Cathy Stancer, Jenny McCabe, Rob McCabe
Regenerating Human Ecosystems: The Birmingham Pathfinder approach to family support. (Optional follow up workshop at 14.40)
The Birmingham Pathfinder approach is, at heart, a relational model, which seeks to deepen and inter-connect relationships within the families and communities and agencies which it supports. It provides sustained, relational support to families facing multiple adversities and social harms, through Pathfinder workers based in schools.
The ecosystem is a recurrent theme and emblem of our work. Our workers provide their families with a trusted conduit to the ecosystem of services, agencies and organisations who can help them; and also empower them to become change-agents, connecting them into community networks and to each other to enable this. Our commitment to not closing cases is essential to this work, but also difficult to justify within the current system of metrics.
However, for us the importance of the ecosystem goes beyond its meaningfulness as a metaphor – we believe that when we truly do holistic family support we are actually regenerating human ecosystems. Furthermore, we see important parallels between practices of regenerating denuded and traumatised non-human ecosystems, and those required to regenerate human ecosystems.
In this session, we will begin with an overview of the Pathfinder approach. We will consider Ecological Systems Theory and Human Ecology Theory; and then look at regenerative practices in agriculture and permaculture, drawing out some of the parallels that we see in our work. Finally, we will discuss the role conventional performance metrics can play in inhibiting more holistic, equitable and regenerative approaches in both family support systems and in agriculture, where the economic system counts the complexity of ecosystem health as ‘externalities’.
With public systems creaking under increased demand and reducing budgets, there is also increasing pressure on new and innovative solutions to show performance against traditional metrics. How can we design a different system of ensuring, reviewing and enhancing practice that enables the complex process of regeneration and healing from trauma in our families and communities?
Professor Richard Joiner
Emerging solutions to a wellbeing crisis within the education system: An exploratory evaluation of a wellbeing and nurture programme in primary schools for supporting children in the immediate Covid-19 post-pandemic era. (Optional follow up workshop at 14.40)
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there is mounting concern about the mental health and wellbeing of children in the UK. Eighteen percent of children in England have a probable mental health disorder (NHS Digital 2022). Mental health problems have a deleterious impact on children’s education experience and outcomes (Ofsted, 2022). This paper presents initial findings from a study that evaluates Hamish & Milo, a series of ten-week wellbeing and nurture programmes for primary aged children. This programme is delivered as individual and small group intervention by pastoral staff and addresses key areas, such as self-esteem, friendships, resilience, and anxiety. To date, 124 children, ranging reception year to year 7, have participated in the research. Using a mixed method approach, a reliable and valid outcome measure is administered before and after children have participated in the programme. Alongside this, staff and pupil perspectives are gathered as qualitative data. Overall there has been a statistically significant improvement in children’s total SDQ scores (t[110] = 7.6, p < 0.001, d = 0.72) and in terms of their SDQ levels (t[110] = 5.5, p < 0.001, d = 0.53). There was also a statistically significant improvement in their emotional problems (t[115] = 6.3, p < 0.001, d = 0.59), conduct problems (t[119] = 5.0, p < 0.001, d = 0.45), hyperactivity (t[118] = 5.9, p < 0.001, d = 0.54), peer problems (t[120] = 4.8, p < 0.001, d = 0.44) and prosocial behaviour t[117] = 5.6, p < 0.001, d = 0.51). As the study continues, these findings are encouraging. The implications for an early intervention that supports children’s emotional and social development will be discussed. Programmes like this represent one possible resource solution to meet children’s mental health needs for mainstream schools and teachers and SENCO leads within the education system.
Dr Amanda Barrie
Accessing the voices of children with SEMH needs using Photo Elicitation Interviews.
My presentation would consider why and how we access the voices of children and young people. I will reflect on my use of photo elicitation interviews within my doctoral research.
The notion of voice of the child stems from the 1989 United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNICEF, 1989). Article 12 of the convention states that we should respect the views of the child and article 13 that children have a right to freedom of expression. This is supported by a range of UK education acts that followed the UK becoming a signatory to the convention. It still remains an important element of the Education and Health Care Plan process (DfE, 2015) where the voice of the child is considered throughout. However, research has demonstrated that the voices of SEMH children are not heard or taken account of effectively in schools (Cremin et al, 2001).
Children with SEMH needs often do not have the language skills to fully express themselves (Cross, 2004) and often do not feel confident enough to speak to adults – especially those they do not know well. Accessing the voices of children was central to my doctoral research. I needed a research method that would get me beyond “dunno”. Photo elicitation interviews provided me with a method where children were able to express themselves because they weren’t talking directly to me but through a photograph. Photographs provided a “communication bridge” (Collier and Collier, 1986). The photo elicitation interview is a “comfortable space for discussion” (Epstein et all, 2006).
In my presentation I would share my experience of using photo elicitation interviews in my research and also how it can be adapted to use in schools with children with SEMH needs to allow their voices to be heard.
Regenerating Human Ecosystems: The Birmingham Pathfinder approach to family support. (Optional follow up workshop at 14.40)
The Birmingham Pathfinder approach is, at heart, a relational model, which seeks to deepen and inter-connect relationships within the families and communities and agencies which it supports. It provides sustained, relational support to families facing multiple adversities and social harms, through Pathfinder workers based in schools.
The ecosystem is a recurrent theme and emblem of our work. Our workers provide their families with a trusted conduit to the ecosystem of services, agencies and organisations who can help them; and also empower them to become change-agents, connecting them into community networks and to each other to enable this. Our commitment to not closing cases is essential to this work, but also difficult to justify within the current system of metrics.
However, for us the importance of the ecosystem goes beyond its meaningfulness as a metaphor – we believe that when we truly do holistic family support we are actually regenerating human ecosystems. Furthermore, we see important parallels between practices of regenerating denuded and traumatised non-human ecosystems, and those required to regenerate human ecosystems.
In this session, we will begin with an overview of the Pathfinder approach. We will consider Ecological Systems Theory and Human Ecology Theory; and then look at regenerative practices in agriculture and permaculture, drawing out some of the parallels that we see in our work. Finally, we will discuss the role conventional performance metrics can play in inhibiting more holistic, equitable and regenerative approaches in both family support systems and in agriculture, where the economic system counts the complexity of ecosystem health as ‘externalities’.
With public systems creaking under increased demand and reducing budgets, there is also increasing pressure on new and innovative solutions to show performance against traditional metrics. How can we design a different system of ensuring, reviewing and enhancing practice that enables the complex process of regeneration and healing from trauma in our families and communities?
Professor Richard Joiner
Emerging solutions to a wellbeing crisis within the education system: An exploratory evaluation of a wellbeing and nurture programme in primary schools for supporting children in the immediate Covid-19 post-pandemic era. (Optional follow up workshop at 14.40)
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there is mounting concern about the mental health and wellbeing of children in the UK. Eighteen percent of children in England have a probable mental health disorder (NHS Digital 2022). Mental health problems have a deleterious impact on children’s education experience and outcomes (Ofsted, 2022). This paper presents initial findings from a study that evaluates Hamish & Milo, a series of ten-week wellbeing and nurture programmes for primary aged children. This programme is delivered as individual and small group intervention by pastoral staff and addresses key areas, such as self-esteem, friendships, resilience, and anxiety. To date, 124 children, ranging reception year to year 7, have participated in the research. Using a mixed method approach, a reliable and valid outcome measure is administered before and after children have participated in the programme. Alongside this, staff and pupil perspectives are gathered as qualitative data. Overall there has been a statistically significant improvement in children’s total SDQ scores (t[110] = 7.6, p < 0.001, d = 0.72) and in terms of their SDQ levels (t[110] = 5.5, p < 0.001, d = 0.53). There was also a statistically significant improvement in their emotional problems (t[115] = 6.3, p < 0.001, d = 0.59), conduct problems (t[119] = 5.0, p < 0.001, d = 0.45), hyperactivity (t[118] = 5.9, p < 0.001, d = 0.54), peer problems (t[120] = 4.8, p < 0.001, d = 0.44) and prosocial behaviour t[117] = 5.6, p < 0.001, d = 0.51). As the study continues, these findings are encouraging. The implications for an early intervention that supports children’s emotional and social development will be discussed. Programmes like this represent one possible resource solution to meet children’s mental health needs for mainstream schools and teachers and SENCO leads within the education system.
Dr Amanda Barrie
Accessing the voices of children with SEMH needs using Photo Elicitation Interviews.
My presentation would consider why and how we access the voices of children and young people. I will reflect on my use of photo elicitation interviews within my doctoral research.
The notion of voice of the child stems from the 1989 United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNICEF, 1989). Article 12 of the convention states that we should respect the views of the child and article 13 that children have a right to freedom of expression. This is supported by a range of UK education acts that followed the UK becoming a signatory to the convention. It still remains an important element of the Education and Health Care Plan process (DfE, 2015) where the voice of the child is considered throughout. However, research has demonstrated that the voices of SEMH children are not heard or taken account of effectively in schools (Cremin et al, 2001).
Children with SEMH needs often do not have the language skills to fully express themselves (Cross, 2004) and often do not feel confident enough to speak to adults – especially those they do not know well. Accessing the voices of children was central to my doctoral research. I needed a research method that would get me beyond “dunno”. Photo elicitation interviews provided me with a method where children were able to express themselves because they weren’t talking directly to me but through a photograph. Photographs provided a “communication bridge” (Collier and Collier, 1986). The photo elicitation interview is a “comfortable space for discussion” (Epstein et all, 2006).
In my presentation I would share my experience of using photo elicitation interviews in my research and also how it can be adapted to use in schools with children with SEMH needs to allow their voices to be heard.
