Working together to strengthen practice in residential child care: The power of observation, reflection and feedback

In the second in this series of blogs posts Marc Blyth, Lead Learning Co-Ordinator at children’s charity Aberlour Sycamore, which provides residential child care across Scotland, explains the opportunities in observing colleagues for practice learning and providing feedback when changing ways of working.

Working together to strengthen practice in residential child care: Laying the groundwork for change

Marc Blyth, Lead Learning Co-Ordinator at children’s charity Aberlour Sycamore, which provides residential child care across Scotland, discusses how developing consistent, high-quality residential child care practice together as a workforce can be much less daunting than it initially feels.

When data tells us the what but not the why

CELCIS’s Data Lead, Micky Anderson, takes a look at the latest social work statistics in Scotland for clues about what is happening in the support for children in need of care and protection and their families.

“It’s about…believing our own words”: Bringing together the voices of care experienced people

Rebekah Pierre is a care experienced writer, author, social worker, and editor of a new anthology, ‘Free Loaves on Fridays: The Care System As Told By People Who Actually Get It’, which brings together stories, essays, poems and letters by 100 care experienced children and adults. In this conversation with CELCIS, she discusses the process of developing this anthology and how she hopes the book will help shift the narrative of care experience.

Walking in Fred’s shoes

Alison Cowper, Service Manager with the Independent Care and Review Team (Children and Families) at Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership talks about how ‘what does this mean for Fred?’ influenced their work with CELCIS when process mapping their current system.

COVID-19 – An opportunity to connect with time

Elaine Hamilton, Service Manager at Nether Johnstone House describes how lockdown due to the current emergency health crisis has changed the thinking, outlooks, and actions of both the young people and the team that surround them.

‘Why didn’t you f*cking restrain me’: when physical restraint can meet a child’s need

John Radoux, a child and adolescent counsellor who grew up in care and works in children's homes discusses why we need to reevaluate attitudes to physical restraint.

Can theory be an ally in efforts to reduce physical restraint?

Erica Barr is a House Leader with South Ayrshire Council. Here she discusses the need to link theory with practice to improve our understanding of children and young people.

Unintended consequences: Restraint and criminalisation of looked after children

The criminisation of children in residential care. We need to be careful when changing practice as there can be unintended consequences.

Should our young people be experiencing physical restraint at any level?

David Grimm asks if physical restraint should be used at all in residential child care, using his own experience of care to discuss the ability to adapt to the needs of individuals young people.