Ideas

In 2014 Iriss put a call out for groups of workers and young people who wanted to attend the Relationships Matter Jam^[1] and develop ideas that challenge barriers which prevent the continuation of relationships with young people as they leave care. Five of the teams that applied were selected. The teams were from: Hot Chocolate, Care Visions, Falkirk Council, Includem and Kibble. On 15th January 2015 we hosted the JAM in Glasgow and by the end of the day each team had developed a prototyped idea that they presented to the other groups.

People at the Jam also tweeted about their barriers and ideas throughout the day.

Detailed information about the ideas each team prototyped at the Jam

Team One: Hot Chocolate: Where Is The Love?

Barrier: What’s love got to do with it? Where is the ‘L’ in SHANARRI? If we are ‘getting it right for every child and young person’  surely they need to feel loved? But what does that look like in a professional context? Some professionals feel awkward with the word love, never mind enacting this emotion. It may also make some young people feel uncomfortable, or may lead to misunderstandings. But should young people who are in and leaving care feel love any less than any other young person?

Questions: How can we show more love in a professional context? and; What do professionals and young people need, and what do they need to do differently, to show and feel love?

Idea: Below is a video of the Hot Chocolate team presenting their idea at the Jam.

The facilitator of this team has provided their reflections on their design process at the Jam.

Team Two: Care Visions: Judgement From Others

Barrier: Workers feel judged if they choose to remain in contact with young people when they leave the service. “I feel anxious about what my colleagues, friends and family will say if I stay in contact with Ronnie once he has left the service I work for, or if I meet him outside of work time”

Question: How can Care Visions support staff to remain in contact with young people when they leave the service?

Idea: Below is a video of the Care Visions team presenting their idea at the Jam.

The facilitator of this team has provided their reflections on their design process at the Jam.

Team Three: Falkirk Council: Needing Permission

Barrier: Workers don’t know if they are allowed to offer ongoing relationships with young people they have cared for and supported when they move on from living in care. “Am I allowed to do this within my current role? It makes me feel terrible when young people ask if they can stay in touch and I can’t explain how they can do this”

Question: How can Falkirk Council give staff and young people clear guidance that both supports ongoing relationships as well as ensures these relationships are safe and manageable?

Idea: Below is a video of the Falkirk Council team presenting their idea at the Jam.

The facilitator of this team has provided their reflections on their design process at the Jam.

Team Four: Kibble: Personal And Professional Boundaries

Barrier: We all have boundaries in different relationships, but what happens when professional boundries blurr with personal ones? Some workers are concerned that they should not become overly involved with a young person when they leave the serice they provide beacuse they feel their professional boundaries discourage the continuation of this relationships. However for some this does not feel right, “If my child was in trouble, needed someone to talk to or somewhere to go, I would not turn them away” and “We are told to trust and talk to staff about our problems and share our good times in the unit, but I can’t fill you in on my life after I leave?” The boundaries of care and support will change in 2015 as support will be avalible until young people are 26, what does this mean to workers?

Question: How can Kibble support relationships for our young people to continue with the significant adults that have become part of their young lives? and; What guidance do professionals need from their organisations to continue to support young people after leaving their care?

Idea: Below is a video of the Kibble team presenting their idea at the Jam.

The facilitator of this team has provided their reflections on their design process at the Jam.

Team Five: Includem: Life Has Ups And Downs

Barrier: Leaving care or home is not a linear journey and independence is never acheived by anyone; we are all interdependent. However some young people who find they need support after they stop accessing support can be reluctant to get back in touch with Includem to ask for help. “My brothers kept on telling me ‘You’ve got to phone Includem, see if you can get any help.’ But I kept on putting it off… I was too proud to ask for help again. It was the fact that we’d already been in Includem and they’d signed us off, they already felt that we were able to stand on our own two feet and work our way through life”

Question: How do we ensure young people feel that getting back in touch with Includem is a normal thing to do, and they will be supported just like any other young person who has left home and come up against new challenges they are not sure how to deal with?

Idea: Below is a video of the Includem team presenting their idea at the Jam.

The facilitator of this team has provided their reflections on their design process at the Jam.

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[1] The Relationships Matter Jam was inspired by the Global Service Jam model.