Maureen Caton

Social Pedagogy

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What we’ll cover

• Looked after children in Essex• What Social Pedagogy is• Why we have chosen this approach• How we are implementing Social Pedagogy across

Essex• The response so far…

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Looked After Children in Essex

• There are about 1300 Looked After Children in Essex• 308 children are in out of county placements• 72% of children are placed in Foster Care• 180 children are placed in out of county foster placements• 108 children are placed in out of county residential• Less than 6% are placed at home with family • The remainder are looked after in Essex children’s homes

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Residential Care in Essex

• 12 children’s homes • 1 secure home for 16 children• 3 homes for children with disabilities – 2 short stay

and 1 long term• 8 mainstream – 6 long term, 2 short stay• Annually approximately 400 children and young

people reside in the homes (this includes respite children not Looked After)

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What is social pedagogy?

‘a perspective, including social action which aims to promote human welfare through child-rearing and education practices; and to prevent or ease social problems by providing people with the means to manage their own lives, and make changes in their circumstances’

(Cannan et al, 1992 – italics added)

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‘pedagogical action aspires to changing society by influencing the personal in society, that is, people, morals and culture’

(Juha Hamalainen, 2003)

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‘Our image of the child is rich in potential, strong, powerful, competent and most of all connected to adults and children’

Loris Malaguzzi (1994) Italian pedagogue

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What is Social Pedagogy?

‘Pedagogic theory is specially about relationships, child rearing relationships’

(Dutch academic, interviewed as part of TCRU’s Social Pedagogy Study, Petrie et al.2003)

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Essex Practitioner’s Network Definition

“Social pedagogy is an holistic approach to development, using reflection and personal relationships to explore, inspire and empower”.

Essex Residential Practitioner’s Network

May 2009

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Our belief about residential care

• It is a positive choice for some young people• The staff need to believe in themselves to believe in the potential

of the children and young people they care for• It is an immensely difficult job, which is not recognised as such by

many even within the social care profession• It provides fantastic opportunities to engage in life changing

relationships with children and young people• Relationships are not measured in outcomes; the quality of the

process and the learning throughout the journey is fundamental to the success and the positive impact for everyone

• It is over regulated and has lost the ability to respond to needs, or respond spontaneously to group dynamics

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Essex Implementation Structure

• Commissioning Group

• Strategy Group

• Action research

• Practitioner network

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Education and Learning

• Awareness raising • Team building with SP trainers • 6 days of direct learning (written assignment = 30

Level H CAT points) • Follow up work in each home• Social Pedagogy Agents• Exchange visits with Danish pedagogues• Train the trainers

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Learning waves

• In total we have approximately 400 staff across the homes

• In Wave 1 32 staff undertook development – 16 from 1 home (with 21 staff) and 16 from across 3 homes

• In Wave 2 80 staff undertook development from all but the CWD respite homes

• In Wave 3 we plan to support 48 from the two short term CWD homes. This may be with foster carers and fostering staff

• Future Waves will be led by in-house trainers to be a self sustaining approach

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What do we hope to achieve?

• More positive shared time for children with staff• Improved relationships • More empowered children and staff• A more reflective culture• A better experience of living in a children’s home• Change in society’s attitudes towards children in care

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Evidence of Change – identified by children

Children have told us that they feel:• They are being listened to more by staff • They are involved in decisions about their homes and

lives more• Residential workers are more flexible about the

decisions they make when responding to requests• They are trying new things eg. gardening, swimming

in the sea, playing as a band at public gigs

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Evidence of Change – identified by staff

• “Social Pedagogy {training} provides a reminder that our work is with young people, not for or in spite of.”

• “every activity undertaken is a learning experience…a greater need is identified to make these learning experiences positive ones, to empower and enrich”

• “It will create an environment that would also be adaptable to different groups, staff and young people”

• “a more inspiring and inventive approach”• “overwhelmed around how the children have welcomed some of

the activities that we as adults have been doing”

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Evidence of Change

• “Social pedagogy confirms to me what I think and what I do already…It also gives me ‘food for thought’… and a value to what I do”

• “Social pedagogy helps us to think ‘outside of the box’ and look at childhood through the eyes of a child”

• “making time for shared activities and learning experiences is essential, not something to fill time after all of the paperwork has been completed”

• “Social Pedagogy will enable myself and staff to get a better balance between risk and benefits”

• “Social Pedagogy means both a change of attitude and approach”

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Views of our partners and colleagues• Staff with responsibility for the Building Schools for the Future

recognised the need for ‘space to support relationships’ as well as IT equipment and environmentally ethical designs”.

• “Its just common sense, it is so obviously the right approach” Lead Member SCF”.

• “Sounds like good stuff” Training Lead Youth Work”• “We need to incorporate this into everything” Training Lead

Education Welfare service”.• “We applaud the intention behind the Social Pedagogy

programme……. This surely must enhance the quality of the children and young persons experience” Family Therapist and Mental Health consultant”

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‘If a child is to be treated differently than he is today a radical change, and one upon which everything else will depend, must first be made; and that change must be made in the adult.’

Maria Montessori