Jordan is a child who was placed in to the care setting at an early age. He moved from his Mother to various foster homes with many different foster carers. Suzanne McGladdery from Foster Care Associates (FCA) worked with Jordan on his life story. This, Life Story work, is a project for the child that involves the child, family members, carers and professionals to enable the child to build up a picture of their past. In doing this, carers at FCA are supporting Jordan’s right to appropriate services by helping him to discover what works best for him. Suzanne explains that the Life Story work is important because, “It can be a tool really that the foster carers can use with the child. It can be something that the child can use to facilitate communication, and then that gives them an opportunity to talk about their past with the carer. It also gives the carer information about the child’s past.” (K101, DVD, Unit 5, Audio 5.1) It provides Jordan with ‘scripts’ or ‘stories’ that he may not have formed strongly as a child. The Children Act 1989, “emphasises partnership in a working relationship with parents and carers” (K101, Unit 5, p21) Life Story work allows the child a choice in who they would like to be involved and what information they can disclose. Parents and carers are invited into Jordan’s past and they are supporting him in having a voice and being heard. This must be a very meaningful experience for a child who has had no real choice in their past experiences. Life story work also allows for the child to begin forming stronger internal working models by using photographs and encouraging new experiences.
Suzanne’s work with Jordan demonstrates the advantages that a person can have when they are encouraged to communicate their experiences to others. Suzanne must consider the way in which she approaches her work with vulnerable people as she may be asking them to uncover painful memories. There are many ways in which Suzanne does this. When watching her, she is sat with Jordan on his level, uses eye contact and practices empathetic listening. By using these communication skills, Suzanne creates an equal partnership and a comfortable, sharing environment. If Suzanne did not approach the work sensitively, she may find the child putting up barriers if they felt undermined or patronised. Care workers need specific tools to support individuals in remembering and recording their lives and in doing so create a more meaningful care relationship.
Howard Mitchell, a care worker at the Lennox Castle Hospital in Scotland, used interviews with patients and care workers to build a picture of what life was like there. Lennox Castle survived for sixty years; it was a long stay hospital for people with learning disabilities and mental health issues. During its lifetime, Lennox Castle was known as a ‘total institution’. A ‘total institution’ is “a place of residence and work where a large number of like-situated individuals, cut off from wider society for an appreciable period of time, together lead an enclosed, formally administered round of life” (Goffman, 1961, quoted in Reader, p103) Since the Community Care Act 1990, long stay hospitals like this no longer exist and individuals were moved into smaller homes within communities. This major shift in the way that vulnerable people were cared for in the UK lead Howard Mitchell, to begin thinking about the history of the ‘total institution’.
Mitchell recorded people using audio and visual mediums and made them accessible by the public. This is called oral history and these techniques are used to, “record the memories of those whose life stories would otherwise be lost to future generations” (Oral History Society, 2012) Mitchell believes that oral history is important because it creates a sense of environment that you cannot get with photographs. (K101, DVD, Unit 7, Video 7.1) Mitchell asked participants questions about their experiences at Lennox Castle as he felt that it had a “negative public perception” (K101, DVD, Unit 7, Video 7.1). Mitchell felt differently and wanted to give a “clearer understanding of what it was like to work there” (K101, DVD, Unit 7, Video 7.1) Mitchell used his own experiences and also written records to build up an initial picture of life at the hospital. Looking back at the definition of a total institution given by Goffman, it shows us that the institution treated everybody the same by a ‘formally administered round of life’ (Goffman, 1961, quoted in reader, p103) so the written records could not have given an individualised view of what life was really like. Mitchell wanted to show ‘the human side of the place’ and also felt he could ‘challenge the stereotypes of the institution’ (K101, DVD, Unit 7, Video 7.1)
Mitchell interviewed two former residents of the hospital, Margaret Scally and James Lappin. He asked both participants about their views on life at the hospital. When interviewing, Mitchell positions himself opposite the participants and has a relaxed, open posture that encourages eye contact. Mitchell is patient, waiting for answers and he listens empathetically to the participants when they speak. Mitchell uses open-ended questions to try to tease out their true feelings. This could have been rather liberating for the participants considering that they were told what to do, think, wear and eat whilst living at Lennox Castle. Mitchell is a catalyst for their memories, ensuring that their voices are heard.
Mitchell has views on the ethical issues that can exist within oral history when working with people with a learning disability. Mitchell explains that it is important to gain consent and to make clear what the material will be used for as everybody can be vulnerable in this position. By respecting an individual’s privacy and confidentiality, Mitchell is demonstrating good care practice.
Extracting and recording information that lies deep within a person requires sensitivity, tact and an equal partnership between those involved. In the past, care settings had an institutional perspective, relying on staff to control people and encourage batch living. Now, care workers are encouraged to put the person at the centre of their own care, listening to their preferences and putting the service user in charge of their own lives. Therefore care workers are enabling, empowering and supporting people to have a voice and be heard.
“So open your eyes nurses, Open and see, Not a crabbit old woman Look Closer – see ME.” (‘Kate’, Bornat, 2008, p15)
(Word Count – 1476)
The Open University (2010) K101 An introduction to health and social care, Unit 5, ‘Identities and Lives’, Milton Keynes, The Open University
The Open University (2010) K101 An introduction to health and social care, Unit 7, ‘Understanding the past’, Milton Keynes, The Open University
The Open University (2010) K101, An introduction to health and social care, DVD, Unit 7,Video 7.1, ‘ What oral history adds to the record’, Milton Keynes, The Open University
Bornat, J. (2008) ‘ ‘Kate’: the constant rediscovery of a poem’ in Johnson, J. and De Souza, C. (eds) Understanding Health and Social Care: An Introductory Reader, London, Sage/Milton Keynes, The Open University.
Bowlby, J. (1969) ‘John Bowlby on the beginnings of attachment behaviour ’ in Johnson, J. and De Souza, C. (eds) Understanding Health and Social Care: An Introductory Reader, London, Sage/Milton Keynes, The Open University.
Goffman. E. (1961) quoted in Jones, K. and Fowles, A. J. (1984) ‘Total Institutions’ in Johnson, J. and De Souza, C. (eds) Understanding Health and Social Care: An Introductory Reader, London, Sage/Milton Keynes, The Open University.
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jkjacob (student)
