Dear Colleagues,
A warm welcome to our new National Centre members; West Sussex County Council, Adrian Rocks (Tameside), Action for Children, Graham Ritchie of the Office for the Children’s Commissioner and Gary Ord.
Our mission continues to create dialogue and share best practice across the residential and fostering sectors, and to promote the use of reflective practice to enhance high quality relationship based care.
To support this work we are holding two conferences across April:
- 1. April 14th-15th at Essex University. In partnership with Essex University, Centre for Psychoanalytic Studies and Childhood First, we are holding the first ‘Social Care Active Education Event’ entitled ‘What do I care ? understanding my role in the system of care’.
What is a ‘Social Care Active Education Event’?
“An Active Education Event is a new approach to training tailored to the needs of front-line practitioners working in social care, mental health and education. It is designed to provide a transformative learning experience blending a personal style of conference presentation with a series of experiential group events ultimately designed to engage the whole person by making connections between personal and professional life.”
Dr Chris Nicholson
- April 21st. In partnership with Kent University, Centre for Child Protection. Our 3rd South East ‘Best Practice’ one day conference:
‘ Cutting edge work with traumatised young people’.
These can be booked online via the links on the flyers, or via the National Centre page on www.mulberrybush.org.uk
I will be sending out final e-shot reminders after Easter.
- We have been holding ongoing discussions with our member colleagues Ros Denby of Sandcastle Care and Zachari Duncalf at UCLAN, to look towards the development of ‘reflective practice forums’ for our Northern members. I have developed an introductory programme, and we are discussing a possible venue with UCLAN, and working with ICHA to see whether their NW and NE members might also be interested in joining the forums.
I have received less papers for publication this time, so please make use of it (next edition June 1st) and remind colleagues that the journal exists to share your papers, thoughts and reflections on the ‘lived experience’ of working with children and young people in residential and foster care.
Best wishes to everyone for the Easter period.
John Diamond.