Page 87 - SEN113 SEN Magazine July-August 2021-V3

Looked after children About the author Ian Butler is a social work and social care trainer and consultant, and has over 30 years experience of working with young people in child-protection, looked after children, and with children and young people in the criminal justice system. sbiginitiative.org @IBSPTraining “Creating a commonly shared situation” It is easy to look at this data and forget the very real progress and educational achievements that have been gained by some young people in the care system. Studying that success is just as important as looking at the difficulties that are so profoundly detailed by the DFE. Certainly, my experiences as a social worker, consultant and trainer have led me to investigate educational successes, especially at university level. Whilst they are rare - as indicated by the DFE statistics - the successes of these young people are often rooted in good care, and emotional stability, as well as the skills and abilities of the young people and the relationships they build at school, with teachers and other young people. Differing priorities The success of these young people indicates how other countries, especially in Europe, achieve much better educational attainment than the UK. Denmark in particular has a proud record and statistics spell this out with up to 60% of looked after children attending university. Of course, the widely respected methodology of social pedagogy and the huge investment in looked after children, has a profound impact on this success. This is of course costly and reflects the differing priorities in social policy between this country and the Scandinavian countries in general. Denmark places a high premium on developing an understanding of individual young people, their emotional health and safety, and developing relationships that build on their interests, creativity, and strengths. The implications for young people in Denmark mean that attention is paid to their education in the context of a complex understanding of their welfare needs and understanding the complexities of their lives. This social pedagogical approach is a holistic one that focuses on a comprehensive understanding of interests, strengths, and a knowledge of these gained through developing relationships. The Common Third Social pedagogic tools can appear deceptively simple. One example of this is the Common Third which in simplistic terms can be best described as a device that focuses on a child’s strengths and interests that allow a carer to connect with a child. According to the organisation Thempra, a specialist agency who develop, train, and assess social pedagogic approaches in the UK: This could be any activity, be it cooking pancakes, tying shoelaces, fixing a bike, building a kite, playing football together, going on a fishing trip together – the exact activity really isn’t important as long as it has the potential to be more than merely doing something. The Common Third is about creating a commonly shared situation that becomes a symbol of the relationship between us as the professional and the child, something third that brings the two of us together. It allows us to share an activity in a way that we can both be equal, two people connected by something we both enjoy doing. If we undertake the activity with the intention of enhancing our relationship and learning together, it can become a Common Third, but it would be wrong to assume that all activities are automatically Common Thirds (just like blowing into a trumpet does not automatically create a harmonious sound). SEN113 87 ■ In discussion senmagazine.co.uk