Social Pedagogy Development Network – Colchester, 27 November, 2009
Central points raised in the conversation rounds in the morning included:
- What courses are there in social pedagogy? What is the need for these? Are there placement opportunities?
- We need to examine our professional attitudes towards children and towards society
- How can we promote and sustain a culture that is based on trust?
- How do we manage risk at an individual, organisational and cultural level? How is risk part of the everyday experience?
- Making more positive ‘professional noise’ – having the confidence to take ownership for our practice
- Support from above – everybody taking ownership
- Refine the ‘political’ in professional work
- Forming political alliances
- Focus on what we’re good at and the positives
- Share and acknowledge fear of change in order to overcome it – fellowship
- The future is in the present
- Need for both top-down and bottom-up approaches
- Strategy needs to provide explanations – top-down
- Attitudes and language have an impact on our actions
- Play – raising understanding of the significance of play
- Social pedagogy not just for residential child care
- Lots of different developments are okay – but some social pedagogy training is very important
- Schools – we need to engage with them!
- Developing a professional identity – trust in ourselves, organisational trust in their workers
Transcribed flip-chart notes from afternoon open sessions:
Qualifications
Links to recognition
Links to existing requirements
Link to National Minimum Standards and CWDC requirements
How to keep the momentum to complete qualifications?
Guide versus mandatory > values and principles
Add-on’s versus whole course
Standards… national definition
Recruiting staff – help regarding skills to select staff willing and able to embrace Social Pedagogy
Need to ensure Social Pedagogy is not hooked onto everything
Not therapeutic training
Will a UK qualification be recognised in Europe
Network of information/database of qualifications
What will staff feel able to make decisions about – confidence to use grounding/theories/knowledge
Mandatory qualifications – different levels?
Awarding body to require x Social Pedagogy at level of staff
1 year, multi-professional Social Pedagogy = core mandatory qualification
- Health
- Education Youth
- Family assessment
- Mental health
- Residential
- Disability
- Youth justice
Some mandatory from all areas – major/minor. Link to IQF
Levels of qualification/knowledge for commissioners and providers/managers
New language common to people who train together
Areas of conflict
- Sexual health
- Decision making
Realisation of current outcomes/practice > MUST have a shift
Ideas for organising a Social Pedagogy conference
Autumn 2010 – Liverpool
Include academics, practitioners, service users
Themes:- Explore the political dimension
- Social Pedagogy – some meanings
- Practice
- Education
Steering Group
Key note speakers
Social Pedagogue recruitment / experiences
Organisational ownership of Social Pedagogy and understanding of impact on Social Pedagogue
Plan recruitment – communication, readiness of staff team
Clarity of role and responsibilities for Social Pedagogue and staff
Support at work and outside work
Social Pedagogy and therapeutic childcare/development theory and mental health
How do we recognise the more specialised needs of some children without excluding or pathologising them?
How do we hold on to the value of psychotherapeutic theories within a Social Pedagogic approach?
Is there a conflict between these schools of thought?
Are they complementary?
How do we create constructive theoretical exchanges between these traditions?
How do we negotiate the power and status issues at play in this debate?
How do we interest mental health services in what Social Pedagogy might have to offer in developing their thinking/practice/services?
How to continue sharing information on the development of Social Pedagogy in the UK?
Sharing what has come out of today
using the forum, possibly uploading poster information from different organisations, emphasis on short overview with links to further detail
Facebook?DELICIOUS?
More meetings – national and regional if numbers increase?
Talking – spreading the word
Should or could the third sector champion Social Pedagogy?
Answer: yes, yes, yes, but “the system needs to be trained in what it is” otherwise inspectors will fail us.
Pedagogic approach is not a language commissioners necessarily understand
9 day accredited course in Social Pedagogy. “Increase status”
Several approaches but must agree a plan
Induction “Level 3 Social Pedagogy” Oct 2010
Social Pedagogy must be owned by all, however, third sector can initiate the momentum and promote this area of work
How do we get together and promote?
CWDC and NCERCC to lobby government office for the third sector: CE4O is sighting evidence of good practice
We can’t wait for it to roll down, get ahead of the curve
Level 3 qualification – reputation is king
Kite mark – quality assurance
Where is the private sector in this?
Target big national e.g. Barnardos, NSPCC, Acton for Children
Organisational change
Ownership – recognition that change is needed
Link people in complementary services to explain and promote Social Pedagogy
Clarity of Social Pedagogic principles and values, how to link Social Pedagogy with SEAL (?) and wellbeing …
… Social Pedagogic dialogue > what are the right questions to ask?
Links with everyday life experience
Providing “evidence” to support ownership of those in power
“Everything needs to be measurable” – incongruent with Social Pedagogy?
What are we measuring? Why?
What’s important to us differs
How do we promote our approach and experiences and outcomes for children and young people?
Unions – role in valuing Social Pedagogy and development
Future of this network
More of these days, keep it an ongoing forum
Becoming real outside the forum meetings, possibility for staff exchange or visits between members
Specific topics that can be worked on, e.g. play, EU funding
Being unique, not too formalised, giving participants space and ownership, as little structure as necessary, keeping it fun
Many thanks to all of you who have contributed with your brilliance!!!