In Residence

Marcel Proust rated the ability to see with the eyes of another person as the greatest of voyages that a human being could undertake – far more challenging than sailing the seven seas or climbing the highest mountains on each continent.  I am convinced that he is on the right lines but would want to … Read more

On a trip to nearby Epping Forest four of the children with us were delighted to discover Pulpit Oak, probably over four hundred years old, and a boundary marker between the districts of Buckhurst Hill and Loughton.  They clambered over what remained of its gnarled broad trunk and imagined it as a sailing boat, sitting … Read more

Access, Trauma and the Power of Connection We want to start this August edition by expressing our thanks to John Diamond for his work in making the TCJ what it is today, and hope that he is starting to enjoy his retirement! Best of luck for your new adventure John. We thought it would be … Read more

It is well known that care leavers experience disproportionately more disadvantage than the general population. And we know in what areas this is likely to manifest itself: education, housing, finance, criminal justice, self-esteem, health etc More often than not there is some acknowledgement of the effects of this disadvantage but very little being done to … Read more

1.the possibility or likelihood of some future event occurring, The way they all keep my sadness from incurring How all the team work as one, But as well as work they still have time for fun. When I feel sad and the mood turns low, These individuals radiate a caring glow. A glorious light that … Read more

The importance of access to one’s own records is increasingly being recognised as significant, and data protection legislation in many jurisdictions has aimed to enshrine this as a right in law. Care experienced people have repeatedly stated that their childhood memories are often fragmented or unclear, and that access to their records can be a … Read more

When I was studying at Oxford University there were occasional invitations to make up a college rowing eight.  No previous experience was required: sometimes it was simply a case of getting someone to sit on an empty seat.  There were practice sessions fitted in around other educational or sporting commitments just to ensure that we … Read more

Art work by Ian Cool. The fourth paper considers the role of both formal and informal education within the residential setting. To this end Model 4 is proposed Education: Informal and Formal. This theoretical model was initiated by the York Group, which comprised representatives with experience in all the main sectors of residential care for … Read more

Special Edition: ‘50 years of early years provision 1971-2021’ We are delighted to have such an eminent group of writers with direct research, policy development and service delivery experience for this special edition of the TCJ. Our first paper by Sonia Jackson reflects on ‘how the work of the Plowden Report (1967) sent Early Childhood … Read more

Pauline Weinstein (1930 – 2020) was an advocate for early years childcare and co-founder of the Hackney Playbus. The Playbus is still in operation after 50 years having been one of the first services of its kind in the UK. A qualified teacher, she worked at the therapeutic community Bodenham Manor under the management of … Read more

On a beach near Borth-y-Gest during August 2021 a visiting family greeted us as we arrived by sailing dinghy.  Once we had disembarked and stowed our buoyancy aids and lunch, the adults struck up conversation during which we discovered that our new-found friends had roots in Poland. Meanwhile one of the young girls in our … Read more

The inspiration for this piece was an unlikely combination of recent rain, and Melvyn Bragg’s BBC Radio 4 programme, In our Time. It was the rain in East London that brought out the snails, and Melvyn Bragg who introduced me to Comenius.  Let’s start chronologically…with Johan Amos Comenius (1592-1670).  If, like me you didn’t know … Read more