinds: UK charity focused on children and young people's mental health, delivering training for professionals, parent support, and policy advocacy. Overlapping target segments (parents, schools, local authorities) and similar training/consulting revenue streams.
• Key Assets Fostering: UK and international therapeutic fostering and residential children's services provider. Comparable on therapeutic residential care model and training for foster carers/children's services staff.

Broad incumbents

• NSPCC: Large UK children's charity providing training (e.g., Safeguarding), consultancy, and direct services. Broader scope than Mulberry Bush but overlapping on professional training, schools/council contracts, and trauma-informed practice delivery.
• Action for Children: UK children's services charity operating residential care, fostering, and local authority services. Comparable on residential child care and local authority training, though much larger and with broader service portfolio.
• Barnardo's: UK's largest children's charity providing residential care, fostering, training, and advocacy. Overlapping on residential therapeutic care, training delivery, and government contract relationships with local authorities.

Emerging players

• National Autistic Society: UK charity providing training, schools services, and adult programmes for autistic individuals. Similar tiered membership, training course pricing, and accredited programmes for schools and professionals working with neurodivergent children.
• National Children's Bureau: UK charity providing training, consultancy, and policy work on children's services. Comparable consultancy/training offering for education and care sectors, though more policy/research-focused than residential care.
• Winston's Wish: UK charity supporting bereaved children through training, resources, and direct services. Comparable on training for professionals, therapeutic support for vulnerable children, and similar donation/fundraising mix.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mulberrybushcharity

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Mulberry Bush Charity