Context of this work on the Principles

• Work that is being done on the Salesian Ethos across the Salesian Centres in Ireland

• The value of all clarifying and committing to foundational elements on which the life of the Don Bosco Service is based

• To identify for the Service a set of fundamental guiding principles to inform all of its decisions, practices, actions and behaviours

• To capture the core identity of the Service and how it motivates and applies itself to its work/life/Task

• To recognise the skill, commitment, generosity and vision involved in working with the young people and their families who need the Service

Background to the Principles

• Principles aim to combine and express the best practice enshrined in the Salesian Ethos, the Therapeutic Approach and National Standards

• The real synergy that exists between the Salesian Ethos (Preventive System) and the Therapeutic Approach

• The ongoing dialogue at all levels of the Service –Staff Teams, Community meetings, Management, External Consultants, Board of Management and Trustees

• On going development work on the Therapeutic approach and the Task within the Service

• The situation in the HSE and Nationally

Principles we live and work by ……

The Young Person First

“The young must not only be loved, they must be able to feel

they are loved”(Don Bosco)

We place the young person at the heart of the Don Bosco

community, empowering and enabling them to grow towards

their innate potential

Commentary

• Ethos Day – fairness, allowing boys more freedom, fight for extras for Y.P., building confidence, empowering, share hope, welcome Y.P., involve Y.P., creating good memories, sitting with the Y.P., holding their pain…

• Salesian Ethos – Letter from Rome – present among and to the young - Jesus not crush bruised reed – Jesus friends with little one – one who knows love, loves in return…

• Therapeutic – a way of working with young people that fosters healing in their lives

•National Standards – The welfare of young people is paramount (1st of four principles in Aftercare)

Proactive Presence

‘Every staff member should make a point of getting to know the young people in their care, of informing

themselves of their previous history and should show themselves to be their friend’

(Don Bosco)

We engage with each young person from the moment they enter our care, getting to

know them, building on their interests,

engaging them in activities and games, inviting them into a relationship of trust while recognising and planning for the

challenges this brings

Opportunity Led Work

“The relationship provides the very fabric of the community, creating a culture of open exchanges, questioning, debate and

enquiry concerning personal experiences so vital to the recovery and development of extremely troubled young

people”. (Ward,2007)

We try to be emotionally available for young people at all times. We give time and energy to tuning into and trying to understand the young people, so that they may understand themselves.

We seek to use daily interactions to create and respond to opportunities to engage with them in ways that promote healing and growth.

Salesian Ethos Approach

Proactive Presence‘

We engage with each young person from the moment they enter our care, getting to know them, building on their interests, engaging them in activities and games, inviting them into a relationship of trust while recognising and planning for the challenges this brings

Therapeutic Community Approach

Opportunity Led Work

We try to be emotionally available for young people at all times. We give time and energy to tuning into and trying to understand the young people, so that they may understand themselves

We seek to use daily interactions to create and respond to opportunities to engage with them in ways that promote healing and growth

Family Spirit

‘Young people are the most precious yet vulnerable part of society’ (Don Bosco)

We work to make each of our houses a home, a setting which is warm, friendly and respectful, that nurtures a sense of belonging, offers security,

builds positive relationships marked by empathy and respect and promotes opportunities for genuine engagement between the young person and those involved in their lives, including their own families as appropriate

Community/ Belonging

‘Everyone has a basic human need to belong, to be in a place where they matter

and feel wanted’We strive to help the young person to attach himself to the community so that for the first time he may begin to trust and leave behind any sense of alienation We use community meetings to involve young people in decisions about the house and their lives

We believe that relationships are at the core of the work in helping young people achieve emotional and personal growth.

Salesian Ethos ApproachFamily Spirit We work to make each

of our houses a home, a setting which is warm, friendly and respectful, that nurtures a sense of belonging, offers security,

builds positive relationships marked by empathy and respect and promotes opportunities for genuine engagement between the young person and those involved in their lives, including their own families as appropriate

Therapeutic Community Approach

Community/ Belonging We strive to help the

young person to attach himself to the community so that for the first time he may begin to trust and leave behind any sense of alienation.

We use community meetings to involve young people in decisions about the house and their lives.

We believe that relationships are at the core of the work in helping young people achieve emotional and personal growth.

Reasonableness

‘Educators should be convinced that young people are intelligent by nature, and can recognise the good that is done to them personally, and at the same time they are

gifted with good hearts which are readily open to gratitude’ (Don Bosco)

We accept young people as they are. We explain clearly the reasons behind the rules/boundaries, our requests, demands, expectations, motives and plans while respecting the young person and his opinion even when it is different

There is no place here for harsh rules, harsh punishments or threats, even in the face of the most challenging of behaviours

Participation / Empowerment‘Through the responsive process of democratic inclusion the therapeutic community provides an environment in

which the young people can begin to rebuild themselves as agents in their own lives and thereafter citizens of the

world beyond’

We believe that open and honest communication is at the heart of the approach taken in our work with the young people and with each other.

We actively seek to involve the young people as much as possible in all aspects of living, through consultation, interdependent responsibility for decision making and helping them to take responsibility for their actions

Salesian Ethos ApproachSalesian Ethos ApproachReasonablenessReasonableness We accept young people We accept young people

as they are. We explain as they are. We explain clearly the reasons clearly the reasons behind the behind the rules/boundaries, our rules/boundaries, our requests, demands, requests, demands, expectations, motives expectations, motives and plans while and plans while respecting the young respecting the young person and his opinion person and his opinion even when it is differenteven when it is different

There is no place here There is no place here for harsh rules, harsh for harsh rules, harsh punishments or threats, punishments or threats, even in the face of the even in the face of the most challenging of most challenging of behavioursbehaviours

Therapeutic Community ApproachTherapeutic Community Approach

Participation / EmpowermentParticipation / Empowerment We believe that open and We believe that open and

honest honest communication is at the communication is at the heart of the approach heart of the approach taken in our work with taken in our work with the young people and the young people and with each other.with each other.

We actively seek to We actively seek to involve the young people involve the young people as much as possible in all as much as possible in all aspects of living, through aspects of living, through consultation, consultation, interdependent interdependent responsibility for decision responsibility for decision making and helping them making and helping them to take responsibility for to take responsibility for their actionstheir actions

Loving-Kindness‘The practice of the Salesian Preventive System is all

based on the words of St. Paul, who says,: Love is patient, love is kind...it bears all things…hopes all

things…endures all things’ (Don Bosco)

We accompany the young people with a love and understanding based on their needs; an acceptance that facilitates the young person’s confidence;

a relationship that instills a sense of inward security and supports his growth as a human being and as a faith filled person

Safety / Containment‘Enabling young people through

encouragement, tolerance and support’

We establish clear boundaries and limits with a view to enabling the young people to have a sense of order and structure in their lives.

This setting enables them to experience their emotional distress as ‘encouraged, tolerated and supported’

Salesian Ethos ApproachLoving-Kindness

‘We accompany the young people with a love and understanding based on their needs; an acceptance that facilitates the young person’s confidence;

a relationship that instills a sense of inward security and supports his growth as a human being and as a faith filled person

Therapeutic Community Approach

Safety / Containment

• We establish clear boundaries and limits with a view to enabling the young people to have a sense of order and structure in their lives.

• This setting enables them to experience their emotional distress as ‘encouraged, tolerated and supported’

Religious Belief / Faith “Jesus says: ‘I have come that you may have life and have it

to the full” Jn. 6:14

We commit ourselves to engaging with the young person in terms of their spiritual needs and meaning/purpose in life. Don Bosco’s own Christian faith and upbringing in life provided him with the strength and motivation to meet and accept each young person with a loving heart and the gift of hope

Like Don Bosco we take every opportunity to open ourselves to the source of inspiration he found in the person of Jesus as we journey with the young person and his life story

We respect other religions and philosophies of life aware that every human being struggles with the spiritual questions and looks for sources of inspiration

Therapeutic Process‘The therapeutic aim is to enable fragile young people to

develop their capacity to manage themselves in relation to others and to be responsible for their own choices’

(Tomlinson, 2004)

We aim to provide an atmosphere and ethos where change from within can occur. We pay attention not just to the outward behaviours but also to the young person’s inner world

We believe by providing safe nurturing relationships the young person can begin to heal past hurts. Our hope is that this frees them up to grow and develop to their full potential

Salesian Ethos ApproachSalesian Ethos Approach

Religious Belief / Faith Religious Belief / Faith

We commit ourselves to We commit ourselves to engaging with the young person engaging with the young person in terms of their spiritual needs in terms of their spiritual needs and meaning / purpose in life. and meaning / purpose in life. Don Bosco’s own Christian faith Don Bosco’s own Christian faith and upbringing in life provided and upbringing in life provided him with the strength and him with the strength and motivation to meet and accept motivation to meet and accept each young person with a loving each young person with a loving heart and the gift of hopeheart and the gift of hope

Like Don Bosco we take every Like Don Bosco we take every opportunity to open ourselves to opportunity to open ourselves to the source of inspiration he the source of inspiration he found in the person of Jesus as found in the person of Jesus as we journey with the young we journey with the young person and his life storyperson and his life story

We respect other religions and We respect other religions and philosophies of life aware that philosophies of life aware that every human being struggles every human being struggles with the spiritual questions and with the spiritual questions and looks for sources of inspirationlooks for sources of inspiration

Therapeutic Community ApproachTherapeutic Community Approach

Therapeutic ProcessTherapeutic Process We aim to provide an We aim to provide an

atmosphere and ethos atmosphere and ethos where change from within where change from within can occur. We pay can occur. We pay attention not just to the attention not just to the outward behaviours but outward behaviours but also to the young person’s also to the young person’s inner world inner world

We believe by providing We believe by providing safe nurturing safe nurturing relationships the young relationships the young person can begin to heal person can begin to heal past hurts. Our hope is past hurts. Our hope is that this frees them up to that this frees them up to grow and develop to their grow and develop to their full potentialfull potential

The Dignity of the Person‘Consider that this body and soul of yours were given to you

by God without any merit on your part’ (Don Bosco)

Don Bosco, being a man of Christian faith, saw life and young people from a Christian perspective He believed in the innate goodness and dignity of every person, made to the image of God, unconditionally chosen and loved by a God who is love We strive to build a community that recognises and promotes the rights and dignity of each person both in terms of their humanity and in the Christian understanding of the person

The Dignity of the Person‘Consider that this body and soul of yours were given to

you by God without any merit on your part’ (Don Bosco)

Don Bosco, being a man of Christian faith, saw life and young people from a Christian perspective. He believed in the innate goodness and dignity of every person, made to the image of God, unconditionally chosen and loved by a God who is love. We strive to build a community that recognises and promotes the rights and dignity of each person both in terms of their humanity and in the Christian understanding of the person.