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Below are some of the threads of discussions on varying Child and Youth Care related topics.
Questions and Responses have been reproduced verbatim.
Listen to thisAs a Child and Youth Care worker, where do
we draw the line when it comes to the youths' privacy around their
rooms, online accounts, and other personal things of theirs? Is it to
only let them use computers as long as you can monitor their activity?
To what extent is a room search done and on what grounds? Is the youth
present while this is happening? What about them only being allowed
calls that can be monitored? In Child and Youth Care, when are
such things considered okay and when are they "crossing the line"?
Thank You,
Chelsea Foster
...
Speak with the Child Advocate's office. They have
pretty clear understanding of children's rights in these situations.
Peter Hoag
...
Dear Chelsea,
It seems to me that the answer to your question relies heavily on the
ethos of your state/agency and your own personal philosophy to youth
work. In my view, Child and Youth Care (social care in Ireland) is not
unlike parenting. It is about enabling and empowering young people to
eventually take their place as independent young adults in society.
As a parent I hope that when I die, my children will be able to cope
without me. I hope they will not have to rely on state aid or chemical
supports (in all their forms) to cope with daily life experiences, and I
hope that they will know how to be in relationships (both intimate and
societal) in a way that allows them to give and receive love and
support. When I work with young people in care I have the same hopes for
them as I have for my own children. I remain acutely aware that the
children I work with are not my kids, but all the time my work is about
enabling and empowering them to take responsibility for themselves.
This is where is gets a little bit tricky, since the kids in care are
usually starting from a very different place to my own children, so
while the eventual aim is the same, the means of getting there may be
somewhat different. I may at times have to take control where children
cannot control themselves, and in order to teach them how to self
regulate I may have to regulate for them, but I NEVER forget that the
aim is to give back control at the earliest possible opportunity so that
the YP can begin to take responsibility for himself. All interventions
are conducted in a way that is supportive and respectful of the young
person so that I can build rather then erode trust.
Having said that, I have worked in agencies that
don't seem to give a damn about empowering kids, and serve only as
agents of social control that contain young people that are a problem to
society. If you work in one of these agencies you may find that
irrespective of your personal view, the agency policy may require you to
impose constant control over children whether they need it or not! You
may also find that the children respond to the constant imposition of
unreasonable controls with hostility an violence and so very little
meaningful work ever gets done.
In short, I would say that there is no black and white answer to your
question, different kids have different needs at different times. My
only advice to you is to keep one eye on your eventual aim which
presumably is independence. When you impose controls on kids make sure
they are fair, reasonable, consistently applied, respectful of the young
person, regularly reviewed, and abandoned at the EARLIEST POSSIBLE
OPPORTUNITY.
With very best wishes from Ireland,
John Byrne
...
Hi Chelsea
I am a children's rights officer in Scotland where we adhere to the
principles of the UNCRC. However I was also a Manager of a Children's
unit so I am trying to answer you with both hats on. If doing a room
search I would always have the young person present, it shows good
practice. Also why are you doing a room search? If you are searching for
something is it not better to ask the young person and say why this is
happening. Young people should be allowed privacy, I suppose it depends
what type of environment the young person is living in. I have worked
with young people for twenty years and in all that time I have only had
to search a room on two occasions. As an adult I need space. The same is
said for young people if we are too intrusive they will resent the
intrusion. The phone call situation poses the question what are the
risks of private phone calls? I think as practitioners we are wanting
the solutions to every problem, this is just not possible.
However there is a base line we should work from. I am not saying I have
not had difficulties, however I do believe being authentic, open and
honest with young people assists when we have to make the difficult
decisions regarding the questions you have posed. If there is one thing
that young people have told me over the years is they want staff to be
honest with them. Can you imagine how betrayed they will feel if you
have searched their room and they are not there! I would feel so bad
that I had done this. Now I know people who may be reading this are
saying "what if there are drugs", what if there is a knife". I would
still include the young person and be open about it.
Young people have already experienced damage to their relationships why
would we want to make this worse. Lastly much of the advocacy I have
provided, young people have said they have good relationships with
most of the staff, let's not damage this.
Janis Watson
...
Hi Chelsea
The issue of privacy around youths in care is indeed an issue and
certainly needs further investigation and work as far as I am concerned.
My personal feeling as far as bedrooms are concerned is that anything
that is happening inside that bedroom (their personal space) is really
their business including the tidiness of said bedroom. As long as the
untidiness is not impacting or spilling out into the communal areas of
the house I think it should be left well alone. The issue of the Child and Youth Care worker's relationship with the youth also comes into play
here as I find that if you know the youth well and have a solidly
developed relationship it should be easier for you to discuss matters
and issues that are concerning you with regard to what's going on in the
youth's life without having to do room searches etc, etc. I am strongly
against searching any private area of any youth and would prefer to
discuss the issue that's bothering me openly with the youth but if you
feel that you absolutely have to do a room search (absolute last resort)
then my feeling is that the youth should definitely be present. Privacy
is one of the last things that children/youths in care have to hold on
to and it is a basic human right so one tries not to take that away from
them.
Online accounts can be tricky but again the same principles would apply.
Transparency through communication is a far better option than having to
do things behind their backs. I know that with some youths one will
really battle and the above might not be so easy to apply but generally
speaking there should never really be a time when you have to search a
youth's room with or without their consent. If this happens you could
perhaps ask yourself "how could we have done this differently so as to
reach a different result"?
Hope this helps.
Michelle Linger
...
So I'm starting to see a common theme, and that is that we have to work
on the relationships between staff and youth. So that whatever is
troubling them in their lives they will hopefully be willing to discuss
that with us, which in turn might make there no need to do room
searches, monitor phone calls, or monitor internet use. And if
absolutely necessary to do any of those, to inform the youth of our
actions so that we are not going behind their backs. But what is
considered absolutely necessary? The suspicion the youth is hiding,
alcohol, cigarettes, stolen property, blades, drugs, or drug
paraphernalia. And still what are considered good grounds of suspicion?
However on the other side of that, I know many agencies monitor internet
and phone use so that they can make sure the youth is not talking to
someone who they are not supposed to be. Such as; certain family
members, gang members, and certain friends. And monitoring internet use
to make sure the youth is not looking at drug, gang, porn, or violent
sites.
There are so many circumstances involved in this issue. Youth not in
care are given far more amounts of privacy than those in care
Chelsea
