Children s Services and Social Pedagogy in England www

Children’s Services and Social Pedagogy in England www. ioe. ac. uk/tcru 18 September 2014 SHEPSS TEMPUS study visit, IOE Claire Cameron

Today • • Children and Childhood in context Children’s services Children in care in England Social pedagogy as an alternative approach Study findings Evaluations of training and development Some thorny issues

Children and Childhood in England • A declining proportion of population – 19% under 18 • Ethnically diverse – 24% born to mothers who were born outside UK • Family form diversifying – 25% born to lone mothers; 20% of two parent families are cohabiting • 70% of families both parents working – usually full time father and part time mother. Lone parent families are much more likely to be workless • ECEC has become the norm – over 90% of 3 and 4 year olds – part time entitlement; some two years olds are entitled too.

Gender and childhood • Girls do better in school than boys – More likely to have good exam grades at age 16 – 73 vs 64% – At age 18, the gap is narrower • Boys more likely to be excluded from school behaviour • Boys more likely to enter the criminal justice system – 84% • Boys more likely to be killed than girls

Wealth and expenditure on education and social protection GDP per capita in PPS, 2007 (EU 27=100) Expenditure on education as % GDP, 2005 Expenditure on social protection as % GDP, 2006 Tax receipts as % GDP, 2007 UK 119 5. 03 (6. 28) 26. 8 (1. 7 37. 2 EU 27 100 4. 72 (5. 39) 27. 2 (2. 1) 40. 5 Slovakia 67 3. 66 (4. 36) 16. 9 (1. 9) 29. 3

Inequality

Children’s lives • • • School as work – focused on exam; pressure to ‘do well’ Prospect of unemployment, including after graduation, Mental health – 10 percent with difficulties Participation in society sports, volunteering Images of young people ‘The “sky high” rate of reoffending by young criminals must be reversed … Almost three quarters of young offenders return to crime when they are released. …A pioneering Secure College will be built in the East Midlands. The fortified school will provide young offenders with strong discipline, while focusing squarely on rehabilitation and education. Ministry of Justice, January 2014 – Young people feel misrepresented

Children’s services in England Regulated via inspection by Ofsted Government policy National minimum standards set by government agencies and with which services providers must comply ECEC - Full and sessional day care 1 Foster care (50, 260) Private sector 47. 5%; Public sector 7%, Voluntary sector 45. 5% Residential care (5930) 60 – 70% of children’s homes

Characteristics of Children’s Services • • • Split concept – care and education Compulsory school from age 5; in reality from age 4 93% of children attend state schools Regulated by government and associated agencies Delivered by public, private and voluntary providers ‘Care’ occupations generally low status, low pay and low level qualifications • Children Act 1989: principles of ‘paramountcy’; avoiding delay; parental responsibility; ascertain wishes and feelings of children

Children’s services identifying need

Integrated frontline service delivery tools • The Common Assessment Framework: A framework to help practitioners working with children, young people and families to assess children and young people’s additional needs for earlier, and more effective services, and develop a common understanding of those needs and how to work together to meet them. • The lead professional: The person responsible for co ordinating the actions identified in the assessment process; a single point of contact for children and young people, with additional needs, supported by more than one practitioner in a TAC. • Information sharing: Helping practitioners work together more effectively to meet children and young people’s needs through sharing information legally and professionally.

Children’s centres • Aimed at families with children under 4 years • One stop shop model – health, education, care, parental support and employment guidance • Universal provision based on area to avoid stigmatisation • Targeted services available for those in need • 4000 centres by 2010 • Post 2010 budget cuts – focus on improving outcomes for most disadvantaged families; location in most disadvantaged areas. 401 closed or merged by end 2012 • Childcare less prominent part of service • 64% of vulnerable families use them

Children in care a brief profile (2012) • 67, 000 or. 59 per thousand young people aged 0 18 yrs • Reasons for admission: – Abuse and neglect: 62% – Parents’ illness, disability, dysfunction, absence or acute distress: 32% – Young person’s behaviour or disability: 5% • 74% White British • 60% Compulsory order • One third had more than one placement in previous 12 months

Children in care – concern about outcomes • Numbers of young children coming into care rising – Under ones: 2, 900 in 2008 – 4, 190 in 2012 • Main policy: within country adoption but small numbers – 3, 450 in 2012 • 37% of those who leave care go to parents/family • 15% of those aged 16 achieve sufficient educational qualifications to progress to upper secondary education • 6% of care leavers enter higher education

Work on social pedagogy (1999 – 2011) • Residential care: • Exploratory study of Belgium (Flanders), Denmark, France, Germany, and the Netherlands • Comparative study of England, Denmark and Germany • Foster Care in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France • Supporting young people and families at ‘the edge’ of care in England, Denmark, France and Germany • Care Work in Europe – across settings • Working Together in England Sweden • Feasibility and pilot studies • Training, development and higher education

What is Social Pedagogy in the UK? Supports development of the whole person through: • Practitioner in an upbringing role, in relationship with the young person; • Mutuality: inhabiting the same life space; • Reflection and analysis: using theoretical understandings and self knowledge • Practical and creative: sharing children’s daily lives and activities; • Group work as a resource; • Children’s rights: lived and respected • Team work, inter professional work, community and parental participation; • Relationships are central as is listening and communicating Education in its broadest sense

Head, hands and heart

Action and reflection

‘Three Ps’ • Professional pedagogue formal knowledge, publicly available, helps explain the child’s actions • Private pedagogue – what not to share at work • Personal – what you offer to the child, authentic relations, using the self to reflect on difficult situations • Milligan (2009) ‘It enables residential workers to see a valid theoretical basis for the ‘personal’ aspects of the job’

Social pedagogy – UK roots • Hadyn Davies Jones: Institutional living, young people, FICE, The Radisson Report (2001) • Camphill Steiner (1940 ): learning difficulties; community; Swiss origins • Youth Work: inner city 19 C London, tailoring cooperative aimed at young women’s social and political emancipation • Progressive/democratic education: A. S. Neill & others who promote democratic vitality • Early Childhood Education and Care: Montessori nurseries; outdoor kindergartens, children’s centres

Care Matters 2006 • For many of the 60, 000 children who are in care at any one time, childhood and adolescence are often characterised by insecurity, ill health and lack of fulfilment. This is terribly sad. And we can hardly be surprised that it results in many children in care underachieving educationally and getting nowhere near fulfilling their potential as adults. Some may say that part of the reason for this is that children who enter care come disproportionately from poor backgrounds and have complex needs, but it is inexcusable and shameful that the care system seems all too often to reinforce this early disadvantage, rather than helping children to successfully overcome it. (Df. ES, 2006: 3) Foreword to Care matters by Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Education

Social pedagogy appears in English policy documents Pedagogues are generalists. Their uniquely broad training with its theoretical, personal and practical content ideally fits them for outcome focused work with children, including those with significant developmental need (Df. ES 2005) A new framework of skills and qualifications incorporating the principles of social pedagogy… Would offer a competency based approach available to all foster carers and staff and managers in residential homes (Df. ES 2006) Commitment to explore effectiveness of social pedagogy in residential care (Df. ES 2007)

Young people in public care Numbers: England 67, 000 59 per 10, 000 young people Denmark 14, 074 98 per 10, 000 young people Germany 118, 716 65 per 10, 000 young people

Residential care in England, Denmark and Germany • Interviews with – residential home managers (56) – residential care workers (144) – young people (302) • Information from establishment records from 2001

Qualifications of workers interviewed

Managers’ report of staff recruitment and retention • Higher staff turnover per annum in England: 27%; Denmark: 10%; Germany: 18% • More reported difficulties recruiting staff in England: 88%; Denmark: 0%; Germany: 46% • More reported difficulties retaining staff in England: 48%; Denmark: 0%; Germany: 8%

Managers’ report of staff recruitment and retention • Recruiting staff is said to be hard in England because – Shortage of qualified candidates – Working conditions are off putting – Work status is low • Recruiting and retaining staff in Denmark and Germany is said to be easy because – The work is seen as valuable and rewarding – Congenial conditions – Staff like working with children

Emotional support • Almost all respondents provided emotional support: methods varied across countries Last time … • Danish and German workers employed an empathic approach first (listening, cuddling, companionship, naming feelings) • English workers used a discursive approach first (discussing/talking, strategies, persuading to an adult point of view) • Danish workers stood out as offering both empathic and discursive approaches

Key work responsibilities 100 90 80 70 England 60 50 Denmark 40 30 20 Germany 10 0 Relational Long term aims Procedural Behaviour management

How did staff think about young people? • Describe your key child or the child you know best …. % England Germany Denmark Total Mainly positive 35 33 76 46 Impersonal or mainly negative, or problem oriented 65 64 24 54 Total 100 100

Links with outcome indicators • Placement characteristics – Placement instability – Contact with family • Education: under 16 s not attending school England: 12%; Denmark: 2%; Germany: 2% • Employment: over 16 s not in education or employment England: 55%; Denmark: 5%; Germany: 23% • Pregnancies under the age of 19 Three times higher rate in England compared to Denmark; twice that in Germany • Criminal offences: 1. 73 (EN); . 092 (DE); . 158 (DK)

A good start for young people… • • • Associated with Higher levels of in service training Stable and committed workforce Fewer staff per child Staff strategies for work with young people – More ‘information seeking’ - finding out – Less reference to external agencies

Findings from feasibility studies • • • Enthusiasm for social pedagogy Considerable common ground on which to build Overlap in principles – – – • • Learning and supporting human development Building attachment and relationships with children Meeting the needs of individuals and service user Social work values’ – addressing discrimination and difference Understanding the young person’s context in addressing their needs New or refashioned old? Challenges of private market led provision

Different conceptualisations … • Denmark (Nordics) – integrated universal entitlement, based on social pedagogy, view centre as a ‘lifespace’, broad developmental goals, value children’s own learning strategies and interests, limited central curriculum, pedagogue as core worker • UK (Pre primary) – integrated administration but conceptual and structural split between childcare and education, extensive central curriculum, formal learning, limited teacher initiative, range of other occupations /qualifications

Young people support social pedagogic approach • • Be able to make contextualised judgements Be there – presence, warmth, comfort Know someone as an individual Listen carefully Be scrupulously fair Be ethical in their use of information Have high expectations of talent and ability Not collude with societal stigma

Care Matters pilot • 30 children’s homes; 18 employed social pedagogues trained in Germany; 12 were non intervention • Aim was to raise awareness of social pedagogy among staff and model social pedagogic practice with young people • Three differences from existing practice – Identifying aim and thought behind action – Generating and using critical reflection – A distinctive professional role specialising in everyday life • Changes in 10/18 homes, most impact on practitioner confidence

One example … • A warm welcome, practical help in moving country and culture • Initially, built up a relationship with the young people and team and got an understanding of all relevant policies and procedures • Worked together with senior managers on developing projects • Organized activities with the young people during the summer holidays and got introduced to their social workers • Explained social pedagogic terms, context of use • Key work and have a “link child” • Develop programme of visits to agencies and training for staff according to topics developed with managers • Regular reflection and review – informal and formal

Training and development • Social pedagogy UK website • Centre for Understanding of Social Pedagogy – Training and development group – International theory and practice group • Thempra & Jacaranda – – – Website Training and development programmes Social pedagogy development network Run exchanges and study tours Recruitment of Social Pedagogues

Social pedagogy uk

Thempra

Training and development • • • 3 – 10 day training programmes with groups of staff Multi disciplinary Cross hierarchical Structures to sustain momentum Evaluations of workplace training positive • Higher education programmes – BA Social Pedagogy (youth work) – BA Hons Social work/social pedagogy – residential care/distance learning – BA Social Pedagogy (Camphill) – MA Social Pedagogy – Ph. Ds

Staffordshire “Improvements have been tenfold in the way the staff engage with young people, the way they use relationships, the culture within the home. We've seen an increase in the number of children we've been able to return home. "

Orkney: trained 18 staff members • Staff in early years services and in residential care homes had introduced more purposeful reflective practice. • Reviewing perspectives on so called ‘negative’ incidents examine why the incident had occurred. • Multi professional discussions could be on a more equitable and less hierarchical footing • A clearer purpose to building relationships • More participation by children and young people in decision making, • More effective team working and interagency working, especially when managers involved in training

Lancashire – study tour in Denmark • The essence of social pedagogy being a personal journey. You feel pedagogy in your heart. This is what makes a good practitioner. What I take away is the sense of solidarity within both units (visited); staff, young people and parents all working together toward a shared aim. • What I hope to share with others is the sense of the whole child. What I began to understand is that we are good at what we do. We have some very good practice and very good staff who are committed to the work we do. • What is evident in Denmark is that social pedagogy is a part of society; it is integral to how people live their lives. We are not going to change the whole of society but if, by being more aware, better educated and having a greater understanding, we enhance the life experience of the young people we care for then perhaps this is justification for making the changes.

Challenges … • Moving beyond social care to other services • Lack of ‘fit’ around some policy directions Performativity in education, professionalism Punitive approach to young people Risk and its place in ‘care’ settings • Organisational and generational intransigence • Preference for pragmatism & lack of attention to theory • Articulating the ‘it’ – what once seemed certain is no longer

Deepening our understanding… • Upbringing – No consensus across European partners about the meaning of the term or its application for children in care, yet we had thought for years the German translation of an erzieher was an 'up bringer’ – Sting: In my opinion, there is no German term existing that translates the meaning of “up bringing” correctly. – Reimer: Erziehung mostly refers to interactive and co productive adult child relations that shape upbringing in both families and in formal care settings

Education … • If social pedagogy is to integrate marginalised young people, then relational work + formal education is the chief vehicle • The country with the best educated children in care appears to be Sweden • In 2006, 87 percent of Swedish young people in care completed secondary school. 38% of the 80% who entered upper secondary education completed. 6% of young people from care entered higher education • Social pedagogy has little place for children in care in Sweden. Is a universal welfare state the answer?

Theory • Social pedagogy is multi disciplinary, combining theories of learning, sociology, cultural studies, psychology • In practice, there is a highly normative, pragmatic tendency • Disciplinary division: i) social constructionist approaches, a focus on the ‘here and now’ or ‘everyday life; and ii) psychologically informed theories rooted in therapeutic psychoanalytic and psychodynamic traditions, and in systemic/contextual thinking: ‘Psychoanalytic thinking sits in the walls’ • Systems theories dominate; evidence based practice emerging • Where is the social in social pedagogy?

Implications for UK Social Pedagogy • Not an implementation model but a framework for training and development • Reassertion of the relational vs procedural • New understandings of the child and childhood – the ‘rich child’ vs perfoming child • New investment in professional identity, confidence and skills vs competent worker • Developing a theory base through higher education and through practice vs ‘techniques’ approach • Developing social pedagogy is a European project

References Petrie, P. Boddy, J. Cameron, C. Wigfall, V. and Simon, A. (2006) Working with Children in Care: European Perspectives OUP Boddy, J. Cameron, C. Mooney, A. Moss, P. Petrie, P. & Statham, J. (2005) Introducing Pedagogy into the Children’s Workforce www. ioe. ac. uk/tcru Cameron, C. (2007) New Ways of Educating: pedagogy and children’s services, Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education Cameron, C. and Moss, P. (eds) (2011) Social Pedagogy and Working with Children and Young People: where care and education meet, JKP

Websites • http: //www. ncb. org. uk/ncercc/a z_of_rcc/residential_child_care_ _p/social_pedagogy_book. aspx • http: //www. proceedings. scielo. br/scielo. php? pid=MSC 00009200600017&script=sci_arttext • http: //www. socialpedagogy. co. uk/ • http: //www. socialpedagogyuk. com/ • http: //www. ioe. ac. uk/study/departments/tcru/4804. html