From Coalface to Facebook ? The Child Care History Network Autumn Conference

"From Coalface to Facebook ? Using new social media and technology to record, remember and share child care experience"
takes place on November 11th, 2010, from 10.30 to 4.00 at the Planned Environment Therapy Trust Conference Centre, Toddington, Gloucestershire GL54 5DQ

• What online communication networks and tools are available for children, child care
  professionals, and former children in care to record and share their experiences? What is
  being used? What is on the horizon?
• Can we, should we, and how can we, embrace the new forms of communication? What is
  gained if we do? What experiences and insights may be lost if we don't?
• Can these new media and technologies be a help for children, child care professionals,
  historians and archivists in remembering, recording, gathering and archiving child care
  experience and history - and if so, how?
• Or, is there a healthy resistance among child care professionals, former children in care and
  others to embrace these new forms of communication, which should be listened to?
• In a world of accelerating dependence on online communication and record keeping, what
  choices do we really have?
• What can we learn from projects and organisations which are already engaging with the new
  media, such as the Birmingham Children's Homes oral history project, the Care Leavers
  Association, or the "Therapeutic Living With Other People's Children" project?
• How can and how will the history, experience and practice of child care be impacted by the
  new online social networks and tools? What are the challenges? What are the opportunities?

These are the issues delegates at the conference will be considering.  Speakers will include, Gudrun Limbrick of the Birmingham Children's Homes Project, Jim Goddard from the Care Leavers Association and the University of Bradford, Simon Hammond from the University of East Anglia, Craig Fees from the Planned Environment Therapy Trust, and Charles Sharpe from goodenoughcaring.
The cost will be £75 for individuals / £90 for organisations, to include lunch, refreshments, and annual CCHN membership fees.
There is comfortable on-site accommodation for those wishing to stay the night of the 10th and/or of the 11th - please contact Joanna Jansen at the Planned Environment Therapy Trust for details,
on 01242 621200 or Trust@pettrust.org.uk.
To book a place at the conference please contact either Maureen or Joanna on 01242 621200 or Trust@pettrust.org.uk.
The Annual General Meeting of the Child Care History Network will take place at 9.30, immediately before the
conference.
For further information, please go to the Child Care History Network site at  www.cchn.org.uk/

Carpe Diem

  An inaugural meeting of the Scottish Residential Child Care (Workers) Association was held in Perth on Monday 24th May 2010. With minimal organisation and advertising the event attracted almost 50 people from across Scotland with an interest in taking forward debate about residential child care.  This was followed up with a second meeting held in West Lothian again at very short notice was very well supported by staff in direct and indirect practice.  The impetus for such an association has grown over recent years, particularly among students on the MSc in Advanced Residential Child Care at the University of Strathclyde/Glasgow.
Residential child care is a complex and demanding field of practice. Yet residential child care workers lack a discrete ‘voice’. Policy decisions fail to reflect their experiences. The absence of a strong voice for residential child care and those who work in it has a negative effect on the status of the discipline. This in turn makes it difficult for residential child care workers to be the strong advocates that they need to be for the children and youth in their care. Membership of the association will be open to all those with an investment in supporting the development of residential child care in Scotland but particularly those in direct practice.
This is an important step towards improving the profile of all residential child care staff and potentially giving them an officially recognised voice. The establishment of the Residential Child Care (Workers) Association represents an important move towards social cohesion and integration. Those in attendance at the West Lothian meeting embraced the need for change and integral to this the development of a ‘voice’ for the profession. Carpe Diem comes to mind as we have never been presented with such an opportunity. In February 2008 Adam Ingram, government minister stated to the Scottish Parliament the commitment to make ‘residential care the first and best placement of choice for all those that need the service’ this government commitment coupled with the developing association present an ideal opportunity to seize the day and raise the status of residential care as a profession. The second meeting held in West Lothian made a commitment to build the association and hold a national launch event.
If any of this strikes a chord, please visit http://www.residentialchildcarenetwork/ and sign up for the group to keep up to date with developments or send an email to Scottishrcc@hotmail.co.uk
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"Research into practice : using the evidence to achieve excellence" a SIRCC seminar on December 3rd, 2010

Jeremy Millar of the Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care has informed us that SIRCC is running a seminar on December 3rd, 2010. The venue has yet to be agreed. The aim of the seminar is to disseminate research into practice and to ensure that information is passed on to the field and to all those who have the opportunity to influence policy and/or implement practice. The focus of the seminar will be research carried out about residential child care, looked after children, and policy and partnership working in areas such as health, mental health and education.
Specific sub-themes of the conference will include
· Trauma and Behaviour
· Specialist and Therapeutic Interventions
· Improving Outcomes
· Social Pedagogy
· Disability
The seminar will be of interest to managers, practitioners, academics, students and policy makers involved with children who are looked after away from home.
Further details are available from : sirccevents@strath.ac.uk  or telephone 0141 950 3572
                                       

Exploring a role for new technologies in life story work with adolescents in residential child care

Readers will be aware of the writing of Simon Hammond from his articles for the goodenoughcaring Journal about residential child care workers who were themselves in care as children and also about the use of new technology in residential child care and in particular its potential it offers for  life story work. You can keep up to date with Simon’s University of East Anglia doctoral research on his website at
http://www.uea.ac.uk/swp/people/shammond
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A website rich with resources for those interested in child care

We would draw your attention to John Whitwell's website at http://www.johnwhitwell.co.uk/  On his site John makes papers and other materials available which are born out of his work in child care. John has worked in the child care field since he graduated in 1969. The longest period and most formative years of his work was at the Cotswold Community from 1972 – 1999. John has worked with ISP – Integrated Services Programme – since 1999. John's website is now included in our links section on this page.
                     

Where did we go right ? Positive aspects of residential child care

Now available on this site in Writings at http://www.goodenoughcaring.com/WritingsArticle.aspx?cpid=123  is the full text of Charles Sharpe’s presentation Where did we go right ? Positive aspects of residential child care to the Joint National Conference of  the Irish Association of Care Workers, the Registered Managers Association and the Irish Association of Social Care Educators, respectively ASCW, RMA and IASCE  at the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone on February 24th and 25th, 2010

Exploring a role for new technologies in life story work with adolescents in residential care : Simon Hammond’s website

Readers will be aware of the writing of Simon Hammond from his articles for the goodenoughcaring Journal about residential child care workers who were themselves in care as children and also about the use of new technology in residential child care and in particular its potential it offers for  life story work. You can keep up to date with Simon’s University of East Anglia doctoral research on his website at
http://www.uea.ac.uk/swp/people/shammond

Conference : Using high quality residential care to meet the real needs of children: from theory to practice

On Monday October 4th, 2010, in collaboration with the Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust and National Children’s Bureau Residential Child Care,  the Northern School of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy is holding a one day conference in Leeds which will chaired by Peter Wilson, former director of Young Minds. The conference will offer models of therapeutically-oriented care focused on addressing the emotional needs of children and young people. The day will encourage delegates to address a number of fundamental questions in relation to their own experience.
The conference will address a number of fundamental questions, including:
• how can residential care be better attuned to the social and emotional needs of the most damaged and troubled young people?
• what are the ‘key ingredients’ of high-quality therapeutic care?
• what practical steps can be implemented to plan for the everyday care of young people?
The speakers include Jonathan Stanley, John Whitwell, Sue Kegerreis, John Diamond, Stuart Hannah and Adrian Ward.
The venue is the Northern School of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, Bevan House, 34-36 Springwell Road, Leeds, LS12 1AW
Fee: £85
To receive the Leeds conference flyer and booking form email  goodenoughcaring@dsl.pipex.com

Conference : Using high quality residential care to meet the real needs of children: from theory to practice

On Monday October 4th, 2010, in collaboration with the Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust and National Children’s Bureau Residential Child Care,  the Northern School of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy is holding a one day conference in Leeds which will chaired by Peter Wilson, former director of Young Minds. The conference will offer models of therapeutically-oriented care focused on addressing the emotional needs of children and young people. The day will encourage delegates to address a number of fundamental questions in relation to their own experience.
The conference will address a number of fundamental questions, including:
• how can residential care be better attuned to the social and emotional needs of the most damaged and troubled young people?
• what are the ‘key ingredients’ of high-quality therapeutic care?
• what practical steps can be implemented to plan for the everyday care of young people?
The speakers include Jonathan Stanley, John Whitwell, Sue Kegerreis, John Diamond, Stuart Hannah and Adrian Ward.
The venue is the Northern School of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, Bevan House, 34-36 Springwell Road, Leeds, LS12 1AW
Fee: £85
To receive the Leeds conference flyer and booking form email  goodenoughcaring@dsl.pipex.com
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