Do we always know what troubled children need ? Some comments on the thoughts of Hans Kornerup about “predictability”and the way we plan for the care of the ‘unintegrated child.’

This piece first appeared on the goodenoughcaring Home Page at http://www.goodenoughcaring.com on February 12th. 2011

There is a small but significant number of children, often described as emotionally “unintegrated”, whose behaviour is so deeply troubling and out of touch with social reality that they can no longer live with their birth family. These are children who have experienced traumatic disruptions in their lives from an early age.

Those who have been involved with working with children like this will have attended planning meetings where the received wisdom of the adults asserts, “What this child needs is predictability”. In the book “Milieu-therapy” with Children which he edited, Hans Kornerup makes some observations about this notion of predictability. He suggests however much the statement that a child has a need for predictability is intended to be an expression of the adults’ professional insight, it does not fully represent the child’s predicament let alone the child’s needs. Participants in such a meeting go on to plan conscientiously for the child to have a therapeutic experience which they believe will provide the child with predictability and therefore security. There are times, Kornerup believes, when this kind of statement and the plans which ensue from it might more accurately be understood otherwise. For Kornerup planning for predictability is not sufficient for children whose childhoods have been severely disrupted. For such children he writes,



‘their plans and expectations of the future are vague, almost non-existent, as they live in a timeless, here-and-now existence without prospects, filled with anxiety, confusion and chaos where every change to a new situation (structure) defined by adults creates more confusion, unrest and acting out. Based on this I am tempted to think that the spread of the concept of predictability is perhaps intended in a magical, and inexplicable manner to calm the adults who often find themselves in very difficult, confusing and unmanageable situations that make demands and raise questions regarding their own personality and attributes – “Am I capable of managing this?” ‘ *



For Kornerup unintegrated children ‘with an uncertain sense of their continued existence, can in no way experience surroundings as predictable, - even if they are - in the same way as they cannot contain inner continuity.’



In our view Hans Kornerup’s ideas helpfully demand that those who plan placements for deeply troubled children should not be seduced by spurious scripted, predicted and fixed solutions. Rather they should first hear the child, (with all his or her confusion, anxiety, fear, hate, lack of affect and so forth), second, they should ensure that there is a predictable nature to the structured physical, and material routines of care a child will receive, and, thirdly, they might also acknowledge and accept the unpredictable (to begin with at least) nature of the relationships and emotional containment which are at the core of therapeutic child care.





* From ‘On the Concept of Predictability’ in “Milieu-therapy" with Children: Planned Environmental Therapy in Scandinavia (ed. Kornerup, H.) Denmark Perikon pp279-288

This book is distributed in the United Kingdom by the National Children’s Bureau

Something more to ponder : should the nature of public child care systems be personal or political ?

This piece was first posted on the Home Page at http://www.goodenoughcaring.com  on February 4th, 2011.

Leanne Rose , reflecting in 1990 on her experience of working in a residential resource in Alberta, Canada where she was helping to provide care for Darren wrote,

“I soon learned the reality of the child welfare system, as well as how the system hinders the therapeutic nature of child and youth care. Darren did not receive the treatment that he needed; he had never been able to form a meaningful and lasting bond with someone, nor did he receive the unconditional love he yearned for. It was through Darren that I realized that my position as a child and youth care worker is dependant upon a bureaucratic system. I also came to understand that the therapeutic nature of child and youth care has to exist primarily in the here and now, and that somewhere the consistency of care for children, and our responsibility as a society to our youth, was lost in a politicized system.” *


We are sure child care workers from many different countries and cultures will identify with Leanne’s experience. Twenty years on it seems to us the disconnection illustrated by Leanne between what should be provided to nurture an individual child and what is provided by public child care systems still prevails. We hope that there are some places where this dichotomy no longer exists. If there are, it would be good to hear about them.







* This is a quotation from Leanne Rose's article "On being a Child and Youth Care Worker" We offer our acknowledgment to the Journal of Child and Youth Care where Leanne's article was first published (Volume 5 Number 1, 1990 p. 161-166) , and CYC-Online. Access the full article at http://www.cyc-net.org/cyc-online/cycol-0401-rose.html

January 25th, 2011, family life, Robert Burns Style

This excerpt from A Cotter's Saturday Night is Robert Burns' idyll of family life in a small farmer's cottage in 18th century Scotland. A cotter was given accommodation which he paid for by giving his labour to neighbouring farmers who either owned, or tenanted their farms. Does such a family exist now either in fact or in spirit ? Let's hope so.



November chill blaws loud wi' angry sugh;
The short'ning winter-day is near a close;
The miry beasts retreating frae the pleugh;
The black'ning trains o' craws to their repose:
The toil-worn Cotter frae his labor goes --
This night his weekly moil is at an end,
Collects his spades, his mattocks, and his hoes,
Hoping the morn in ease and rest to spend,
And weary, o'er the moor, his course does hameward bend.

At length his lonely cot appears in view,
Beneath the shelter of an aged tree;
Th' expectant wee-things, toddlin, stacher through
To meet their dad, wi' flichterin' noise and glee.
His wee bit ingle, blinkin bonilie,
His clean hearth-stane, his thrifty wifie's smile,
His lisping infants, prattling on his knee,
Does a' his weary carking cares beguile,
And makes him quite forget his labor and his toil.



Belyve, the elder bairns come drapping in,
At service out, amang the farmers roun';
Some ca' the pleugh, some herd, some tentie rin
A cannie errand to a neebor town:
Their eldest hope, their Jenny, woman grown,
In youthfu' bloom, love sparkling in her e'e,
Comes hame; perhaps, to shew a braw new gown,
Or deposite her sair-won penny-fee,
To help her parents dear, if they in hardship be.


With joy unfeign'd, brothers and sisters meet,
And each for other's weelfare kindly spiers:
The social hours, swift-wing'd, unnotic'd fleet;
Each tells the uncos that he sees or hears.
The parents partial eye their hopeful years;
Anticipation forward points the view;
The mother, wi' her needle and her sheers,
Gars auld claes look amainst as weel's the new;
The father mixes a' wi' admonition due.


Their master's and their mistress's command
The younkers a' are warned to obey
And mind their labors wi' an eydent hand,
And ne'er, tho' out o' sight, to jauk or play:
And O! be sure to fear the Lord always,
And mind your duty, duly, morn and night;
Lest in temptation's path ye gang astray,
Implore His counsel and assisting might:
They never sought in vain that sought the Lord aright.'


But hark! a rap comes gently to the door;
Jenny, wha kens the meaning o' the same,
Tells how a neebor lad came o'er the moor,
To do some errands, and convoy her hame.
The wily mother sees the conscious flame
Sparkle in Jenny's e'e, and flush her cheek;
With heart-struck anxious care, enquires his name,
While Jenny hafflins is afraid to speak;
Weel-pleas'd the mother hears, it's nae wild worthless rake.


With kindly welcome, Jenny brings him ben;
A strappin' youth, he takes the mother's eye;
Blythe Jenny sees the visit's no ill taen;
The father cracks of horses, pleughs, and kye.
The youngster's artless heart o'erflows wi' joy,
But blate and laithfu', scarce can weel behave;
The mother, wi' a woman's wiles, can spy
What makes the youth sae bashfu' and sae grave;
Weel-pleas'd to think her bairn's respected like the lave.


O happy love! where love like this is found:
O heart-felt raptures! bliss beyond compare!
I've paced much this weary, mortal round,
And sage experience bids me this declare:-
'If Heaven a draught of heavenly pleasure spare,
One cordial in this melancholy vale,
'Tis when a youthful, loving, modest pair,
In other's arms, breathe out the tender tale
Beneath the milk-white thorn that scents the ev'ning gale.'


Is there, in human form, that bears a heart,
A wretch! a villain! lost to love and truth!
That can, with studied, sly, ensnaring art,
Betray sweet Jenny's unsuspecting youth?
Curse on his perjur'd arts! dissembling, smooth!
Are honor, virtue, conscience, all exil'd?
Is there no pity, no relenting ruth,
Points to the parents fondling o'er their child?
Then paints the ruin'd maid, and their distraction wild?


Comments

Calum Strathie comments : Thanks for a Cotter's Saturday Nicht. What a wonderful observer of the human condition was oor Rabbie. I'm sure that in another age he would have made use of his communication and interpersonal skills to inspire and activate others. He would have had great pleasure in pricking pomposities and giant egos with his very sharp pen. Just think what he could do with the present government, MPs and lords on the fiddle, bankers or so called 'celebrities' on TV!


Alan MacQuarrie writes : I love The Cottar’s Saturday Nicht, but there must be an element of irony in the last 2 or 3 verses you quote here. Burns was an inspired and insightful poet, but he was also – I’m sorry to say – an appalling sexual predator. People nowadays condemn the kirk sessions who rebuked him for his antics, but they saw themselves as protecting young women from his predatory behaviour. I really don’t know what to think of Burns. He had charm, wit, good looks and endless talent, but he was also a very naughty young man who got lots of people into trouble in the days before contraception. I love his verse, and the wonderful folk-tunes he collected. But I also think he was very naughty and gave little thought to the consequences of his actions for others.

This isn’t a rant. I just don’t know what to think about Burns. So much to enjoy, but …


Alex Russon comments : I listened to Alex Salmond on Desert Island Discs on Friday. He was gushing about Burns I know why now.


Jeremy Millar scrieves : Fit like yersel. thanks for the Burn's day reflection. we will offer a Burn's nicht meal tae twa lassies far frae hame, freends o oor dochter.

Damocles descended : the sentencing of Edward Woollard

On January 11th, 2011 Geoffrey Rivlin QC handed down a "deterrent sentence" to Edward Woollard and sent him to prison for 2 years and 8 months. 18 years old Edward had acted dangerously while on a protest in London about the increase in student tuition fees and had put the lives of others at risk. On November 10th, 2010 Edward threw a fire extinguisher from the roof of the Conservative Party’s headquarters building at Millbank in London. The extinguisher narrowly missed falling on policemen and other protesters who were on the pavement and street below. The sentence the judge meted out to Edward was intended as a warning to others who might do something like this in the future.
Edward’s impulsive and dangerous deed was outrageous but in essence it was impelled by the same overwhelming excitement which has induced innumerable young people to carry out rash and potentially dangerous acts when for the first time they have become a part of the drama and hiatus of what they believe is righteous protest. In the United Kingdom peaceful and vociferous protest is a right. Protest can also be a part of the adolescent process so necessary for healthy human development. Many of us, however old we are now, may at some time in our lives have experienced the feelings Edward was having that day, but we were lucky enough not to have our impulsive, foolish and at times dangerous acts discovered. Equally some of us may have been discovered but were fortunate enough to be responded to by thoughtful adults who forgave our trespasses with a stern warning together with the opportunity to reflect on just how stupid our actions were. For most of us this response worked.
That’s why it is difficult to understand Judge Rivlin’s harsh, not to say vindictive sentencing of Edward Woollard. Edward, it is generally accepted, has previously been of good character. He is not a hardened criminal. He is not even an experienced activist. This was the first protest he had attended. After the offence was committed Edward accepted the advice of his mother to give himself up to the police immediately. Since the event he has consistently expressed contrition for his act. Judge Rivlin says he took this into consideration but it does not seem to have engendered judicial moderation. For the next 16 months at least Edward will spend time firstly in a Young Offenders’ secure unit and subsequently in an adult prison. Will this help him ? Will making an example of Edward stop other young people doing thoughtless and at times dangerous things ?
It may not be unreasonable to conclude that Judge Rivlin’s decision has shown that the political and financial powers will be defended at all costs. If you threaten them or act to question their legitimacy you will not deal with the scales of justice, you will feel the sword of Damocles descended.

This was originally posted in the opinion section of the goodenoughcaring home page at http://www.goodenoughcaring.com/ on January 14th, 2011

Something else to consider : an idea from Harold Searles

The American psychoanalyst, Harold Searles, is something of a free spirit in his field and one of his many contributions to the helping professions is his idea that there is a symbiosis or mutual dependency in the relationship between those being looked after and those who do the looking after. His notion reminds us that it can sometimes be puzzling and threatening for those of us who as a vocation look after children and young people to find that our charges are so accurate in their assessments of our insecurities and anxieties.What is more, they frequently take some pleasure in our discomfort and particularly so when we try to hide how irritating we find all this. In illustrating this phenomenon Searles is noting that our work cannot be defined by simplistic solutions and two-dimensional constructs. It is often, he implies, messy and confused and so we must keep our whole reflective selves in play at all times to deal with this.

To learn more about Harold Searles read Robert M Young at http://www.human-nature.com/rmyoung/papers/pap129h.html).

This was first posted on the goodenoughcaring.com home page on December 15th, 2010

Dreamland, broken promises and student protests

The destruction and violence that went on in London during the protest about the government's intention to increase student tuition fees is to be roundly condemned but there should be no surprise on the government's part - particularly the Liberal Democrat wing of the government - that many of our young people are angry about the breaking of a solemn promise and about their views being dismissed as fantasy.

Over time those who have been personally and professionally involved in the care of children and young people get to know that when parents break the promises they make to their children, the children are upset. If a parent breaks a solemnly made promise it is destabilising for the child because it threatens the trust that is necessary in the relationship between parent and child. When promises are broken frequently there is a significant chance that the child will not only become troubled but may also become troublesome. When you feel powerless, what else is there to do if those you trust to know better than you continually do what they have demanded that you do not do ? for example, break promises.

Once upon a time, not too long ago, students throughout the United Kingdom enjoyed free further and higher education. As a state we should have been proud of this. Now only Scotland provides its young people with free higher education. Many of us who benefited from a free higher education were also provided with a grant to help us with our living expenses, and, as we left home, often for the first time, we were warned by our parents and elders not to get into debt. This sensible advice was sidelined by the big financial institutions' drive to increase their customers' debt and to increase the numbers of debtors. We know how that ended.

Members of the last "New Labour" government should hang their heads in shame for having, in effect, made student debt compulsory and so now it is appalling to see the Liberal Democrat faction in the coalition government fail to pin its pre-election pledges to the mast of free higher education. The government says we cannot afford to provide free post-school education for our youth. It suggests we are financially naive to consider it. If this is so, how can we afford to save the banks from the consequences of what in the heady pre-general election days Mr. Cable described as their outrageous financial activities ? how can we still afford to allow many employees of these institutions to pocket obscene amounts of money in bonuses ? and how can we afford to finance wars (in which many of our young people have already lost their lives) that few want or believe necessary ? If we can afford to do these things and yet cannot give our young people free higher education, then the whole fallacious edifice deserves to fall.



The vote has been counted. Government policy will for the time being prevail but perhaps the many who are sympathetic to the student's cause should continue the protest peacefully, each in his or her own way, to remind the government - intent it seems on marginalising our young people - that the students were and are not on on their own. Their issues remain everyone's issues. It is not, as Mr Clegg would have us believe, our young people who are living in "Dreamland."



( First posted on the goodenoughcaring.com home page on December 10th, 2010).

Freedom cannot be given : Homer Lane’s "outrageous" thoughts about children’s play.

It may be surprising, though perhaps not to those who have been engaged in residential child care, that it is a vocation which has inspired some of the most original and creative thinking about the healthy nurture of children. One such thinker is the controversial, and for a number of people, the outrageous American Homer Lane who came to England in 1913 to take over the “Little Commonwealth.” Readers may find it fruitful, even if they are ambivalent about its implications, to think about this, one of his many ideas about childhood.

When suggesting that adults should withdraw from their pedestal of authority and allow children to sort out their own difficulties in an environment of encouragement and freedom, he proposed,

“ Freedom cannot be given. It is taken by children and demands the privilege of conscious wrong-doing.”

Lane believed that adults should nurture children’s instinct to play and allow children the time and space to run wild and free with their friends. He thought that we should respect the nature of childhood play and its unconscious, yet fundamental purpose, that is, to help children grow healthily.

Reference

Lane, H. (1928) Talks to Parents and Teachers London Allen and Unwin



Recommended reading

Wills, W. David. Homer Lane: A Biography , London, Allen & Unwin, 1964

First posted on the www.goodenoughcaring.com  home page on December 3rd, 2010