Paper
Head, Heart, Hands programme: Introducing social pedagogy into UK foster care
- issue: Issue 1-2013 / 2013
- authors: Lisa Holmes and Raina Sheridan
- keywords: hands programme, heart, head, social pedagogy, UK foster care
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- downloaded: 0
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abstract
Aim. While social pedagogy is well-established and proven in many European countries and there have been trials in residential care settings in England (Berridge et al., 2011), Head, Heart, Hands is the first major consideration of the impact it can have within foster care in the UK.
The Fostering Network is leading the Head, Heart, Hands (Hhh) four year programme (2012-2016), which is being rolled out across six demonstration sites in England and Scotland, and delivered together with a range of partners offering unique expertise in social pedagogy. The programme is being independently evaluated by a team led by the Centre for Child and Family Research (Ccfr), Loughborough University, in partnership with the Colebrooke Centre for evidence and implementation and Catch 22's National Care Advisory Service (Ncas).
The session aims to introduce the Head, Heart, Hands programme, the rationale for the development of the programme, how outcomes attributable to the programme (for example, foster carers confidence and integration of children and young people into the foster family) will be measured and also reflect on the preliminary learning from the cultural and systemic shift that is required to introduce social pedagogy into foster care in the UK.
Method. As the voice of foster care, the Fostering Network is managing the Head, Heart, Hands programme, and will support the infrastructure for learning.
The evaluation of the programme will report on the process of implementation, the impact of the learning and development programme, and the process of embedding social pedagogic principles and practice in the six demonstration sites.
The evaluation will be carried out using a mixed methods approach. The design comprises four complimentary and integrated modules. For each module, baseline data will be gathered on commencement of the evaluation and at two subsequent intervals throughout the evaluation period. As an integral part of the evaluation the team are developing an outcomes framework to measure changes for children, foster carers, the demonstration sites and wider children's social care system. This approach will enable short, medium and longer term impacts of the implementation to be measured.
Module 1 is designed to evaluate the impact of the programme on children and young people. The module includes the Peer Research methodology jointly developed by National Care Advisory Service (Ncas) and the Centre of Child and Family Research (Ccfr). Two cohorts of children will be followed up over a three year period, using complementary approaches that combine qualitative in-depth interviewing and quantitative measurement of wellbeing using standardised indicators. Interviews with young people aged 13-18 will be carried out by care leavers, using peer-research methods, interviews with children under 13 will be led by Ccfr researchers. The evaluation team will also carry out an analysis of Management Information System and (electronic) case file data (making use of historical data and on-going individual child level data for the duration of the programme). The team will also utilise Ccfr's Cost Calculator for Children's Services to analyse needs and outcomes data, and explore the costs and resource effectiveness of the programme.
Module 2 is designed to capture foster carer's experiences and evaluate changes in their learning and practice. This module utilises on-line surveys, face-to-face and telephone interviewing methods, and provides an opportunity for all social pedagogy trained foster carers to be involved in the evaluation. Additional data will also be collected from front line practitioners, both across the fostering service and looked after children's teams. These practitioners will be invited to participate in chaired group discussions. In recognition of the pivotal role of the social pedagogues in each of the sites, face-to-face interviews will be carried out at key intervals throughout the evaluation.
Module 3 is designed to explore the system context and identify barriers and enabling factors in the successful implementation of the programme, underpinned by the emerging frameworks and tools of the implementation science field. It uses a mix of documentary review, repeated on-line surveys of professionals, and intensive case-study visits to all sites in a longitudinal design.
Module 4 is designed to embed an action-research approach by means of active dissemination and knowledge-exchange strategies.
Findings. The implementation and evaluation of the Head, Heart and Hands programme is on-going until 2016, and the evaluators are at the preliminary stages of baseline data collection. Some of the early cultural and systemic changes that are required, or are anticipated, to introduce social pedagogy into foster care in the UK, along with emerging learning and reflections from the six demonstration sites include the role of the Hhh social pedagogues and the integration of the Hhh programme into the fostering service and wider children's social care services.
The logic model approach that is being developed to form the basis of the outcomes framework will be discussed, such as the inclusion of measurable and collectable outcomes indicators, that can be directly associated with the programme and how they compare with «foster care as usual». The series of preliminary inputs (the role of the Hhh social pedagogues and the learning and development courses provided to foster carers), outputs (for example, development of the understanding of social pedagogic principles) and outcome measures (for example, social pedagogic principles being incorporated into care planning and decision making) that have been identified will also be discussed.
Conclusion. There are currently over 59,000 children living with foster carers in the UK at any one time. Children are placed in care for a variety of reasons, at different ages, and stay for different periods of time. Looking after children who have come into care having experienced abuse or neglect is a challenging task, they require highly trained foster carers with skill, compassion and commitment. In the UK outcomes for children in care are currently poor. The long term aim of the Head, Heart, Hands programme is to successfully introduce a social pedagogic approach and the impact this has on placement stability, improvement of educational outcomes and life chances.
Key references
Berridge, D., Biehal, N., Lutman, E., Henry, L. and Palomares, M. (2011). Raising the Bar? Evaluation of the social pedagogy pilot programme in residential children's homes. London: Department for Education.
Ward, H., Holmes, L. and Soper, J. (2008). Costs and Consequences of Placing Children in Care. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.