In Residence

 From Why Care?: A volume of articles on the values underlying residential work, edited by David Lane and Keith White, RCA Annual Review 1980, p. 37-41 If it is not doing too much violence to a useful quotation: “Some people are born residential social workers, others become residential social workers, whilst some have residential work thrust … Read more

After the Prime Minister’s speech to the Conservative Party conference Looked After Children are now, truly, Children in Care, in the care of all of us. To name the scandal of the social exclusion of Children in Care was a brave and necessary thing. There was an audible ‘Hurrah’ from those of us in the … Read more

In the past couple of weeks I have been revisiting previous columns of ‘In Residence’ as I compile the index for Volume Two of Reflections on Living with Children.  This reminded me of the value of recording conversations and events quite apart from any value associated with reflecting on them.  And so I thought I … Read more

Neglect in young children the most common reason for adults to contact the NSPCC helpline. However, few adults contact the NSPCC helpline with concerns about teenage neglect. The NSPCC is calling on the public to be alert to young people suffering from neglect after calls to the NSPCC helpline, the national service for any adult … Read more

Review by David Lane In this book Professor Roy Parker has brought together a collection of essays (in one or two cases, speeches) on various subjects about the way services for children and young people have developed over recent decades, and ways in which they may develop. Although Roy is still actively working in an … Read more

PRESS RELEASE For immediate release A  new children’s story book has been published for babies and infants that includes signing, or sign language. Designed for hearing children pre-speech, ‘Alfie’s Magic Hat: Fun at the zoo’, the first in a series, recognises the increasing interest in using ‘signing’ to help babies and infants communicate, pre speech. … Read more

Review by David Lane: In reviewing this book for the Guardian, Rebecca Abrams says that the book is “hugely important” which I would endorse, but she commits the sin of omission in saying that it should be “mandatory reading for all parents, teachers and politicians”, as she should have included child care workers of all … Read more

Reflection, appropriation, acceleration, activation, democracy and dialogue. The National Commissioning Conference Training is undoubtedly amongst the best programmes of any conference. The reason is that the programme is put together by those doing the task for those doing the task. It’s the place we come to hear who is doing what. It’s a place of … Read more

Humans are social beings. Historically individual humans are weak, at risk from predators and incapable of surviving for long in nature without others. By being part of a family network; a community or some form of functional group i.e. hunter-gatherer societies, was and still is the safest way to survival. This is thought to be … Read more

Paper given at the Child Care History Network Hinsley Hall, Leeds: 3 July 2015 Introduction The Hinge Factor by Erik Durschmied is about a number of key conflicts which the author  believes changed the course of history, such as Agincourt and Waterloo. One of the obvious ones in British history is the Battle of Hastings, … Read more

In my essay, I will initially provide a description of the concept of work, from an etymological and historical point of view, to give a possible explanation of why people work. Then I will refer to relevant human development and career theories to illustrate how people choose their career.  In doing so I will draw … Read more