SIRCC WHY ATTACHMENT MATTERS When Accommodated, away from home or away from family The Glasgow Marriot Hotel Friday 11 th September 2009 Joe Nee September 2009

SIRCC

WHY ATTACHMENT MATTERS

When Accommodated, away from

home or away from family

The Glasgow Marriot Hotel

Friday 11 th September 2009

Attachment Matters TO EVERY HUMAN BEING WHEN: AWAY FROM HOME AT HOME WITH FAMILY OR AWAY FROM FAMILY Joe Nee September 2009

TO EVERY HUMAN BEING

WHEN:

AWAY FROM HOME

AT HOME

WITH FAMILY

OR

AWAY FROM FAMILY

Square 1- To Survive/Thrive We Know Families need support Sometimes children need removed Traditionally alternatives were ; residential, fostering, adoption Carers need – understanding, skills, training and SUPPORT The 4 R’s are vital

Families need support

Sometimes children need removed

Traditionally alternatives were ; residential, fostering, adoption

Carers need – understanding, skills, training and SUPPORT

The 4 R’s are vital

Looked after children in Scotland 13,000 children young looked after 1% of children in Scotland 55% boys 13% residential care settings Estimates - between 20% and 50% young homeless have been in care 75% leave school with no qualifications Joe Nee September 2009

13,000 children young looked after

1% of children in Scotland

55% boys

13% residential care settings

Estimates - between 20% and 50% young homeless have been in care

75% leave school with no qualifications

Needs Many children and young people who enter care “ will display various behavioural and emotional problems as a consequence of previous traumatic experiences that may include sexual, physical and emotional abuse, neglect and family breakdown (Macmillan and Munn 2001) Joe Nee September 2009

Many children and young people who enter care “ will display various behavioural and emotional problems as a consequence of previous traumatic experiences that may include sexual, physical and emotional abuse, neglect and family breakdown (Macmillan and Munn 2001)

ATTACHMENT Relationships Attunement Anxiety-Proximity-Security Communication Physical availability Psychological availability Joe Nee September 2009

Relationships

Attunement

Anxiety-Proximity-Security

Communication

Physical availability

Psychological availability

Key Concepts-Purchasers and Providers and their Supports Professional Development Understanding attachment/trauma issues for children and young people Understanding the stress/coping strategies of the above children Understand the stress and coping strategies of all carers Help children and young people to learn to adapt to new situations through stress reduction Joe Nee September 2009

Professional Development

Understanding attachment/trauma issues for children and young people

Understanding the stress/coping strategies of the above children

Understand the stress and coping strategies of all carers

Help children and young people to learn to adapt to new situations through stress reduction

KEY CONCEPTS (continued) Provision for the particular care needs of children and young people with attachment/trauma issues Assessment of these care needs Planning realistic provision Providing appropriate options Joe Nee September 2009

Provision for the particular care needs of children and young people with attachment/trauma issues

Assessment of these care needs

Planning realistic provision

Providing appropriate options

Historically The Residential Setting: Is a group living experience Is complex Is socially demanding Is stressful Is under resourced Is not designed to cater for emotional toddlers Joe Nee September 2009

Is a group living experience

Is complex

Is socially demanding

Is stressful

Is under resourced

Is not designed to cater for emotional toddlers

Attachment Informed Provision Attachment offers a framework which can help young people make sense of their negative experiences Schofield argues that there is a “conceptual overlap” between resilience and attachment theory, thus building for the future (Howe, 1995;Schofield, 2001) Joe Nee September 2009

Attachment offers a framework which can help young people make sense of their negative experiences

Schofield argues that there is a “conceptual overlap” between resilience and attachment theory, thus building for the future (Howe, 1995;Schofield, 2001)

The Good Bits For many young people the care experience has helped them to compensate for their early experiences For them there was a degree of stability and security in the care experience By chance, some attachment to one or more of their carers may have occurred Joe Nee September 2009

For many young people the care experience has helped them to compensate for their early experiences

For them there was a degree of stability and security in the care experience

By chance, some attachment to one or more of their carers may have occurred

Good Bits (continued) They were removed from a damaging family situation They were provided with relationships, opportunities, options, education, transitions. They were provided with the opportunity to accumulate resilience promoting factors( Numan and Blackburn, 2002) Joe Nee September 2009

They were removed from a damaging family situation

They were provided with relationships, opportunities, options, education, transitions.

They were provided with the opportunity to accumulate resilience promoting factors( Numan and Blackburn, 2002)

Not so good bits “However, for too many young people, their experience of care, far from helping them overcome the damaging emotional legacy of family problems, had rendered them unable to form the very relationships they needed so much (Stein and Carey, 1986; Downes 1992)” in Stein, 2005. Joe Nee September 2009

“However, for too many young people, their experience of care, far from helping them overcome the damaging emotional legacy of family problems, had rendered them unable to form the very relationships they needed so much (Stein and Carey, 1986; Downes 1992)” in Stein, 2005.

Changing Lives (2006) Asked for a positive, research informed approach Recognised the need for a therapeutic approach Asked for Quality Assessment Recognised that everyone is different Recognised that most carers do their best but need training, supervision, help and support Joe Nee September 2009

Asked for a positive, research informed approach

Recognised the need for a therapeutic approach

Asked for Quality Assessment

Recognised that everyone is different

Recognised that most carers do their best but need training, supervision, help and support

BUT FOR THE CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WITH ATTACHMENT AND/OR TRAUMA ISSUES WE NEED TO DO BETTER GIVEN OUR KNOWLEDGE! Joe Nee September 2009

FOR THE CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE WITH ATTACHMENT AND/OR TRAUMA ISSUES WE NEED TO DO BETTER

GIVEN OUR KNOWLEDGE!

The Care Experience QUESTIONS Do the children or young people that you look after and have attachment issues and experience life in an environment that; Joe Nee September 2009

Do the children or young people that you look after and have attachment issues and experience life in an environment that;

The care experience (continued) Considers negative behaviour to be the outcome of unmet needs Considers that the solutions lie in developing relationships with significant others Helps them in the process of resolving their fear of making and breaking contact, loving and being loved Joe Nee September 2009

Considers negative behaviour to be the outcome of unmet needs

Considers that the solutions lie in developing relationships with significant others

Helps them in the process of resolving their fear of making and breaking contact, loving and being loved

The care experience (continued) Has attachment, relationships and resilience at it’s core Considers each child to be unique (genetics, parenting and early care experience) Strives to be an emotionally regulated, stable and secure environment Has emotionally regulated staff Joe Nee September 2009

Has attachment, relationships and resilience at it’s core

Considers each child to be unique (genetics, parenting and early care experience)

Strives to be an emotionally regulated, stable and secure environment

Has emotionally regulated staff

Staff Aims Constant proximity Fully accept child regardless of behaviour Understand that challenging behaviour is underpinned by distress Be available, emotionally, psychologically and physically Be nurturing and playful Joe Nee September 2009

Constant proximity

Fully accept child regardless of behaviour

Understand that challenging behaviour is underpinned by distress

Be available, emotionally, psychologically and physically

Be nurturing and playful

Staff Aims (continued) Be empathetic and curious about a child’s understanding of their world Deal with the present Not seek to fix or rescue Share joy and pride in child’s successes Work at a relational depth which can be emotionally and physically challenging Joe Nee September 2009

Be empathetic and curious about a child’s understanding of their world

Deal with the present

Not seek to fix or rescue

Share joy and pride in child’s successes

Work at a relational depth which can be emotionally and physically challenging

The four step plan - Kate Cairns Commitment-”level three learning” (Gregory Bateson 2000) Personal support through developing close, confiding intimate relationships Professional supervision Work together on all levels (2002) Joe Nee September 2009

Commitment-”level three learning” (Gregory Bateson 2000)

Personal support through developing close, confiding intimate relationships

Professional supervision

Work together on all levels (2002)

THE SCOTTISH SCENE Alan Sinclair-The work Foundation Harry Burns-Chief Medical Officer John Carnochan- Violence Reduction Bill Marshall- Offending/Prisons SIRCC-Accommodated Young People Scottish Attachment in Action

Alan Sinclair-The work Foundation

Harry Burns-Chief Medical Officer

John Carnochan- Violence Reduction

Bill Marshall- Offending/Prisons

SIRCC-Accommodated Young People

Scottish Attachment in Action

Working together Providers, Purchasers, Carers, Families, Managers, Planners Social Workers, Teachers, Doctors, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Therapists in all forms National Government Local Government Joe Nee September 2009

Providers, Purchasers, Carers, Families, Managers, Planners

Social Workers, Teachers, Doctors, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Therapists in all forms

National Government

Local Government

Square 1- ConsiderEffectiveCare POSITIVE FUTURES Understand the link between relationships, attachment, trauma and resilience Reflect-Rethink-Repair-Reinforce The younger the child the better SUPPORT carers more effectively Behaviour is communication Challenging behaviour is stress related 4 R’s – Remember Relationships Rule

Understand the link between relationships, attachment, trauma and resilience

Reflect-Rethink-Repair-Reinforce

The younger the child the better

SUPPORT carers more effectively

Behaviour is communication

Challenging behaviour is stress related

4 R’s – Remember Relationships Rule