Stakeholder Perspectives on Therapeutic and Safe Building Design in Residential Care

ABSTRACT Residential care is a form of out‐of‐home care that plays a critical role in supporting vulnerable young people in Australia. However, there is an evidence gap regarding the built environment in this context. This research aimed to explore the perspectives of key stakeholders in residential care in Victoria, Australia, regarding design that can offer home‐like and therapeutic environments, and safe workplaces. A qualitative research design was used, with semi‐structured interviews ( n = 14) and seven focus groups ( n = 30) conducted with key programme and policy stakeholder groups. All data were audio‐recorded, transcribed verbatim with pseudonyms applied at that time, and analysed using thematic analysis. Ten themes were identified from the data, focused on the importance of home‐like and therapeutic environments, and the provision of a safe workplace. Residential care design was found to influence experiences of safety, comfort and therapeutic intent, with stakeholders emphasising the importance of personalisation, maintenance, occupancy levels and visibility in shaping these outcomes. Together the findings reveal significant opportunities to transform residential care environments through targeted design solutions and systematic redesign across regulatory and operational frameworks.