SignsofSafetyinTowerHamlets

‘FindingtheRightWords’Presenters:RebeccaEllem,RumiMustofaandAmySands

Thisisus:LondonBoroughofTower

Hamlets

TowerHamletsisaboroughofcontrasts….

TowerHamletsTherearesizeableBangladeshi(32%)andWhiteBritishcommunities(31%)andanincreasingnumberofsmallerethnicgroupsintheresidentpopulation.

AfterEnglish,Bengaliisthemostpopularlanguage.Almost1in5residents(18%)statetheirmainlanguageisBengalicomparedwith3%acrossinnerLondonandlessthan1%nationally.TowerHamletshasthelargestnumberandproportionofBengalispeakersinEngland.

AfterEnglishandBengalitheothermostcommonlyspokenlanguagesareChinese,French,Spanish,ItalianandSomalian.

POVERTY:EndChildPovertypublishedfiguresinFebruary2013onthelevelofchildpovertyintheUK.ThelocalauthoritywiththehighestchildpovertyintheUKisTowerHamlets,with42%ofchildrenlivinginpoverty(30%ofchildrenisthenationalaverage)

• 44willbelookedafter(comparedwith60inEngland)• 50.9willbeonachildprotectionplan(42.9inEngland)• 398wouldbegettingCSCsupport(337inEngland)• 444referralstoCSC(548inEngland)

Thisiswhatchildren’ssocialcarelookslikeinTowerHamlets

WhereSignsofSafetyhashelpedinTowerHamlets

Wherearewe:

• Westartedthejourneyin2011withHealth.

• WewerepartofEnglandInnovationsProject2015– withourfocuscommitmentattheFrontDoorrightthroughtoChildProtectionCaseConferences.

• TwoPracticeLeadersareleadingthepracticeimplementationthroughoutthechild’sjourneyinChildren'sServices.

Findingtherightwords…

Findingtherightwordsinthreedifferentcasesacrossthechild’sjourney…

1.Foranon-Englishspeakingfamilyatthefrontdoor2.Forasocialworkertalkingwithayoungpersonandherfamily3.Forayoungperson’svoicetobeheardineducation

(Allcasesareanonymised)

WhatwedointheAssessmentteam:AteamofsocialworkerswhocompleteLBTHassessmentsallocatedasaresultofreferralsthatarescreenedbyourfrontdoorteam.Wheretheconcernsareindicatorsofseriousabuseorneglect,weconductachildprotectioninvestigationwithin15days.Ifwethinkthechildrenareatriskofongoingharm,weholdaChildProtectionConference.

Explainthechallenge- :-WeonlyhaveashortamountoftimetouseSignsofSafetyasaninterventioninourteam.Tofirstensurethechildissafe,togetthechild’sviews,tomakesuretheparentsunderstandourconcernsandthatthereissafetyinplace.

-LBTHhasaverydiversepopulationwithalotoffamilieswhereEnglishisnotthefirstlanguage(Englishismyonlylanguage!)

RebeccaEllem:Findingtherightwords…in15days(orless!)

Briefintroductiontothecase:

• 5yearoldgirlwhoIwillcallMartina,borninPortugaltoPortugueseparentsandcametotheUKwithherparentswhenshewasababy.Thereisanotherchildinthehouse,Martina’s12yearoldhalf-brotherRico.

• Limitedsocialcarehistoryonfamily,RicohadbehaviouralproblemswhenhecametotheUKafterlivingwithhisgrandmainPortugaluntiltheageof8andwassignpostedtoanotheragency.

• CasecameinforachildprotectioninvestigationafterMartinacametoschoolwithanunexplainedscratchonfaceandalargebumptoherhead3dayslater.

• First,used3housestogetanunderstandingofMartina’shomelife,assheappearednervoustotalk.

• ParentsadmittedthattheinjuriesmusthavehappenedwhenMartinawasinthecareofherbrotherwhilsttheywereatworkastheydidnotknowhowtheyhadhappened.Interimsafetyplaninplace,butparentsnotfullyunderstanding.

DangerstatementsweredevisedinEnglish.

Dangerstatements:

WeareworriedthatMartinacametoschoolwithareallysorebumponherhead.MartinagavedifferentexplanationstoHenry,thedoctors,thePoliceandRebecca.Wearestillnotsurehowithappened.Weareworriedthattheweekbeforeshehadthebigbumponherforehead,Martinacametoschoolwithabruiseonhercheek.WeareworriedthatMartinagotthebruiseandbumpwhenmumanddadwenttoworkandshewasbeinglookedafterbyRico.

WeareworriedthatweknowRicohashadangerissuesinthepastandhehasacurrentstatementforhisbehaviour,emotionalandeducationneedsbutMartinawasstillleftathomewithhim.Weareworriedthatitisareallybigresponsibilityfor12yearoldRicotohavetolookafter5yearoldMartinaandtakehertoschool.Ricosaidthisusedtoworryhim,buthewantedtohelphismumout.WeareworriedthatifRicodidhurtMartina,Martinamightbeafraidtosaysobecauseshedoesnotwantherbrothertogetintrouble.

Dangerstatements/SafetygoalstranslatedinPortuguese

WhatIdid:• Ihadameetingwithmum,dadandaPortugueseinterpreter.Eachofushadacopy

ofthesedangerstatementsonA4paper.Ireadeachstatementaloud,andtheinterpretertranslatedtheseindividually.Forthefirsttime,Ibelievedthattheparentsrecognisedwhatwewereconcernedabout.

• Wethenworkedonthesafetygoalstogetherbasedontheconcernsandwhatthefamilythoughtneededtohappen.

• Wethenpresentedthedangerstatementsandsafetygoalsatthechildprotectionconference,againinEnglishandPortuguese.Thismadetheconferencestraightforwardastheplanwasalreadyformulatedandlargelyinvolvedthefamily.Theplanwasagreedtobereviewedin3months.

• UsingSignsofSafetyinaChildProtectionConferenceandtranslatingthedangerstatements&SafetyGoalsreallysupportedthefamilytobeinvolvedwiththeprocessandhelpedmumanddadunderstandtherisks.

RumiMustofa:FindingtherightwordswithaconservativeMuslimfamily

• Youngwomanvoluntarilyaccommodatedinfostercarebecauseparentscouldn’tcopeanddidn’twanttoconfrontbehaviours

• Shakiracameintocareafterlightingafireinthefamilyhome

• Shakirarefusedtogohomefromhospital• Shakiradoesn’talwaysfollowboundaries• Shakirastartedtoabscondfromplacement,drinkingandsmokingcannabis

Beinggoalfocused…• OurgoalwastohaveapermanencyplanforShakiraassoonaspossible.Wewantedhertoreturnhometoherfamilysafely

• Shakira’sgoalwasthatshewantedtolivewithherpaternalgrandmotherbutgrandmotherwasnotabletomanagetobutboundariesinplace.

• Thendecidedshewantedtoreturntoherparents’home

DangerstatementsDangerstatement1WeareworriedthatifShakiracontinuestogomissinganddrinksalcoholandtakesdrugs;shewillputherselfatseriousriskofdamagingherhealth.WeareworriedthatShakiramightreallyhurtherselforshemayendupinasituationwhichshehasnocontroloverbecausesheisdrunkortakingdrugs.WeareworriedthatifthiscarriesonwemayhavetogetlegaladviceandlookatShakirabeingplacedinfostercareuntilsheis18

SafetyGoalWeknowShakirawantstoliveathomeandherparentswantthisaswell.WeknowthatShakira’sparentshavecomealongwayinunderstandingwherewearecomingfrom.ForustofeelconfidentthatShakiracanliveathomesafely,shewouldbeshowingherparentsandusthatshecancomehomeontime;shewouldbegoingtoschoolanddoingwellthere;andshewouldhavefriendswhoarenicetoher.WewouldcomeupwithaplanwithShakira,herparentsandthepeoplewhoareimportanttohertoshowhowShakiracanbekeptsafeathomeandalsohowshewillhavetheopportunitytodothingsthatother15yearoldswanttodo.WewouldseeShakira’sparentsbeingabletoputinboundariesforherbutalsogivinghersomespace.WewouldseeShakiragettingonwithherparentsandherbrotherandsisterandiftherearedisagreementstheywouldbesortedoutwithoutshoutingandarguing.

ScalingQuestionsOnascaleof0to10with10beingthatyoufeelsafetoreturnhomeand0beingthatyouareworriedthatyouwon’tbesafe,wherewouldyourateyourself?Onascaleof0to10where10isyoufeelyoucanconfidentlymanageShakira’schallengingbehaviour,understandherissuesandinstilboundariestokeephersafeinthefamilyhomeandensurethatshedoesn’tabscond,and0beingyoudon’tfeelyoucankeepShakirasafe,wherewouldyourateyourself?

Reflections…• Theyoungpersonreturnedhomewithanimmediatesafetyplaninplace

• SOSgavemesomethingtangibletotaketothefamily– myworriesweren’tmadeup…

• Helpedmenametheissues– wecouldtalkabouttheelephantintheroom

• Thefamilyseemedrelievedtherewasthelanguagetotalkabouttheissues

Reflections…• Helpedtogetoverembarrassmentandshame

• Thefamilyweremoreinvolved– changedtheirscalingoncetheyunderstoodtheworries

• SOSworkswithculturallyandlinguisticallydiversefamilies

AmySands:Findingtherightwords…

Forstrengthsbasededucation

MeetSabbirAbout myself:

• My name is Sabbir. I’m 14 and was brought up in London

• My back ground is Moroccan• My favorite food is chicken and chips

• My favorite colour is gold

PersonalEducationPlan• Termly meetings between care and

education professionals

• AIM: Maximising the student’s opportunities whilst in care

StrengthsandWorriesWhat have you done that you are really

proud of this term?I improved on my Maths result

If you could have any support to improve your studies, what would it be?

I always forget what I learn and when I need to revise I don’t know what to do, can you help me

to revise?

ScalingQuestions

Sabbir’s Powerpointpresentation

‘ThebestthingaboutrecordingmyPowerpoint wasIfoundithardatfirstbutthenitbecameeasierandIwasproudofmyself’

What’sthebestthingaboutdoingyourPowerpoint?

Whatdidyoufeelmostproudof?

‘Iwasproudofmyselfbecause‘IthoughtIwouldn’thavebeenabletodobutthenIdid’.Theneverybodyelsewasproudofme’

‘IusedRED writingbecausethat’smyfavouritecolour’

‘ThepicturesIusedarethethingsthatIlikecars,Footballmusic’

‘MyfavouritesportsareFootball,RunningandBasketball’

‘ForthesubjectsIlikedoingatSchoolIusedpicturesofsixsubjects’

‘SomearetheonesIlikeandsomewerenot’

‘IaskedthemtoguesswhichonesIlike’

‘TheoneIlikeareMusic,MathsandEnglish’

‘TheonesIdon’tlikeareScience,REandSociology’‘Thismeantthateveryonewasinvolved

inmypresentation’

‘I’mproudofmyMathsresultsbecausethey’veimproved;andtheyimprovedbecauseIfocusedmoreinclass’

‘OneofthethingsIfoundhardaboutmyexamsisREVISING’

‘SoIaskedthepeopleinthePersonalEducationPlan(PEP)meetingforwayswhichwouldhelpmerevise’

‘Itfeltgoodaskingpeoplethequestionsinsteadofthemaskingmethequestions’

Whowouldbeproudofyoufordoingthispresentation?

‘IthinkLisa(teacher)wouldbeproudofthefactthatImanagedtodothispresentationbecausewhenitcametoitIfoundithardbutshetoldmetokeeptrying.AndnowthatI’vedoneit,Ithinkshewouldbereallyproud’

Whatdoyouthinkyourteacherwouldsay?

‘ThisPowerpointchangedthewayteachersviewmebecausetheywerelisteningtomewhilsttheywereansweringmyquestionsandnowtheyknowalotmoreaboutme’

The END.