Better Support for Vulnerable Children

Foundations for Flourishing 9 March 2008

Jane Aldgate OBE

Professor of Social Care

The Open University

Vulnerable children are children first

• Vulnerability can arise from many difference circumstances – genetic, lack of nurture, environment

• Vulnerable children are children first

• All children have needs which both family and state have a obligation to meet

Children’s well-being and welfare: UNICEF’S definition

From UNICEF (2007) Child poverty in perspective: An overview of

child well-being in rich countries, Florence, UNICEF

The true measure of a nation’s standing is how well it attends to its children - their health and safety,

their material security,their education and socialization, and their sense of being loved,

valued, and included in the families and societies into which they are born

The concept of wellness

• Work of psychologists is moving from an emphasis upon the troubles and sickness of people to an approach which looks at how we acquire positive qualities

• Approach gets away from success/ failure model to the concept of progressing

A more positive and optimistic view of childhood

• Stress in early years need not affect children permanently

• With the right circumstances children can develop resilience

• Children who miss out on particular experiences can make up ground

• Healthy development can occur under a far wider range of circumstances than was thought possible in the past

A resilience approach

Resilience

Vulnerability

Adversity Protective Environment

Ref: Daniel, Wassell and Gilligan 1999

Normal development under difficult conditions e.g. secure attachment, outgoing temperament, Sociability,

problem solving skills

Life events or circumstances posing a threat to healthy development e.g.

loss, abuse, neglect

Factors in the child’s environment acting as buffer to the negative effects of adverse experience

Those characteristics of the child, their family circle and wider

community which might threaten or challenge healthy development e.g.

disability, racism, lack of or poor attachment

Children can be resilient even under stressful circumstances

Three factors associated with resilience are:

• A sense of self worth and confidence• A belief in own self efficacy and ability to

deal with change and adaptation• A repertoire of problem-solving

approaches

Adapted from Rutter 1985

Policy definition of well-being for all Scotland’s children

Children should be: • Safe• Healthy• Achieving• Nurtured• Active• Respected and responsible• Included

AchievingFeel supported to develop curiosity,

enthusiasm and determinationto become a successful learner

in all aspects of your life

Nurtured Having a place to live where you feel supported, happy and cared for

ActiveHaving opportunities

to be a team player, totake part in sport and

recreation that make youfeel good about

yourself and helpyou to stay

healthy

Respected and Responsible

Be heard and involved in decisions that affect you

and others. Have opportunities and encouragement to be

confident so that you can be an effective contributor

HealthyMaintain a healthy body

and mind. Know how you feel and have the

confidence to get the support you need to make informed

healthy choices e.g. Public Health Nurse

Safe

Feel secure in your home

and community;safe from people who

could harm you. Have confidenceto be able to plan

for yourself and to take Informed risks

Included Have support to be accepted and

understood as an equal and effective contributor at home,

work and play. Like and respect yourself and

be willing to “have a go”

Wellbeing

Responsible

CitizensSucces

sful

Learn

ers

Confiden

t

Indiv

idual

sEffective

Contributors

Influences on well-being – a developmental-ecological approach

Aldgate, Jones, Rose and Jeffery eds (2006) The Developing World of the Child, London. JKP.

There are many influences on children’s well-being:

• children themselves• parents • wider family• school • play • space• community

The My World Triangle

Children influencing their own well-being

• Children have the right to comment on decisions affecting their well-being (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child)

• Children as social actors - competent commentators on their well-being

• Well-being should include definitions of what is important to children

• Well-being is enhanced by children being in control of some of their activities

Findings from Time Well Spent

• Qualitative study of 24 ‘looked after’ children in Scotland (7-18 years old)

• Children’s time diaries over 48 hours• Case studies of six individuals• Children’s evaluation of their participation built in

Aldgate, J. and McIntosh, M. 2006, Time Well Spent: a study of well-being and children’s daily activities, Edinburgh, Social Work Inspection Agency

Children’s daily activities influence well-being

• Sleep• Productive activities (e.g. school)• Contributing to the community• Spiritual activities• Travel time• Personal care: eating, getting ready• Social interaction with carers/friends• Leisure/recreation

From A. Ben-Arieh (2002) in Vechiato et al, Evaluation in Child and Family Services, New York, Aldine de Gruyter

Relationships with adults important

Children spent at least 3 hours a day with adults important to them. They liked:

• talking to adults• eating with adults• getting advice from adults• being affectionate with adults (hugs

important)• and the little time spent reading with children

Relationships with other children important

• Breaks and lunchtimes important• Friends outside school vary - limited by

distance• Eating together part of learning social

behaviour• Children able to define use of space when

with peers• Children value their friendships

Children need time alone

• Being able to choose to be alone important

• Listening to music highly significant

• Reading less popular

• Watching TV way of de-stressing for some

Enhancing resilience - the role of adults allowing children to take risks

• Children in the study enjoyed testing themselves in different ways

• Balance between keeping children safe and allowing them freedom away from adults

• Controlled co-operative adventure can enhance confidence and self-efficacy

• How far can we return to the days of The Famous Five?

Responsibility and contribution to community

An 11 year old school monitor:

I stop cats and dogs coming into school or people that aren’t welcome to the school. I protect all the wee yins

Children as competent commentators on their well-being

From Aldgate and McIntosh 2006 Time Well Spent, Edinburgh, SWIA

• I’ve learnt how important the time I spend with people is

• I was quite astonished at all the things I do all day.

• I do a lot of interesting things• It made me think that I don’t do much with

my time. I don’t get out enough, I sit around and watch TV and should get out more

• Yes, I have learnt I am a boring person and I do the same routine over again. But then I am not boring because I keep myself busy

Why do we need Getting it right for every child for vulnerable children?

• Children fall though gaps - become vulnerable

• Children get passed from one agency to another - vulnerability not addressed

• Agencies don’t share information - no sense of children’s history and background

• Processes are duplicated - can be many plans – children and families alienated

What evidence underpins implementing Getting it right for every child?

• Value of children and families being fully involved in decisions, planning and actions listening

• The importance for well-becoming for each child reaching his or her potential

• Developmental- ecological theory• Resilience/strengths approach• Uses a research-informed model of

risk/needs assessment and management

Need changes in culture, systems & practice

•CULTURE– Learning together, co-operating, children at the

centre, understanding children’s development

•SYSTEMS– Streamlining, simplifying, improving effectiveness

•PRACTICE– Appropriate, proportionate and timely help,

shared models, tools, protocols

What the changes will mean

Children and families should feel confident that: • their worries and views have been listened to

carefully and their wishes have been heard, understood and acted upon

• they can rely on appropriate help being available as soon as possible

• the agency they first have contact with will arrange for help to be provided, not pass them on elsewhere

• meetings will be purposeful, child and family friendly and arranged to suit them

Getting it right for every child: Building a network of support around each child

• Help is:–Appropriate–Proportionate–Timely

Hope and Effort

• It may take extraordinary efforts to achieve ordinary experiences

• Our past has an effect on how the future turns out. However, what we think the future will bring – also determines what the past looks like

Social Work Inspection Agency 2006 Extraordinary Lives, a review of looked after children in Scotland, Edinburgh, SWIA