by
Rowan Dickman
Changes
and Developments
Having
worked as a care worker through the 1980s and as a care manager
from 1987 to the present time I do not look back at the past with
any sense of nostalgia or with a longing to re create it.
As
we moved through the late 80s into the 90s, lurching from one allegation
to another of bad practice or pre-meditated abuse, that had occurred
in a variety of residential establishments, it became apparent to
many of us that radical changes in practice and legislation needed
to be introduced urgently.
Since
the North Wales enquiry these changes have started to come about,
through a number initiatives and legislation. Although in my view
we have not yet achieved the goals of creating a highly trained
work force who are registered, cohesive and self-regulating, we
have come a long way.
The
development of the National Care Standards Commission and the General
Social Care Council now means that we have overseeing bodies that
can both set standards and monitor practice, thus hopefully creating
a professional service providing the highest possible standard of
care.
Care
Worker Roles
Despite
this bright new future I have recently become disillusioned about
the role of the care worker and in particular their roles as social
educators or paedagogues.
Perhaps
the most influential and lasting impression when I started in my
first residential school was the truly holistic approach to the
educational and social development of each child. However, over
recent years education has undergone many changes and initiatives,
often resulting in teaching staff and educationalists feeling over-worked
and threatened. At the same time social services staff have held
on tenaciously to their professional identity while undergoing a
period of sustained pressure due to recent incidents. As a result,
care workers acting as social educators or paedagogues have become
largely misunderstood or seen as a low priority.
It
may be that other care workers will not identify or concur with
my observations, particularly if they are working in an environment
where a need for a holistic approach is both understood and recognized.
Therefore I will attempt to set out as clearly as possible my reasons
for believing that we are still along way from understanding the
importance of the role of a social educator.
Then
: A Holistic View
As
I stated earlier, when I first came into the work there seemed to
be a basic understanding of the need for meeting all of the child’s
needs and that a child’s social and emotional development
was as vital as their educational development. Whilst I am sure
that no one would argue against this premise, the understanding
of how this is achieved and who is best placed to achieve these
goals, has, in my experience, been largely lost.
When
I first started in 1980, care workers had come through a period
of low self-esteem and the only identity that they had was as people
who were employed to wash the children’s pants and socks and
to put them to bed. I was fortunate to join the Inner London Education
Authority and become part of an Education Authority who ran residential
schools where staff understood the fundamental need for taking a
holistic approach to meeting a child’s needs.
Although
I was working in an educational establishment where the educational
rehabilitation of young people was the primary aim, it was also
recognized that in order to achieve this, a child’s emotional
needs, environmental background and physiological factors also play
an important role in achieving any form of rehabilitation.
This
resulted in priorities and resources being arranged flexible for
each individual child and an expectation that care staff had a basic
understanding of child development and social and emotional factors
leading to dysfunctional behavior. The multi-disciplinary approach
of the school recognized each professional team’s expertise
and the need to both support and access the care team.
Now
: Lack of Understanding?
In
my experience this no longer is the case within residential education.
Quite clearly I can not make any comment about social services establishments
as I have never worked within that environment. However, as we move
to a model of joined up working, being overseen by OFSTED and the
establishment of extended school and Sure Start, I start to become
concerned.
So
why do I have the impression that there is a lack of understanding
involving social education or pedagogy and why am I concerned?
To
be honest, most of my observations are based on personal experience,
which I acknowledge as being inherently dangerous. However, if there
is some validity in my observations, then it is important that they
are acknowledged.
Parallel
Professions
As
a care worker practising within an educational environment, the
perception of my role has changed considerably over the past decade.
Rather than promoting a service of social educators who can bring
together both disciplines of education and social work, I have the
impression that both educators and social workers would rather carers
stay just that.
Reluctantly,
I have had to come to accept that working within a residential school
now means that formal education takes first priority, that any care
planning has to support formal education, and that less experienced
teaching staff do not see the need for a multi-disciplinary team
approach when setting targets for an individual child.
Ofsted
and NCSC
This
has largely been borne out by recent inspections that I have undergone.
I have been inspected by both the National Care Standards Commission
and OFSTED within the last few months, both of which I must say
were very positive experiences and very professionally carried out.
However, the differences in emphasis was very marked.
While
the NCSC concentrated mainly on the care provision and seemed to
have a fundamental understanding of the role and importance of the
social educator, the OFSTED inspection was almost entirely linked
to formal education and how care staff supported it.
You
could argue that this model is entirely appropriate. The NCSC are
there to ensure that minimum care standards are met should look
primarily at care standards and practice, and OFSTED, who are primarily
concerned with formal education, should concentrate on this provision.
However, this model causes me both concern and disappointment on
two counts.
Formal
Education is Not Enough
Firstly,
I am disappointed because the model above fails to take into account
the need for social education in forming the child’s life.
Formal education on its own is not enough. “The value of knowledge
is determined by its usefulness,” wrote John Dewey in 1916.
The strength of social pedagogy is that it recognizes the need for
children to gain practical knowledge. “To possess practical
wisdom means that one can wisely interpret situations and act correctly,
based on sound judgment.” (Perspectives and theory in
Social Pedagogy See Nussbaum1995.)
Care
workers must also be social educators. They should have the expertise
and the experience to understand all the influences and factors
that have shaped and will shape a child’s life. They should
have full knowledge of a child’s previous history to be able
to provide the care, understanding and experiences that will enable
the child to achieve socialization and become a stable and functioning
adult. Care staff must also be equipped to deal stressful and problematic
times in a child’s life.
Understanding
Other Professions
Secondly,
I am concerned because now more than ever we need services to be
joined up and there needs to be a common understanding of each profession’s
expertise and role. As the provision of extended schools, Sure Start
and Kids Clubs develop, the number of children and young people
being looked after away from home outside formal school hours will
inevitably increase. The number of staff employed to provide this
service must necessarily increase as well. If this provision is
to be worthwhile and safe, then those staff must be social educators
who have sound knowledge and experience.
I
would also argue that with the increase of social inclusion, understanding
social pedagogy is vitally important. For many vulnerable children
with special needs, communication, socialization, self-worth, preparation
for life after school, and a “practical wisdom” are
as important as formal education. This often requires managing and
understanding children’s needs in a totally different method
from those used in the formal setting of the classroom, and in my
view the experienced care worker or social paedagogue could be an
important asset in achieving this.
For
many years a large part of Europe and America have looked after
children and young people using a social paedagogical method. For
those countries, recognizing the holistic approach to meeting a
child’s needs and the professional expertise of those who
provide the service is perfectly natural. They have no issues in
accepting that socialization, play, listening, and practical knowledge
are as important as formal education and in my view are the richer
for it.
For
well over a decade social paedagogues from Denmark and Holland have
worked on placement in my establishment. All of these students without
exception have had a thorough understanding of both theoretical
and practical practice; they are in every respect social educators
who bring the resources of at least four years training. In my view
we would do well to follow their example.
My
thanks to Soeren Hegstrup, who sent me a copy of Perspectives
and Theory in Social Pedagogy. After reading the book I cannot
believe why we have not fully embraced the paedagogue model.
