Tackling the difficult issues facing those who work with traumatized and sometimes dangerous young people and their families, this new volume shows how professionals can bring about positive change and growth through the creation of «holding» and healing therapeutic environments. This collection of papers written by established and respected experts with extensive practice and research experience builds a powerful picture of the theory and practice of therapeutic community work with young people. A wide variety of therapeutic community approaches is considered alongside an analysis of the implications of this model for mainstream residential practice. Social work, health care and education professionals will find the text invaluable for its presentation of a well-founded analysis of their work with these most damaged and desperate children and young people.
Gwyneth Doherty-Sneddon, a developmental psychologist and the mother of two young children, demonstrates the way in which a young child's developing personality and intelligence is revealed through non-verbal communication. She shows how parents and other adults have the potential to facilitate a child's social and intellectual growth through acknowledging and responding to this unspoken language. Taking an in-depth look at four of the channels of non-verbal communication – hand gesture, facial expression, eye gaze and touch – this accessible text follows the development of young children from birth to late primary school age. Using jargon-free language Children's Unspoken Language is invaluable reading for parents and professionals alike.
Drawing on in-depth interviews with social workers and their managers, and families and young people themselves, the authors of this important book show how the principles embodied in the Assessment Framework have been applied to social work practice. Revisiting the principles outlined in the legislative context and the Assessment Framework, they show how the focus on assessment has affected the work with children, and the experiences of children and families themselves. The authors identify a range of issues that influence the implementation of the Assessment Framework, including the key areas where support and training are needed. They review social workers' and other professionals' appraisal of how the Assessment Framework affects individual practice and inter-agency collaboration, as well as exploring how satisfied young people and their parents are with the assessments they are involved in. Finally, they examine the cost to social services of undertaking a core assessment. Emphasising the importance of a joined-up child care service, the authors' findings have been taken into account in the development of the Integrated Children's System. This book should be read by all those professionals who are working to promote the welfare and well-being of children.
Social care workers in residential or domiciliary settings need to be able to communicate effectively in order to carry out their work. Supporting people with a variety of difficulties including hearing loss, impaired speech, visual impairment, dementia and physical and learning disabilities requires a range of communication skills, such as listening, sign language, writing notes, and using body language, touch and stimulation. This workbook will provide workers with the ability to enable adults with limited or no verbal communication skills to make decisions, and to express their views in their preferred method of communication. Effective Communication includes practical guidance on using communication tools, such as computers, staff photo rota boards and pictorial menu boards, and use of photographs as visual reminders. The workbook meets the requirements of care standards and also refers to the importance of recording and reporting, and dealing with sensitive and complex issues, such as breaking the news of a family bereavement, or communicating with a person who has been abused. Designed to meet the requirements of Health and Social Care (Adults) NVQ Level 3, Unit 31, this workbook is also a valuable source of guidance for any social care worker wanting to improve communication with the people they support.
In this reflective yet practical book, the author challenges white helping professionals to recognize their own cultural identity and the impact it has when practising in a multicultural environment. Judy Ryde reveals how white people have implicit and explicit advantages and privileges that often go unnoticed by them. She suggests that in order to work effectively in a multicultural setting, this privilege needs to be fully acknowledged and confronted. She explores whether it is possible to talk about a white identity, addresses uncomfortable feelings such as guilt or shame, and offers advice on how to implement white awareness training within an organization. Ryde offers a model for 'white awareness' in a diverse society and provides concrete examples from her own experience. This book is essential reading for students and practitioners in the helping professions, including social workers, psychotherapists, psychologists, counsellors, healthcare workers, occupational therapists and alternative health practitioners.
This book offers a thorough examination and discussion of the evidence on attachment, its influence on development, and attachment disorders. In Part One, the authors outline attachment theory, the influence of sensitive and insensitive caregiving and the applicability of attachment theory across cultures. Part Two presents the various instruments used to assess attachment and caregiving. Part Three outlines the influence of attachment security on the child's functioning. Part Four examines the poorly understood phenomenon of attachment disorder. Presenting the evidence of scientific research, the authors reveal how attachment disorders may be properly conceptualised. Referring to some of the wilder claims made about attachment disorder, they argue for a disciplined, scientific approach that is grounded in both attachment theory and the evidence base. The final part is an overview of evidence-based interventions designed to help individuals form secure attachments. Summarising the existing knowledge base in accessible language, this is a comprehensive reference book for professionals including social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, teachers, lawyers and researchers. Foster and adoptive parents, indeed all parents, and students will also find it of interest.
What challenges do 6-7-year-olds face as they learn new skills and face different social situations? How do their perceptions of the world change? How can we best support them in their move towards greater independence?This accessible book provides a wealth of information to help parents, educators and carers better relate to children at this exciting, yet demanding, stage of development. From the new-found sense of rivalry between siblings or classmates, to the anxieties children feel when making new friends, Corinne Aves offers guidance on encouraging children's development and helping them to cope with changing expectations of their behaviour. She discusses the various struggles in these children's lives – such as the conflict between a child's continuing desire to please his parents and the pressure to follow the leads of his friends – and gives tips for supporting children's increasing understanding of morality. Chapters on both school and family life explain the need for discipline and order in 'middle childhood', while specific areas of development such as reading skills and learning difficulties are addressed with sensitivity and insight. Understanding 6-7-Year-Olds will prove an enlightening read for anyone hoping to better understand children at this important stage of their lives.
Mealtimes are about much more than just re-fuelling, and the importance of mealtimes in the care of people with dementia cannot be overestimated. Using her extensive experience of working with older people with dementia, Grethe Berg explains how mealtimes can be used as natural opportunities for meaningful interaction, socialising and reminiscing, and useful forums for taking part in familiar tasks. The book considers the social significance of mealtimes and their role in maintaining patients' feelings of social attachment and well-being as well as the impact of the symptoms of dementia on food and mealtimes. It also explores different types of residential care and how they can make mealtimes a focus of activity for patients. Finally, the author discusses practical implementation strategies, considering variables such as building design, interdisciplinary collaboration, organization of staff and residents, and staff participation and conduct at mealtimes. This book provides much-needed help and practical strategies for care managers and carers to reclaim mealtimes as positive experiences for people with dementia.
Most adopted children and their families will, sooner or later, encounter the challenges of dealing with unresolved attachment issues or early traumatic experiences. New Families, Old Scripts is an accessible introduction to understanding these challenges and helping children and their families to develop a shared language and understanding of one another. Steeped in the experience of the authors, the book offers a wealth of practical guidance and intervention in a no-nonsense style that will be readily understandable to both families and the professionals who work with them. Case examples bring the issues to life, while sample letters addressed to the parent offer sensitive, jargon-free advice on the issues they are likely to encounter – whether it be dealing with anger and aggression, understanding sibling issues or how to react to sexualised behaviour. The authors also explain some of the theoretical background to trauma to encourage a better understanding of the relationship between trauma, attachment and development. The accessible combination of theoretical approaches and practical advice makes New Families, Old Scripts an ideal resource for social workers and adoptive or foster parents. Family Futures Consortium provides services for parents and professionals working with adopted and fostered children, including training and consultation for statutory and voluntary agencies nationwide. In their therapeutic work with families, they have evolved a unique intensive, multi-disciplinary approach to supporting children with attachment and trauma-related difficulties.
Spirituality is increasingly acknowledged to be an essential part of child development. David Hay argues for the inclusion of spiritual awareness as a cross-curricular element in the school syllabus to promote the development of morality and social cohesion. While culturally constructed pressures and the decline in institutional religion have led to the suppression of spiritual expression, children are, the author maintains, capable of profound and meaningful beliefs from an early age. A three-year research study into young children's spirituality and its survival value informs Hay's view that spirituality in education needs to overcome traditional approaches and should adopt a theory of spirituality that includes religion but is not confined to it. This stimulating book will encourage educators, parents and others involved in teaching children to consider new approaches to foster children's natural spiritual development.