Making the ‘Invisible’ VisibleAccompanying processes of front line workers

University of Luxembourg

Ulla Peters

Tenth signs of safety gatheringNorwich, UK, 5-7th July, 2016

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Beginner’s mind and practice – working mindfully

visible and invisible dynamics getting in touch with the powerful «invisible» rocking the journey and all travellers

“Inthebeginner’smindtherearemanypossibilities,butintheexpert’stherearefew.”Shunryu Suzuki (1904-1971)

“Susie Essex will often say to deal with thecomplexity in any given situation the professional need to be able to hold at least five different perspectives, explanations and possibilities in their head at any one time.” … the capacity to hold multiple perspectives is

compassion in action.”Safety Planning Workbook, 2013:7

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• Luxembourg – traditional idea of helping relations– producing products as offers as help – “measure” - measures, provisions “we provide”

• Multilingual – language of jurisdictions = French• High percentage of immigrants, mainly from European countries (Portugal,

former Yugoslavia, Cape Verde) – 560.000 inhabitants• University since 2003 – before: all social workers trained abroad (France,

Belgium) - sociologist• Fragmented process of professionalization• Key identity marker of profession of social work: “enquête social”• National Children’s bureau 2011 (2008)• Signs of safety since 2010

Context

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Setting (cf.Turnell,2014)

• Caseworker • Mapper (Facilitator)• Advisor

Professionals: Questions and needs • We want a clear way to follow! • We have little time – we have too many bureaucratic tasks!• How can we talk to the families? How can we involve the children?• What kind of support do we need?• Where are we safe?

Turnell, 2014

Communities of Practice – PRAX LAB

When and how to end a foster care placement for reunification focussing onsafe attachment?§ conflict between foster family service and

child protection social worker

Case 1

5

82

1977

Sue2000

2002

30

Bert?

Jason*2014

J

31

Ina2Month*2016

S

2012

SUE - JASON

Family A2

1

3

??

2014

?

2016

A CPS is engaged in the family to look after the situation of Ina the newly born child and to make sure Ina is safe. Sue told the CPS that she wants a reunification with Jason.

Shortly after the birth of Jason Sue lived with him together in the house of an emergency foster care family, which they knew (family A).Due to conflicts between Sue and the foster family mother, Jason is placed after one month in another foster family.

Jason lives since his 2nd month after birth in a foster family, where he is the only child

§CPS: What do I want to see, so that Jason can live together with Sue, Bert and Ina?

§ Foster family service does not want any unaccompanied contact between Sue and Jason. She is allowed to meet Jason in the office space of the foster family service (50 km away from where she lives) for 1 h each 3 weeks; Jason is either accompanied by his foster mother or his foster father.

§CPS wants to see a safe relation developing between Sue and Jason to be sure, Jason can live with Susan and Susan can manage caring for him and at the same time for the new born baby Ina.

§ But: how to see that, if there is almost zero daily interaction?7

§ lack of buying in professionals from other services§ being expert – arguing for expertise§ attachment as the emotional battleground § not really differentiated and anchored in daily practices of the

family (the families)§ lack of involving families and of coordinating interventions§ professionals seem to own clients§ fragmented process

trappedbetween the visible and the invisible

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«Invisible»

§ Conflict between foster family service and CPS – what does safe attachment mean for Jason? Brought to light by the request for reunification by the mother

§ existing mother – not existing mother of Jason§ messages given to the foster family – taboos§ Sue’s placement history

Visible§ missing rigorous assessment at the beginning of the process – intervention by judge not

accompanied by relation building with family in regard to Jason § no story for what happened to Jason i.e. experience of placements§ no relational work done with mother Sue by foster family service – focussed on foster

family§ change of responsible case worker during the two years of Jason’s life§ reunification is not a vision shared by the professionals and the families – interest of the

mother9

§ What does safe attachment mean for Jason at the moment?§ How can the contact between Sue and Jason be extended? § Shared parenthood as a vision?

Broadening and shifting the focus§ not just Sue, but also the foster family§ Involving the mother, grandmother and great grandmother§ Words and pictures for Jason§ Words and pictures for Sue (placement history)

Helpful Questions§ What is needed to extend the contact between Jason and Sue? § What does Sue expect from a reunification?

changing questionsand stick toquestioning

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How to support a grandmother in kinship care neglecting due to serious illness?How to prevent the child from loosing the relation to his grandmother?§ conflict between school, statutory agency and

communal social workers§ Very dominant grandmother

Case 2

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Jay, Anna, Liz

Jay 6* 2009

Pit 29

810

LIZ 59

Anna 28?

Jay stayed after his birth for two month in the hospital and then he was placed in a residential care for 3 years. His grandmother Liz wanted a reunification and she insisted on it and manage to have Jay living with her since 2013.

both boys are placed in care

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§ Liz is severely ill and 5 times a week she does not come to take him home from school

§ Jay is afraid that Liz might never come again and he has to return into residential care

§ Liz shades the house all day, so that Jay lives always in the dark

§ Jay does not have any contacts to other children because Liz has forbidden that some one visits him at home

Danger and worries

Question: What does the social worker need to see that Jay is safe in the house of his grandmother?

Since half a year Liz is severely ill and since that time the professionals from the school, the day care and the communal social workers observe a change in Jay’s behaviour.

They all think that Jay is not well looked after and that he is afraid that his grandmother might die.

0 = Jay can live no longer with Liz because it is too dangerous for him

0 10

10 = all professionals agree that Jay is safe living together with Liz

0,5, Director day care center, 1,5 und 2 social worker

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§ Liz has no financial problems§ Liz is quite important for Jay because she is

interested in him and fought for him§ Father Pit comes for a visit each Sunday § Jay is fond of one teacher supporting him with

special education§ Jay loves to do horse riding and he is fond of

his teacher there§ Jay likes to talk about himself and he is fond

of painting§ The social worker said, Jay can well

remember things and he is cooperative

StrengthsDanger and worries

§ Jay speaks just German, which isolates him from the other children speaking Luxemburgish

§ Jay has hurt a young girl in March; he has bitten her arm, destroyed her shirt and scratched her skin.

§ Jay can not tell anything what he did together with his father when his father visits him on Sundays. Professionals are worried about the attachment Jay develops towards Pit and that he might not understand what his father means for him.

§ It is not clear who could care for Jay when the the illness of Liz grows more severe and she will perhaps die.

§ Professionals from the day care centre observe that Jay is always very hungry and eager to get food.

Visible § aspects of severe neglect observed by different professionals§ illness of grandmother§ grandmother separating Jay actively from other children§ fear of professionals to have another rupture of attachment

Invisible§ power of grandmother influencing the whole system of people

around Jay and his grandmother§ (resources of) siblings§ birth mother§ conflict of professionals dealing with attachment and rupture

trappedbetween the visible and the invisible

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Finding a way for Jason and his grandma to understand what is possibly going to happen

Broadening and shifting the focus§ Include siblings§ Words and pictures for Jay (placement history)

Helpful Questions§ How can the grandmother understand that leaving her might be the

best for Jay and her relation to him?§ What does the grandmother want to see to make that happen?§ What does Sue expect from a reunification?.

changing to the language of words and pictures

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When Jay was born he first had to stay in the hospital because here people cared well for him. His mother had some problems being ill and she was in a difficult mood, so the people in the hospital thought it to be the best for Jay to move on to a residential care home, where many children were waiting for him. His mother and his grandmother accompanied him and also a woman who worked there. This was Paula, who also looked after him for a long time while he was living there.

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Words and pictures for Jay

hospitalresidential care

hospital

For the last three years Jay and his grandmother Liz have made a lot of things together, like going on holidays or for walks in the forest. They were happy together and had a good time. Sometimes they also quarreled, but not for long

Then grandma Liz had to go the hospital because she was ill.Jay slept with his grandma in the hospital and was very sad. He cried a lot. He had pain in his head and he was afraid he could loose his grandma.

Grandma has no energy to do things at home alright and to look after Jay.Jay has quite long hair and due to that he can not look clearly out of his eyes. For quite some time, he has ‘nits’ in his hair which cause itching.

Jay is often alone and completely on his own.

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Words and pictures for Jay and his grandma.

Itisallaboutpractisingandpractise§ listeningandhonouring§ wordingandquestioning§ beingcompassionateandmindful§ beingphysicalandpresent§ turningtotaboosandtothe

invisible§ beingbraveandcourageous§ havingnetworks,communitiesof

practice,learningandsupport§ ……

What I learned in the the last five years reflecting

case work?

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It is really a long and winding road …Thankyouforlisteningandbeingwithme!