ITE session

Promoting the well-being of refugee children and young people

AimsTo increase understanding of the emotional and

social needs of refugee children and young people and how to respond to those needs

To develop awareness of how schools can fulfil their duty to promote children and young people’s well-being, with particular reference to Every Child Matters outcomes

You were asked to watch the Teachers’ TV programme ‘How am I different? – seeking asylum’.

Activity 1: Pre-session activity discussion feedback

In pairs, discuss some of the barriers Sara faces to achieving the Every Child Matters outcomes:• Be healthy• Be safe• Enjoy and achieve• Make a positive contribution• Economic well-being

The duty on local authorities and schools to promote well-being

Duty of governing bodies of maintained schools to promote the well-being of pupils in school (Inserted by the Education and Inspections Act 2006 into section 21,after subsection 4, of the Education Act 2002). This duty came into force in September 2007.

The Children Act 2004 provided the legal underpinning for Every Child Matters, which set out the Government’s approach to the well-being of children and young people from birth to age 19.

Pupil well-being

Well-being defined as the five Every Child Matters (ECM) outcomes

Guidance on the duty to promote well-beingSchools cannot operate alone in supporting

and promoting pupil well-beingExcellent, personalised, teaching and

learning intrinsic to promoting well-being. Good PSHE also clearly a key outcome

Theoretical perspectives

Large body of literature on refugees, but paucity of material specifically on school-based interventions to promote well-being of refugee children

Refugee children are a diverse group: diversity of languages, cultures and countries of origin; different experiences of persecution and journeys to safety; varied experiences of exile in the UK; refugee children cope with adversity in different ways

Because of the significance of contextual events on refugee children, helpful to draw on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of development which emphasises the importance of contexts in human development

An ecological approach Development occurs in contexts Bronfenbrenner’s model separates aspects of the child’s

environment according to the immediacy with which they impact of the developing child: The microsystem The mesosystem The exosystem The macrosystem

Development is a process of mutual adaptation The context to consider is not a single setting, but several

settings and the interconnections between them Ecological approaches allow us to consider the impact of

personal and environmental factors on the development of refugee children

Influences on refugee children’s development

Mental healthMigration and displacementResilienceInclusive approaches

Summary of interacting factors, both past and currentthat affect refugee childrenÕs wellbeing

PAST EXPERIENCES ASYLUM STATUSloss and separation HEALTHoppression/violence

AGE AND ISSUESDEVELOPMENT OF

IDENTITY

CHILDFRIENDS

SCHOOL FAMILYprogress in learning past experiencessocial relations SOCIAL family tensionssupport in school housing changes in

poverty status and roleswork attitudes tosafety integrationracism generationalcommunity links issues

In the midst of the whirlwind (1998) Naomi Richman

‘Children and families are affected by events from the past, current stresses and positive aspects in their lives. Support therefore needs to be multifaceted, to promote positive factors that can outweigh negative ones, building on children’s strengths, giving them hope for the future.’

Naomi Richman (1998)

Risk factors

Loss of close familyLoss of other family membersSeparation from familyBereavementSuffering violence against themselvesWitnessing killing and other atrocitiesExperiencing fear and uncertainty during flightParents may be unable to respond to their

children’s emotional needs

Range of ‘risk factors’ which interrelate with other ‘protective’ factors, which may shield children from distress. Risk factors may include:

Risk factors

Current stressors may include:

Unresolved asylum claimsSeparation from close relativesSocial relations at schoolHealth issuesTemporary housing / poverty IsolationRacismFinding workLearning English

Protective and mediating factors

Supportive parents or other carersBelief systems that can guide and supportSocial supports within and beyond familyAccess to wider community Sense of structure and meaningPositive self-esteemSchooling

Activity 2

Case studies: Assessing risk and promoting well-being

Promoting well-beingDecreasing risk Increasing resources and mobilising protective

factors Intervention programmes as opposed to

‘rehabilitation’ programmesTherapeutic, but not necessarily therapy orientedFacilitation of all-round healing through culturally-

relevant, child-centred intervention strategiesUse of play, art and creative activitiesKey role for parents and primary care giversChildren are active agents in their own development

through participation

Resilience ‘Literally, resilience means the capacity to recover

one’s shape after being stretched or stressed, or more colloquially, the ability to “bounce back” after difficult experiences’. Tolfree, D. (1996)

An emphasis on resilience takes as a staring point their ability to deal with their experiences and necessitates providing assistance that they themselves need and want

Children are seen as ACTIVE SURVIVORS rather than PASSIVE VICTIMS and acknowledges they may have considerable resources for coping

PERSON

Relationship Web

Mosque

Friends

Temple

Church

PERSON

Relationship Web

COMMUNITY

DoctorsShopsMilk roundPostYouth CentreThe parkHairdresserDentistLibrary

PoliceVetSocial Services

SOCIAL LIFEPubsClubHealthCraftsChildren’s partiesSportsKeep-fitHolidaysFestivalsCelebrations

Political clubsHobbiesCinema/Theatre

LANGUAGE

POLITICS

NEIGHBOURS

FRIENDS

From workAcquaintancesFaraway friendsPartnersFrom childhood

WORK

Support staffTeachersUnion

Children and familiesCourses

Pets

FAMILY

DistantCloseNuclearExtendedParents

TECHNOLOGY

PenfriendsPhone/faxCarTVInternet

MosqueChurchTempleSynagogue

Gurudwara

Meeting house

Religious festivals

Gender

Social Status

NationalIdentity

Health Care

PERSON

?

FAMILY ? FRIENDS ?

?

?

?

A ‘relationship web’ ............for a refugee?

?

‘The refugee is dramatically stripped of this web. This represents a massive threat and challenge to the individual’s coping and adaptive strategies. To cater for such a person and to understand the refugee situation properly also makes great demands on any individual, organisation or community that attempts to help. Such help will be, or ought to be, directed towards rebuilding this relationship web in a variety of ways.’

Refugees: An overview of an international problem in Baker, R. (ed) The Psychosocial Problems of Refugees, The Refugee Council (1983)

Activity 3

Activities that promote resilience

The role of the school “Schools can play a crucial role in promoting the well-

being of refugee children. For refugee children, school can often represent the most important community outside the home, and an atmosphere of warmth, safety and stability can go a long way to restoring the sense of security many refugee children have lost.”Young Minds Report, War and Refugee Children, October 1994

“It is no exaggeration to say that refugee children’s well-being depends to a major degree on their school experiences, successes and failures....School policies are a powerful tool for helping refugee children feel safe and normal again, and begin to learn.”Naomi Richman, In the Midst of the Whirlwind - a manual for helping refugee children, 1998

What refugee young people say

Young refugees have stressed the importance of:Attending schoolHaving friendships and people to trust Caring, supportive and friendly teachers who are

confident and interested in teaching children and young people from diverse backgrounds

Being included in all activities Opportunities to do activities with refugee and non-

refugee peers, both in and out of schoolBeing in a school that values and celebrates their

cultures

Effective practiceCreate a safe environment. Adapt and shape the curriculum to meet

pupils’ emotional needsRespond to individual needs, avoiding

generalisations about refugees’ experiences

Enhance resilience and positive coping

Promote peer support and friendships

Establish a warm and welcoming environmentProvide all new arrivals with peer support to assist

settling in and learning, providing opportunities for friendship

Develop friendship-building opportunities through collaborative lesson activities and access to clubs and out-of-school hours activities

Teach social, emotional and behavioural skills

Promote refugee children’s participation

Being involved in, and influencing, decisions that affect them promotes children and young people’s well-being

Schools are increasingly developing pupils’ skills of active participation so they are fully involved in decision making processes

Ensure all pupils are consulted about decisions that affect them, even if they do not understand English

Encourage all pupils to volunteer and take up responsibilities

Promote active citizenship in the curriculumReward involvement

Offer specific support to unaccompanied refugeesRefugee children and young people who are under

the age of 18 and not living with their parent, relative or guardian in the UK

Barriers to well-being are often magnified for unaccompanied children. They may be isolated and may be more vulnerable to emotional problems, social exclusion, bullying, discrimination and racism

Schools play a significant role. They can provide a stable and nurturing environment, work in close partnership with other services and can help children build links with members of their national or ethnic community, and with the wider local community

Support good mental healthMost refugee children and young people are very

resilient despite their experiencesDevelop awareness of the experiences of refugees and

how they may affect themTake account of issues that can impact on mental

health such as access to the curriculum and to friendship, the young person’s experience of housing, family support, bullying and racism

If you have concerns, discuss them with key staff, such as a pastoral manager. In some cases schools may wish to discuss concerns about a pupil with parents and other professionals. Together a decision can be made about whether a referral is necessary and which local service might be the most suitable place for a pupil to receive extra support

Develop cultural sensitivityBy developing cultural sensitivity, education

professionals can better respond to all young people’s needs

Many factors are linked to people’s cultural perspectives. These include their ethnicity and place of origin, education, religion, values, gender, age, family and social status. It may also include particular experiences of migration and length of stay both in their country of origin and in the UK

In all societies there are individual beliefs and values and those that may be shared more collectively with others of the same cultural background. Culture affects interpretation of behaviour and may influence professional practice

QTS standardsQ18: Understand how children and young people

develop and that the progress and well-being of learners are affected by a range of developmental, social, religious, ethnic, cultural and linguistic influences.

Q21 (a): Be aware of the current legal requirements, national policies and guidance on the safeguarding and promotion of the well-being of children and young people.

Q21 (b) Know how to identify and support children and young people whose progress, development or well-being is affected by changes or difficulties in their personal circumstances, and when to refer them to colleagues for specialist support.

Further activityIn a school you are working in, find out the following:

Some examples of how the school is promoting the ECM outcomes

Specific activities that are promoting the well-being of refugee and asylum seeker pupils