NCERCC’s season of surprising new insights #1 = Holding and Containment

NCERCC summers are always spent industriously. This one is proving remarkably productive. It’s proving a season of surprising new insights.

Not having the daily involvement in a home we see what is occurring with each home, and the sector, differently than the way it is seen and felt inside. We might call it reflective space.

In order to offer the same for children RCC as a home and sector requires a protective and protected space.

Holding and Containment are two concepts rarely spoken of today. (We’ll post something to the NCERC website). Without these 2 concepts functioning and informing practice the boundaries of the home are unclear internally and externally.

The Care Review and Children’s WellBeing Bill and associated proposed legislation reduce the remnants of sectoral holding and containment on the way to their removal. This outcome is the result of a lack of knowledge and experience across the national and local government leadership eschelon, and parliamentarians. Those of us, experienced practitioners, researchers do not have the required practice base from which to advise, outside of this coterie have tried to talk sense to them to no avail. It explains the exodus of the culture carriers. People are giving up.There are some remaining but expertise is now already way too thin.

Management of emotions and dynamics is a question of two things, knowing what is going on, and what to do about it.

It is important each home has reflective space provided for it and this necessitates a seperation of business (including in local authorities) and care management. Even an experienced external manager can feel the squeeze (plus finding one today with both is increasingly rare). Combining the two roles and tasks is not a saving of time or money, it means both get compromised. And, let’s not try to combine the QA of R44 with the reflective consultancy role. They are different.

In the next insight (#2) we address what can be done