Guest blog from Robert Rae: Facilitator of the Kibble Group.
The Group consisted of three workers from Kibble, two young people from Kibble and two facilitators.
The Challenge / Barrier
Summary
There is no one, clear and simple answer to these questions. The Kibble group framed the initial thinking through the idea of blocks. On one hand, a series of blocks under their feet of a young person, is required to provide long lasting support. On the other hand there were a series of blocks that need to be removed and were seen as barriers to positive change.
This discussion led the team to articulate a series of principles and specific actions which, if acted upon, will go some way to overcoming the barrier set out above.
The key principles and actions are set out using three devises:-
- The anti problem: How could Kibble not support young people post service? This leads to what would a positive process for change look like?
- Description for a worker from the perspectives of young people in care: What is the role of the worker to support positive change?
- Designing a campaign for change to national policy: end the ‘process of disengagement’, its like a ‘slap in the face’.
In terms of process, the Kibble team have taken back to their organisation the learning to emerge from the JAM and actively seeking to implement a number of actions to effect change.
Discussion
The anti problem
- Staff should disengage from all feelings
- Young people should have no further contact with any staff
- Staff should ignore any child if they reach out
- Staff should instill a culture of independence and never interdependence
- Staff should avoid giving young people privacy
- Staff should be wary of giving emotional, financial or physical support
- Staff should avoid involving young people in decision-making
- Do not do anything unless paperwork is evident and approved
- Be risk averse at all times
- Do nothing unless it is on this list!
A procedure for positive change
- Staff should continue to support a young person, if they chose to continue the relationship.
- Share, communicate and use new resources, enabling, progressive policies and good practice.
- Give young people every opportunity to articulate and decide the kind of emotional and financial support they require
- We should always be mindful of the moral right for our young people to have continuation of care.
- Young people should actively help design and evaluate the mission statement and the vision, mission and values should be owned by young people and staff.
- Assume its possible! Just because the procedure does not state it, that doesn’t mean its not possible.
- Ask, share and care
Guidance from young people to staff on the continuation of care
- Young people and workers should be allowed to have each others numbers to phone them when workers are not on shift (at decent times).
- Workers should be able to take young people out, outside of shift hours
- There should be contact after a young person leaves care
- Continue to care for us
- Feed us
- Support us to make good decisions at bad times
- Give respect and privacy
- Trust us over other staff members – because we tell the truth
- We should be able to spend time with the staff members we want
- There should be reward for good behavior
- Speak to us in a way you would expect to be talked to
- Don’t show favoritism
- Spend more time with young people and not sitting in the office
- Entertain us
- Don’t hold a grudge
- Have a laugh
- Don’t whisper to other staff in front of young people
- Keep us safe
- Go on holiday
- Buy us fags
- Workers should be able to take us to their houses
- Allow us to assess how good staff are at their jobs
- Keep in contact with us
- Take us out for a coffee
- Skype or phone when we need you, or you need us
- Workers should be able to give us independent advice
- We should be able to include workers in big events in life
- Workers should offer us financial advice
- We should be able to come back to visit and stay over
- We should be able to stay in touch with the people we want
- It depends on the person and the relationship – that’s what should decide the job description
Start a campaign to influence national policy to help remove the barriers to ensuring continuation of contact, care and relationships
‘The process of disengagement’ must end. Young people say such policy is like “a slap in the face”. Such managerial language, professional protectionism and aversion to risk must be replaced with the language of love and care.
- Kibble should build alliances with other care organisations to build that message
- Care workers should be more political and make their voices heard
- Kibble should develop its relationship with civil servants and law makers
- Kibble should celebrate evidence of successful, positive relationships and the impacts such relationships have on young people’s lives beyond care
- Kibble should seek to promote a culture of positive caring values in the wider sector. All workers should know the true values of Kibble, if asked
