1. Planning to foster resilience
When the home life of a child is disrupted by abuse or neglect, child care professionals pay considerable attention to issues of attachment and placement.
They may look to supporting the child to continue live at home, or to the provision of an appropriate alternative home life.
Whatever the arrangements for the day–to–day care of such children, attention should also be paid to fostering their resilience.
Because resilience in child care is associated with better long–term outcomes, it can be used as a guiding principle when planning for children whose lives have been disrupted.
As Gilligan (1997) has stated:
"Resilience – the capacity to transcend adversity – may be seen as the essential quality which care planning and provision should seek to stimulate as a key outcome of the care offered." (p.14)
It may not always be possible to protect children from further adversity. And it may not always be possible to provide an ideal environment for them. However, fostering and boosting resilience should enhance the likelihood of a better long–term outcome.
2. A resilience based approach
A resilience–based approach focuses on maximising the likelihood of a better outcome for children by building a protective network around them.
The emphasis is on building a network of support from the natural resources available within the child, carers and community. Adding to them with professional support where necessary.
It emphasises the importance of building on the potential areas of resilience within the child, for example, by maximising opportunities for engaging in hobbies, associating with friends, experiencing success, making a contribution and so on.
3. Assessing Resilience
Although many factors can be associated with resilience, there appear to be three fundamental building blocks that underpin a resilient child.
- A secure base and sound attachments with carers providing the child with a sense of belonging and of security.
- Good self–esteem providing a sense of self–worth and of competence.
- Self–efficacy or a sense of mastery and control, along with an understanding of personal strengths and limitations.
Daniel and Wassell (2002) have developed these three building blocks into a framework for assessment and planning consisting of the following six domains:
- Secure base
- Education
- Friendships
- Talents and interests
- Positive values
- Social Competencies
Factors within each of these domains of a child's life are known to contribute to a child's level of resilience to adversity such as abuse, neglect and loss.
Wherever possible a strength in one domain can be used to boost a weaker domain.
For example, if a young person has a strong attachment to a member of the extended family, but takes no part in activities or hobbies, that attachment figure can be encouraged and supported in helping the young person take part in an activity.
Similarly, if a young person has a good friend but misses a lot of school, consideration could be given to involving the friend in encouragement to attend, perhaps by arranging for them to travel together.
The diagram above highlights the six different domains and the list below identifies key assessment question for each.
You might want to reflect on a particular case and consider how you would answer each of these questions for that child. Which are the strong domains and weaker domains for that child?
The text by Daniel and Wassell (2002) offers more detailed guidance on assessment questions within each of the six domains.
Secure base
- Individual: Does the child appear to feel secure?
- Family: Do the child’s carers provide the child with a secure base?
- Community: What are the wider resources that contribute to the child’s attachment network?
Education
- Individual: To what extent does the child show curiosity and interest in learning, school or college?
- Family: To what extent do the child’s carers facilitate the child’s learning
- Community: What opportunities are there in the wider environment to support the child’s learning?
Friendships
- Individual: What characteristics does the child have that help with making and keeping friends?
- Family: To what extent do the child’s carers support the development of friendships?
- Community: What are the child’s friendships like at the moment?
Talents and interests
- Individual: What talents does this child have and does she have any particular interests?
- Family: Do carers encourage the development and expression of talents and interests?
- Community: What opportunities are there in the wider community for the nurturing of this child’s talents and interests?
Positive values
- Individual: What level of moral reasoning does this child show, what understanding of his or her own feelings and what ability to empathise with those of others?
- Family: What level of helping behaviour does this child show?
- Community: What level of comforting or sharing or more general pro-social behaviour does this child show?
Social competencies
- Individual: To what extent do this child’s personal characteristics contribute to his or her level of social competence?
- Family: To what extent do carers encourage social competencies?
- Community: What opportunities does this child have to develop competence in a wider social environment?
4. Planning an intervention strategy
When planning an intervention strategy there are several points to bear in mind:
- One child care worker cannot do it all.
- Aim to develop a network of formal and informal supports around the child.
- Make use of existing, mainstream community resources.
- Try to balance intervention that builds on existing strengths, with strategies for boosting less strong areas.
Remember that positive effects in one domain can spill over to another. The six domains are not independent and separate, but should be viewed as interactive and dynamic.
Just as you used the previous questions to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a particular case, you can use the questions below to prompt you to reflect on the aspects of a child's life where resilience might need to be fostered.
The text by Daniel and Wassell (2002) offers more detailed guidance on fostering resilience within each of the six domains.
Secure base
- Individual: Help the child feel secure
- Family: Ensure that the child has a secure base
- Community: Capitalise upon the wider resources that are available as an attachment network
Education
- Individual: Encourage the child’s curiosity and interest in learning, school or college
- Family: Encourage carers to support the child’s learning
- Community: Explore opportunities in the wider environment to support the child’s learning
Friendships
- Individual: Help the child to develop characteristics that help with making and keeping friends
- Family: Encourage carers to support the development of friendships
- Community: Help with the child’s current friendships
Talents and interests
- Individual: Encourage the child in his or her particular talents and interests
- Family: Ensure that carers supports the development of talents and interests
- Community: Draw upon opportunities in the wider community to nurture the child’s talents and interests
Positive values
- Individual: Help the child develop moral reasoning and to understand his or her own feelings and empathise with those people close to them
- Family: Encourage the child to help others
- Community: Encourage the child to show comforting, sharing and more general pro-social behaviour
Social competencies
- Individual: Help the child to develop personal characteristics that help with social competence
- Family: Help carers provide an environment that encourages social competence
- Community: Help the child to develop competence in a wider social environment