We are very excited about the variety of articles we have been able to assemble for this issue and we hope that you will find much to interest you in issue Number 8 of the goodenoughcaring Journal which is published online at http://www.goodenoughcaring.com/JournalIndex.aspx
In the fare provided, the young Londoner Alexander Nicolaou speaks about what becoming an award winning documentary film maker has meant to him. German social worker Harald Stoelting gives us his thoughts on becoming a residential child care worker in the United Kingdom. The author Hilary Mantel recalls her experience of being a social worker. Kevin Lalor and Rosaleen McElvaney of the Dublin Institute of Technology write about the nature and prevalence of child sexual abuse with reference to a new campaign by the Council of Europe to eliminate child abuse. Cynthia Cross thinks about the kind of children who might be helped by a therapeutic residential child care experience. Ariola Vishnja Zjarri talks about transference and counter-transference in her work with young people. Sheila Wilson, a residential child care worker in the south east of England discusses the critical significance of inter-disciplinary communication in child care work. Max Smart, the manager of a home for young people in Scotland writes about generosity in residential child care. John Stein asks if residential child care is really necessary. In an interview with Charles Sharpe, John Cross, the Executive Director of the Planned Environment Therapy Trust explores, among many other things, the troubled child’s need for a good enough fundamental experience, and gives thought to the kind of worker and the kind of environment needed to provide this. There are book reviews from Noel Howard and Mark Smith.
(First posted online on December 15th, 2010 on the goodenoughcaring website home page at http://www.goodenoughcaring.com/ ).
Thursday 23 December 2010
Monday 20 December 2010
Rumblings in the Hallways
Kathleen Mulvey writes
Rumblings in the hallways, debates in the classroom, chats and cuppas in units, homes and schools across the country 2010 saw the dawn of The Scottish Residential Childcare Workers Association (SRCCWA)
You might have heard or read about the inaugural meeting in Perth in May and your interest may have been peaked enough to consider attending the follow up meeting in Livingston in September. However are you yet to take the plunge because you’re still not sure if it’s for you, or what exactly it’s all about? Or maybe you’ve been following us on facebook, twitter, http://www.residentialchildcarenetwork.com/ or http://www.goodenoughcaring.com/ and just want to know more. That’s why we were grateful for this opportunity to share the more personal motivation of a one of our members who is eager to seize the day!
Neil Gray is a residential childcare practitioner for West Lothian Council.
Neil, What made you decide to attend a meeting of the SRCCWA?
I attended the inaugural meeting in Perth out of frustration at the lack of representation for residential practitioners and out of hope that things could be different. At that very first meeting I listened anxiously to Laura Steckley, Mark Smith and fellow practitioners from around Scotland and they all struck a chord with me in their initial address. It feels like the time is right for all residential practitioners to be at the forefront of any change in how we develop, train and go forward.
What do you want from the association?
The formation of the SRCCWA will give us strength in numbers, increased visibility, professional identity and status. What is our identity in 2010? Who will decide if we don’t? We need to frame our own experience and let this be the flag that flies high. I want an Association we can be proud of, take ownership of. One, which allows us to build trust and relationships with everyone who cares about our young people.
In what way do you think the association can achieve this?
We need a voice, a strong voice that is recognized as being representative of a professional workforce and is in constant contact with ministers, government departments and other influential bodies. I want to be part of an Association that is committed to keeping members in touch with what affects them and is at the forefront of residential childcare development.
I understand and recognize this is a challenging and exciting venture. Every journey begins with a single step. I believe Perth was that first step and I know we have some way to go towards full recognition, but together we will have the support and confidence for the journey to make positive changes. I believe it will be the combination of direct and indirect practitioners working in partnership through the association that will achieve this. We need to hear all those voices and rally collectively. This is a workers’ association but no man is an island; we value those practitioners no longer in direct work that are out there supporting the workforce through training, education etc. I know this probably makes people think that the scope of membership is really broad. I guess at this stage it’s about recognizing that, because of the need for increased training and education many of our colleagues have moved away from direct work but anyone who has worked in residential childcare knows that you might take the person out of ressie but you can’t take the ressie out of the person.
So on that lighthearted note I will say that I hope the association will boldly go where no one has gone before.
The SRCCWA will publish a newsletter in December which will be available on-line and in hard copy across the country this will let you all know plans for the coming year, in the meantime you can keep up to date through facebook, twitter and http://www.residentialchildcarenetwork/. Also keep an eye out for the new SIRCC website which will include a link to our electronic sign up for members. This will be the official way to join the association and get your membership number and allow the association to keep in direct contact with you.
Rumblings in the hallways, debates in the classroom, chats and cuppas in units, homes and schools across the country 2010 saw the dawn of The Scottish Residential Childcare Workers Association (SRCCWA)
You might have heard or read about the inaugural meeting in Perth in May and your interest may have been peaked enough to consider attending the follow up meeting in Livingston in September. However are you yet to take the plunge because you’re still not sure if it’s for you, or what exactly it’s all about? Or maybe you’ve been following us on facebook, twitter, http://www.residentialchildcarenetwork.com/ or http://www.goodenoughcaring.com/ and just want to know more. That’s why we were grateful for this opportunity to share the more personal motivation of a one of our members who is eager to seize the day!
Neil Gray is a residential childcare practitioner for West Lothian Council.
Neil, What made you decide to attend a meeting of the SRCCWA?
I attended the inaugural meeting in Perth out of frustration at the lack of representation for residential practitioners and out of hope that things could be different. At that very first meeting I listened anxiously to Laura Steckley, Mark Smith and fellow practitioners from around Scotland and they all struck a chord with me in their initial address. It feels like the time is right for all residential practitioners to be at the forefront of any change in how we develop, train and go forward.
What do you want from the association?
The formation of the SRCCWA will give us strength in numbers, increased visibility, professional identity and status. What is our identity in 2010? Who will decide if we don’t? We need to frame our own experience and let this be the flag that flies high. I want an Association we can be proud of, take ownership of. One, which allows us to build trust and relationships with everyone who cares about our young people.
In what way do you think the association can achieve this?
We need a voice, a strong voice that is recognized as being representative of a professional workforce and is in constant contact with ministers, government departments and other influential bodies. I want to be part of an Association that is committed to keeping members in touch with what affects them and is at the forefront of residential childcare development.
I understand and recognize this is a challenging and exciting venture. Every journey begins with a single step. I believe Perth was that first step and I know we have some way to go towards full recognition, but together we will have the support and confidence for the journey to make positive changes. I believe it will be the combination of direct and indirect practitioners working in partnership through the association that will achieve this. We need to hear all those voices and rally collectively. This is a workers’ association but no man is an island; we value those practitioners no longer in direct work that are out there supporting the workforce through training, education etc. I know this probably makes people think that the scope of membership is really broad. I guess at this stage it’s about recognizing that, because of the need for increased training and education many of our colleagues have moved away from direct work but anyone who has worked in residential childcare knows that you might take the person out of ressie but you can’t take the ressie out of the person.
So on that lighthearted note I will say that I hope the association will boldly go where no one has gone before.
The SRCCWA will publish a newsletter in December which will be available on-line and in hard copy across the country this will let you all know plans for the coming year, in the meantime you can keep up to date through facebook, twitter and http://www.residentialchildcarenetwork/. Also keep an eye out for the new SIRCC website which will include a link to our electronic sign up for members. This will be the official way to join the association and get your membership number and allow the association to keep in direct contact with you.
Sunday 5 December 2010
"Research into practice: Using the evidence to achieve excellence" a SIRCC research 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 theme of the event is
Research into Practice, focussing on residential child care, looked-after children and related policy and partnership working in areas such as health, mental health, and education.
The venue is the Merchant's Hall, Edinburgh EH2 2EP.
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.
Speakers include Dr. Jim Goddard and Moyra Hawthorne.
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.
A conference flier with further details is available at http://www.sircc.org.uk/sites/default/files/Research%20Seminar%20Flier.pdf or telephone SIRCC Events on 0141 950 3572
(First posted at http://www.goodenoughcaring.com/ on October 1st, 2010
Research into Practice, focussing on residential child care, looked-after children and related policy and partnership working in areas such as health, mental health, and education.
The venue is the Merchant's Hall, Edinburgh EH2 2EP.
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.
Speakers include Dr. Jim Goddard and Moyra Hawthorne.
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.
A conference flier with further details is available at http://www.sircc.org.uk/sites/default/files/Research%20Seminar%20Flier.pdf or telephone SIRCC Events on 0141 950 3572
(First posted at http://www.goodenoughcaring.com/ on October 1st, 2010
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