A New Approach to Professional Child Care: Introducing the Authentic Warmth dimension

1. A New Approach to Professional Child Care: Introducing the Authentic Warmth dimension Sean Cameron (with Andy Constable and Colin Maginn, who are lurking somewhere in the audience) Living Psychology

2. ***Our objectives for this workshop: We would like to- • Provide an overview of the background, theory and rationale underpinning our work with children and young people who are in public care. • Show how the ‘Pillars of Parenting’ can offer a set of principles to guide professional childcare practice. • Offer a model of adaptive emotional development which can enable carers to understand and support children in public care. • Discuss some of the implications of what we believe is a promising new approach to residential and foster childcare.

3. ***Rejection and exclusion Social Rejection Baumeister (2005) compared the brain’s response to rejection with its reaction to physical injury. “ .. social rejection is a bit like getting knocked on the head with a brick.” • Parental rejection When attempting to understand the emotional, adjustment and attainment difficulties of children and young people in public care, a conceptual shift is required, namely that they are part of the much larger population of children in our society who have all shared negative life experiences, the common factor being parental rejection (Rohner 2004 & Rohner et al 2004).

4. Attunement occurs when the parent is aware of his or her own feelings and sensations, and at the same time recognises how the child is responding and can communicate this awareness back to the child. Waldsax, A. (2004). ‘Parenting’. In: K.N. Dwivedi and P.B. Harper, (eds.) Promoting the Emotional Well-being of Children and Adolescents and Preventing their Mental Ill Health. London: Kingsley.

5. Some dimensions of EMPATHY • Demonstrating that you can see the other person’s point of view. • Accepting the feelings which accompany this point of view. • Adopting the other person’s perspective. • Identifying directly (where appropriate) with the experiencethe other person is describing.

6. Changes in brain capacity to change with respect to age (after Rohner, 2000) Capacity to change Age 02 05 08 15 30

7. ***Parenting style High level of sensitivity to and interest in child Positive psychological control Low level parental control/ management and expectations for learning and behaviour High level of parental control/ management and expectations for learning and behaviour Negative psychological control Low level of sensitivity to and interest in child From Parenting Styles in Childcare, Baumrind, 1991 & 1993 Plus Authentic Warmth, Cameron & Maginn, 2005

8. ***An Enabling Parenting Style Authoritative parenting • Warmth and understanding towards child • High level of involvement with the child. • Rules and discipline applied fairly and with a clear explanation/ rationale provided. N.b. Only authoritative parenting is likely to lead to healthy and socially desirable child development.

9. ***The Pillars of Parenting • Primary care & protection • Secure attachment • Positive Self-perception • Emotional competence • Self-management skills • Resilience • A sense of belonging • Personal and personal responsibility

11. Post-traumatic growth PTSD as a continuum of adaptive behaviour rather than a distinctly abnormal reaction.Three broad areas for positive change and growth: • Perception of self • Acknowledgement of vulnerability and appreciation of integral strength. • Relationships with others • Development of compassion, empathy and altruism. • Philosophy of life • Valuing and appreciation of everyday life Reference source: Linley, A. (2000) Transforming psychology: the example of trauma. The Psychologist,13(7) 353-355

12. ***So, what’s different about this approach,then? • It is based on the psychological needs of children • It is underpinned by psychological theory and research • It can generate good practice for understanding and meeting the often-complex needs of children in care • It does introduce a new professional dimension into residential and foster care.