Integrating Care & EducationA Social Pedagogical

Approach to Out of Home Care

in Aotearoa New Zealand

Edwina Poynton

What is Cholmondeley…

• Short term planned and emergency respite

• Range= 2 days to 4 weeks• Average 3-5 days• 300+ children p.a.• 1000 admissions p.a.• Community based-direct referral• 3-12 years• Targeting Early Intervention/Family

Preservation stage of continuum• Brokerage for additional supports to

family• Non Prescriptive- individual needs

2013

• 350 children (313 Families)• 1010 admissions• 70% direct referral• 30% third party agencies• 80% in collaboration with

other agencies and professionals

Challenges

• 2010 restructure re-modelled to short term care only

• Significant disciplinary separation regarding approach

• Uniting the two disciplines of education and care

• Shifting mission and values to becoming explicitly child-centred

• Positioning psycho-social outcomes for children as primary focus

• Providing response to new layer of stressors

Integrating the Disciplines

• Uniting Philosophy of Care– Child Rights Perspective– Social Pedagogical approach-

where care meets education• Introducing Adventure & Activity Based

Learning as core experience• NZ National Curriculum/ Te Marautanga-

key competencies• Identify child’s strengths• Ensure child’s network knows • Outcome focus- increased resilience

Vision- Value Our Children

Philosophy of Care

Practice Model

General Practice Principles

Operational/AdministrativeProcedures

Murdoch 2007

Social Pedagogy

• Humanistic values base

• Fundamental concept of children as equal human beings with rich extraordinary potential

• Combines theories, concepts and models from sociology, psychology, education, social work- inter-disciplinary

• Relationship

• Holistic “education” that enhances wellbeing- education of the

Head (cognitive knowledge)Heart (emotional and spiritual learning)Hands (practical and physical skills)

• Enabling children to grow up as self responsible persons who take responsibility for their society

Social Pedagogy Key Concepts

• Haltung• Holistic Education- head, heart,

hands• The Common Third• The Learning Zone• The Zone of Proximal Development• The 3 P’s• Reflective Practice

Evaluation 2011-13 (Clarity Research)

• Two key questions

• What is Cholmondeley's role in the Canterbury community and the Canterbury social services sector?

• What impact does Cholmondeley have on the ability of families to keep their children safe, and prevent issues escalating to the point where care and protection concerns arise for the child?

Overall Conclusions

• Cholmondeley plays a key role in family preservation and promoting child and family resilience by:allowing opportunities for children and carers to regroup and reduce stressdevelop key skills to improve family dynamics and interpersonal interactionsbeing child centred and allowing children an opportunity to be childrenproviding ongoing opportunities for contact

Contacts

• Children Australia special edition on social pedagogy - December 2011. Editor Jennifer Lehmann

• www.thempra.co.uk• www.cholmondeley.org.n

z• edwina@cholmondeley.o

rg.nz

Hans- Herbert Dreiske said:

One should teach children to dance on a tightrope without a safety net, to sleep under the sky, to row a boat out on the open sea. One should teach them to imagine castles in the sky instead of houses on the ground, to be nowhere at home but in life itself and to find security within themselves”