Assumption One

Most people who are challenging are usually extremely hyper-aroused at the time. We should therefore avoid doing anything that will arouse a person who is already upset.

Assumption Two

A large proportion of challenging behaviours are usually preceded by demands and requests, therefore reducing these should help to reduce the frequency and perhaps the intensity of the incidents

Assumption Three

Most communication is predominantly non-verbal, therefore we should be aware of the signals we communicate to people who are upset.

Theoretical

Assumptions

One technique to take away: life space interviews using a technique to increase coping and understanding. The following is a brief overview of an approach initially developed for work with high risk adolescent but has been found to work well with children. Other approaches can be added to this to increase outcomes which I developed as part of a set of therapeutic techniques for working with adolescents. I will be running in future workshops on these in the future e.g. advanced role play strategies.

Using Drawing - with high risk adolescents Simple is best, let young person create own symbols.

Remember safety must be in place first, Young person has developed self-care strategies, remember, at times process might need to return to stabilisation phase.

Conclusion:

Link between trauma and attachment styles in ability to regulate affect, importance of being able to help child learn how to regulate affect

Links between trauma and long term consequences for not only the child but society, Proposal to utilise knowledge and understanding relating to trauma and attachment to create evidenced based approaches to meet the needs of young people for whom residential care has not address such underlying needs (e.g. limited specialised provision in Scotland)

The need total organisation approach to therapeutic residential care

What we need to be aware of..

Residential child care can replicate the toxic traumatic experiences of children who are looked after e.g. multiple placement breakdown, Those responsible for identifying care for children need to understand the high level of skill, support and resilience required by the caregiver to ‘survive’ to enable improved outcomes.

To be able to use the relationship the staff member has with the child is crucial but to do so effectively, the individual needs to be able to work within a therapeutic framework of understanding which contains not only the work but which directs and maintains an understanding of what we do and how we do it for all those who work within the organisation.

Unfortunately to educate on such areas take time and groups and teams can sometimes neglect such areas for short term gain.

Above all it takes time to not only develop a culturally sensitive environment to undertake trauma informed therapy but also the development of an appropriately trained staff group.

If we do nothing…… the Legacy?

• Increase in distress
• Higher Criminal Justice costs
• We will be letting our children down
• We won’t be doing everything we can to stop victimisation
• Higher society costs (Mental health, Health, social services)
• What might lay ahead for the children of the children. – intergenerational transmission

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