The dreaded PE lessons, now it’s official

Posted by Mark Raw in Childcare Industry Harmony Childrens Services

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17873519

Having read the article by the BBC on how teenage girls or opting out of PE,http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17873519 I am pleased to see the creative ways in which this is being address by some schools and at the same time unsurprised at the widening gap between boys and girls.

Some interesting points raised was the competitive and somewhat elitist side of PE, and concentrating on only the best pupils, you have to wonder if this is all about the good Ofsted score for their lessons?

The article raised the issues of girls being “body conscious” and therefore not wanting to get changed in to PE outfits as it sets them apart at times. I remember my PE days as great fun, but also recall that the girls stopped playing the same sports as we did in the second year when I was a Boston Spa comprehensive school. We were all allowed to choose what sessions we did for each half term. If I remember the girls had the staples of hockey, trampolineing and net ball, but I don’t remember them opting out. Maybe we had more of an eagerness to be up and moving about, playing games for the sake of playing and more motivations that to be on facebook, twitter and BBM’ing than kids nowadays.

However the issue was highlighted in March 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/7288175.stm where they were asking the questions to find out what stops girls from joining in. As mentioned earlier I like the innovative approaches taken by some schools using different and more youthful forms of exercising like Zumba and rollerblading to encourage participation.

Great ideas, but I wonder what other sports could be played in the teenage years that would get girls more involved. I’m surprised that there is no sort of “industrial” sized Wii or Kinetix style game system that could be used during the colder months.

That is the type of creative thinking we like to do at Harmony, it finds ways that allow the overall aim to be achieved, that allows everyone to be on board. We make good use of the Wii in group and single player games, involving everyone and find it develops supportive relationships within the home, more self confidence and the thrill of achieving goals, something important to us all.

Working with kids web site

Posted by Mark Raw in Childcare Industry

I was just surfing the web to see what new approaches and ideas were happeing in the childcare industry and came across this well presented site. 

I found a really nice and simple article on working in a childrens home.  http://www.workingwithkids.co.uk/childrens-homes.html

Really…….. When did we stop kids from being kids and care more about beetles.

Posted by Mark Raw in Childcare Industry

Just read this article online by Ian Gallagher of the Daily Mail and had to have my say, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2046977/Children-tears-Richmond-Park-officials-pull-camps.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

 What is going on with people today when there are 6 guys jumping from a van to take down dens made by youngsters in a public park?  Firstly, a sledge hammer to crack a nut springs to mind, secondly did these Health and Safety park  commandos never build dens when they were kids?  Of course they did, we all did.  I had one up for 2 months where we lived.  It was a great source of fun for me and my friends.  We’d spend hours there each weekend without mobile phones, face book, instant messaging and all of the other modern things we have come to depend on, instead of encouraging our children to use their natural ability to explore through play.

The article talks about the “officials” deciding that the children were not safe, despite the fact that parents were there with their 7 year old children.  Surely the parents would have moved them on if they felt the kids were unsafe playing there.  After all they cared enough about their children to accompany them a short distance away, when they bought some ice creams leaving the dens unattended.

As such an activity seems common place in the park with Health and Safety ‘den commandos’ doing these raids on a regular basis, surely some Manager would just stop and think it through.  These youngsters are just using the park as other kids have done for years, messing around and taking part in childish activities.  Does the council want to erect signs saying No cycling, No Dens, No climbing trees, NOKIDS???

It should be noted that the site has been designated of special scientific interest for Cardinal Click Beetles, Stag Beetles and Deer.  Not that I don’t agree that they should be preserved and encouraged to thrive, but the park wardens will know where the colonies are and should preserve those areas only and allow the kids to do their thing in other areas.  Too simple or am I missing something????

I finish with the statement from the Royal Parks spokesman “…. for the benefit of the visitors we have to dismantle dens if there is a risk they could collapse”.

Why not suggest that they maybe they advise little Tom how to build a better den that does not collapse, thus improve his design, engineering and building skills.  Who knows what great structure little Tom could be responsible for when he is older.

I guess that’s how Isambard Brunel started……….

Happy 1/2 Bithday to Harmony

Posted by Mark Raw in Childcare Industry Harmony Childrens Services

Happy ½ birthday to Harmony I had the privilege to meet up with other child care professionals and commissioners at the recent NCCT conference. I found the discussions very positive also found the workshops very informative. The two days gave me some interesting ideas to consider on how to further develop Harmony and its ethos. We also received praise from some regards what we have been able to achieve in this difficult climate. It is always hard to walk around at a conference and try to recognise name badges, so apologies if I was unable to catch up with you all during the day or at the now legendary quiz and disco.

From this event Harmony has had a number of potential clients express an interest in what we can offer and several meetings have already been arranged with a few of the larger organisations who are keen to come and see what we have been doing and how we are doing it.

If I missed you or you didn’t attend NCCT we will be at the ‘Community Care Live’ event for Childrens and Families in November. Alternatively if you wish we can make a separate arrangement to meet you personally, either at Harmony House or at your office and discuss how Harmony can help meet your needs.

There was memory stick that was provided to all delegates at the conference, which included a flyer form ourselves. However I feel that at present, without an Ofsted certificate, our best form of endorsement comes from the commissioners and social workers that we currently work alongside. If you wish to find out from your peers in the industry about the high quality service we offer please let me know and I will speak with those concerned and pass on their details if they are happy to do so.

It has now been six months now since Harmony House received its Ofsted certified status on the 21st March.

A huge amount has happened in such a short space of time; we currently have 50% occupancy and have the high possibility of two more referrals coming to fruition within the next 5-6 weeks. More of that later in the year hopefully.

We have created a solid and skilled staff team who are using their skills to provide high quality support and promotion of independence skills to our residents on a daily basis. The current residents have enjoyed joining in on some of the in training to help them in later life and provide qualifications to strengthen their own job applications. On that, well done to those who attended and passed the Fire safety and health and safety course. The kids have also had some wonderful days out; at Blackpool, Alton Towers and shopping trips to mention a few.

I am eagerly waiting for our first Ofsted Inspections to be carried out. I expect that it will be very soon given how long we have been open now. I will update everyone with how they can access the report when the private links are available. We will have a link to all our reports on the website so that you can access them.

At this point though I would like to thank all those who have offered advice, guidance and support to myself and Harmony to assist us in getting to this point. And also thank you to all the staff that has helped to provide the residents with such positive experiences and inputs into their lives, and have changed the kids’ views for the better of what a children’s home is. Keep up all the good work.

Mark Raw

Cause and Effect – What wrong with the “Old School” ways

Posted by Mark Raw in Childcare Industry

Unless you have been holidaying somewhere off the globe, you cannot have failed to see, and perhaps been affected in some way, by the recent rioting in certain parts of the country.  The geography of the riots tells a number of stories about the root causes of these events, but that is not what I want to share right now.

Given the eventual but effective quelling of these riots by the police, I sat watching the TV wondering why this took so long to deal with.  Even when they found that some of the more extreme tactics worked, they appeared reluctant to use them for fear of the reactions and potential comebacks from the public and/or media.

It would seem that one area where they are not showing any hesitation is in the courts and judicial system.  I don’t ever remember seeing the courts so busy, so organised and so decisive in their sentencing. 

I do wish to be clear that I am not saying they should have soft sentencing, quite the opposite in fact.  Unfortunately the judges and magistrates seem to be giving very harsh sentencing, with the vast majority of these being custodial.  Given the past few years of courts appearing to take a much softer response to criminal activity, this has seemed to shock some people. 

The most vocal are those who are friends of criminals who have handled some of the looted goods, going on about how his/her life is now ruined after receiving a 1½ year sentence for hiding a looted TV.  Forgive me if I am wrong, but I always though that was classed as “handling stolen goods” and therefore an offence that brings with it the risk of prosecution and potentially a custodial sentence if caught.  An individual interviewed on the radio says that he was expecting his friend to get a slap on the wrist as the result of such an offence.  

In my opinion this should signal the start of a wave of changes this county needs to go through to ensure that ‘crime doesn’t pay’.  It was only two months ago that the law changed to allow people to protect their own property without fear that the burglar could sue them for damages if they were hurt in the attempt to eject them from burgling someone’s home. 

Of those who have not met me I am on the right side of 40, but not too young to remember when children were brought up with very simple rules about right and wrong, mostly given to us by our parents and at times grandparents as societal norms had not changed much over the years.  They were quite simply:

• Cause and effect – if you misbehave there will be consequences to deal with.    
• If you get in to trouble at school; you will be in trouble at home.   
• If you show respect, you will earn the respect from others

This was very simple guidance that formed the central core of how we lived and managed ourselves.  The youth of the day did get into trouble, but there was stigma attached to that very difficult age in life, but were we as badly behaved as the young people we have seen looting and rioting?.  An arrested rioter was 11 years old- I was still playing with my Action Man at that age. 

What they seem to lack understanding of, is that there are consequences to actions.  The judicial system is now demonstrating this (in my opinion) in a very clear and firm way that may not seem proportionate, but it’s less about them and their rights, its more about how they have taken the rights from others and how they will take responsibility for this.  If that means six months, a year or more in Her Majesty’s Prisons will that be a lesson learned?

 The next six months will be a very telling time for our country and the youth in particular.  Do they pull themselves back into line and remember that with all the rights they take great pleasure in telling you they have, there are responsibilities too.  Or will it get worse before it gets better- is it up to the youth or us to decide?

Jail Bars and Nail Bars

Posted by Mark Raw in Childcare Industry Harmony Childrens Services

It looks like the issue of ‘Kids behind Bars’ has made it to the mainstream media as it is being shown onBBC1 on Thursday evenings.  It has even caused one desperate mother to contact me to seek advice and guidance.

There has been a lot going on in July, several key reports have been published the main ones being:  The Children’s Society reports on Runaways, http://www.cypnow.co.uk/Social_Care/article/1079987/runaways-must-seen-risk/   The Children’s Homes data pack: http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/families/childrenincare/childrenshomes/a00192000/childrens-homes-data-pack   And the DoE children’s home quarterly news letter: http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/families/childrenincare/childrenshomes/a00192002/a-newsletter-for-the-childrens-homes-sector

The data pack has been a very useful tool to show what is happening within the residential sector over the last few turbulent years. There have been lots of changes and it features some constructive ways to move forward.

The newsletter is a welcome read; it’s been a long time coming that a single document was produced by those who set the national policy.  The two items that I found particularly good were a) engagement with unit managers to share good practice and b) residential homes can be a positive influence on the child if they are ‘person centred’ to facilitate an ‘extended family’ environment.  This is very much in line with what Harmony House has in place and our nurturing approach may mean that we are ahead of the game already.

Harmony House must be achieving what we set out to do, as we have now admitted our second resident and the transition has gone very well so far, with very little or no impact on the existing resident.  I would say this is somewhat down to our keen matching process.  Not as some may say “cherry picking” but by putting the needs and the progress of those already in situ , and making sure that the placement is sustained and not threatened by the need to fill another bed.  Some my say that this is not the best approach to running a children’s home, however in my opinion this is indeed the correct approach. 

I hope that the partnership approach of openness, honesty and mutual respect with Local Authorities and the children/young people has made our current resident’s experience of children’s homes a positive and productive one.  I very much hope this experience provides them with a positive experience which continues to influence them long after they move on from Harmony House. 

The summer holidays are fast approaching, and this is giving us time to get out there and explore what the county has to offer in ways of days out, beaches, theme parks and maybe some overnight visits to explore different places.  The staff remit is to encourage our young residents to adopt the view that the days are not just spent in a warm house, watching TV and going to the shops for more DVDs.

 A big “well done” to our longest term resident who has taken her work experience in a beauty salon to the next level of paid work, with the real possibility of full time employment in the near future.  She has been requested to undertake a nail course and complete the first part of the training, before the next session at the end of August when she needs to practice her nail painting techniques. Needless to say, the female staff members have taken full advantage of this offer and we now have the best manicured staff team in the country….. well the females at least!  To the best of my knowledge the males have not yet had their fingers or toes practiced on as yet, but there is still plenty of time!

Is running away a too easy option? part 2

Posted by Mark Raw in Childcare Industry

In my opinion, I feel that the child in care feels very differently. They have possibly had access to all these experience well before they were ready. This is usually under the tutelage of the older kids in the care homes as there is nothing else to do.

As far as they are concerned they know what to expect as recourse and what they are doing. They have factored in being grounded in a house they don’t want to be at, with other kids that they don’t like, or are scared of, so why not run away?  It makes simple sense, and anyway “X did it and he was ok. I get to do what I when I want, your not nagging me to do things, I don’t have to see X or Y at the home, I get to see my friends and be normal”.

The phrase “I’ll have to tell your social worker/keyworker/Home Manger” does not have the same weight to a child in care as that of someone not in care of ‘telling your parents’ does. Hence the reaction “I’m off”. And in the more extreme cases “….and I’m not coming back”.

It has got to be a monumental upheaval from what they see as their normality for children who have been placed in care, either voluntarily or by court order – the need to adjust to the new rules and regulations that are thrust upon them (some good some bad). All this when they have probably come from a background of poor, if any, boundaries and enforcement of these, poor family relationships and role models. The child will resort back to our primaleval actions of ‘fight or flight’.   As we know in most children’s homes and foster carer’s homes there are consequences and physical interventions for the ‘fight’ aspect which will feed into them making the next decision of ‘flight’.

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your viewpoint, children are very resilient beings and the majority of them manage to keep themselves safe until they make the right decision to return back home or they find another place of safety. However some children will never return, sucked into the darker side of society and never seen again.

Given that the majority of these children who do run away do so from care homes and care environments, it is all our responsibility and more so those who work in, manage and run these establishments, to take a lead role to see that the child has no reason to run away. And, in addition, to try to educated the children into the dangers of their actions and help them to see that there are other options and choices to make. There is even the option to set up ‘safe houses’ so when it all gets too much they can run away in an organised manner, defuse themselves in a safe and secure house and return when they are ready.

Radical maybe, but a way forward. After all, where do most of our own kids run away to after an argument? Grandparents, aunties, neighbours, a friend.s house….  Why should kids in care be no different and not have that place of safety.

Is running away a too easy option

Posted by Mark Raw in Childcare Industry

I have been reading the Children’s Society report “Make Runaways Safe” on the Childrens and Young Peoples web site, http://www.cypnow.co.uk/Social_Care/article/1079987/runaways-must-seen-risk/ and within the article is a link to the report at http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/tcs/make_runaways_safe_report.pdf

A very interesting read, of which there seems to be no surprises in their findings from my experiences from working within the Childrens residential sector and also being a long term foster career for my own local authority.  I have looked after some challenging children who themselves have run away at times.

The Children’s Society, who have produced the third in a series of reports, have been working with numerous agencies who are involved with runaways up and down the county over the last 25 years.  It comes as no shock that they have seen a significant rise in numbers in those years

The report breaks the 100,000 runaways each year into five groups, with the “Children in Care” group being three times more likely to run away, but only making up two percent of the total.  A third of records showed that they faced “Difficulties at School” and/or “Children involved in Drugs / Alcohol or in trouble with the police”, those “who’s parents’ relationships have broken down” and then those “who have or are considered to have a disability or learning disability”.

I can only comment with experience on those within the care system.  In my opinion the national systems that children’s homes are required to run to are in some ways set up to leave the children, in their minds, with no choice but to run away.  I have looked into the reasons why and usually end up coming back to one answer.  In the child’s mind it is the only option that is guaranteed to allow them to do what they wish to and we all know how focused a teenager can be.  It’s part of their make up at that age.

Let me explain – all too often there are too many hoops, regulations and “Company / House Rules” to struggle through or negotiate round to allow the child to lead the same life as his/her peers that are not in care or are like our own children at home.  This can be from coming back later than agreed after being out with friends, going in to town, staying out at friend’s a party that they probably should not be at etc etc…. It is all real life and all part of growing up.

However when our own children behave like that, they get grounded, pocket money stopped, Xbox’s taken off them for a week or so  etc etc… but they know that we still love them unconditionally, and we are only protecting them and doing what’s best as parents to help them grow up.

Extended Placements, 5 Star “Scores on the Doors” Award and Gold in Healthy Choice Awards

Posted by Mark Raw in Childcare Industry Harmony Childrens Services

26th June 2011

It has been another productive few weeks again. Every time I set out to write my blog I have more good news to share. This time it’s requests for placements being extended, achieving 5 Stars on the National Food Hygiene Scores and being awarded the Gold Level Award in the Kirklees Healthy Choice Award.

Without too much detail, confidentiality of course, I am very proud to say that we have been asked to extend the placement of our current resident for a further 3 months and to help into the initial stages of adulthood.  I have been advised that it is a first for the authority and is somewhat a reflection of the good work achieved by the individual, aided by ourselves and a great demonstration and affirmation of what we can achieve in a short space of time.   A big WELL DONE  to all the staff for their work in this, and especially to the resident for their efforts.

Still achieving, I am please to say that we have been given the highest award by Kirklees Environmental Health Services for our Food Hygiene Standards – that’s 5 stars. To see more about this you can access the national data base at http://www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk. You will can find us on there, but please don’t confuse us with the Harmony Children’s Centre – they only scored 4.   This is a nationally recognised award that carries a lot of value and demonstrates the high standards we provide in all areas, not just in the expected “care and support side”.   Here at Harmony we have high expectation in all areas and I hope that these standards and expectations are passed on to our residents to help ensure they lead a healthy and safe lifestyle.

From achieving this high level of recognition we were recommended by the authority to apply for the ‘Kirklees Healthy Choice’ Award.  I wasted no time in getting the application off, confident of the high standard of the food we offer and provide.  Today we have been informed that we have again achieved a Gold Level Award, scoring well in all areas. Further proof that Harmony House is not just a safe environment, regarding health and safety (as acknowledge by CHAS), and a safe place to prepare food (as recognised by the 5 stars), but now, as Gold award holders of the Healthy Choices Award, a healthy place to eat.

Following on from my previous blog, it was pleasing to see further arrests of the some of the torturous and abusive staff at the Winterbourne Hospital.  I hope they are charged and sentenced to the letter of the law.

There have been further notable documentaries on BBC3 called Kids Behind Bars (Thursdays BBC 3 9pm – you can catch up on the BBC iplayer if you missed them).  A very interesting watch, of which I am sure people have some differing views.   Having personally collected and worked with a resident released from Vinny Green in a past life, when I carried out my assessment visits I can say that it was an intimidating place to go as a visitor even as an adult.  I eventually collected the resident and you feel the permanent tension in air and see the excitement in leaving the secure unit.  I though the staff handled the situation well in what seemed to be a understaffed time, and also with the presence of TV cameras, of which I am sure caused the children to play up to.   I was particularly taken aback by Aimy, the teacher, who showed a great attitude when the chair was thrown in her class.  She noted it was not at her, but to the side of her and thrown for effect and acting out, hence addressed it in a professional manner and maintained the empathic approach.   More people working and thinking like Aimy will make the system a much better place for the kids to be, even if they are in secure units.  More understanding of what their needs are and how we can work better with them and then it’s a “win win” situation for the children and staff.

Panorama and Winterbourne View hospital

Posted by Mark Raw in Childcare Industry

I don’t usually watch these types of programmes as they anger me so much but I watched the Panorama expose of Winterbourne View hospital (31st May 2011), titled ‘Undercover Care: The Abuse Exposed’. What it must be like to live with the daily torture that was freely dispensed by the sadistic staff I cannot even think.

As was stated during the programme unfortunately it was the all too common place. It is the result of an unskilled senior staff member being given, and having taken, too much power, along with being extremely poorly managed by his seniors. He did not even want to have a career in care, bullying the staff to work and copy his actions, giving praise when they did and I can only assume alienating when they did not.

You have to ask;
1) How he even got through what should have been a solid and robust recruitment process. Even the most basic of systems would have flagged him up as a concern.

2) How the Manager of Winterbourne Hospital did not even pick up any of these actions, behaviours and the institutionalised behaviours of the staff shown. This, even after the criminal proceedings and dismissal of a staff member two months before the documentary was made.

3) How did CQC not pick up anything even when given the blindingly obvious information of 24 restraints in a 7 day period. That would be the ones that were recorded. Surely that would have had alarm bells ringing.

My heart goes out to the parents of those shown, how they must be feeling I cannot even start to comprehend and to those not shown who have had their own children live there and will never know what, if anything, had happened to their children whilst in the care of these monsters.

I eagerly await the news that will hopefully come soon, giving the custodial sentences handed out to these highlighted.

I hope that all Res Workers, Managers, Senior Managers and owners linked to care homes, be it children, adults and elderly all take stock and question “Are they really happy with how there home run and operated by others?”. “Do the staff at all levels deserve to hold the very responsible role they have been given?” and the harder question……… if not “what will you do about it”?

[I am pleased to see that four people have already been arrested according to BBC News]