Chris Robinson - Healing Child Trauma Through Restorative Parenting: A Model for Supporting Children and Young People

HEALING CHILD TRAUMA THROUGH RESTORATIVE PARENTING

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HEALING CHILD TRAUMA THROUGH RESTORATIVE PARENTING

A Model for Supporting Children and Young People

Dr Chris Robinson and Terry Philpot

Foreword by Andrew Constable and Karen Mitchell-Mellor

Jessica Kingsley Publishers
London and Philadelphia

First published in 2016

by Jessica Kingsley Publishers

73 Collier Street

London N1 9BE, UK

and

400 Market Street, Suite 400

Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA

www.jkp.com

Copyright Halliwell Homes 2016

The authors assert their moral rights, in respect of print editions of this work.

Front cover image source: Shutterstock

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying, storing in any medium by electronic means or transmitting) without the written permission of the copyright owner except in accordance with the provisions of the law or under terms of a licence issued in the UK by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd. www.cla.co.uk or in overseas territories by the relevant reproduction rights organisation, for details see www.ifrro.org. Applications for the copyright owners written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publisher.

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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Names: Robinson, Chris, 1962- author. | Philpot, Terry, author.

Title: Healing child trauma through restorative parenting : a model for

supporting children and young people / Chris Robinson and Terry Philpot.

Description: London ; Philadelphia : Jessica Kingsley Publishers, [2016] |

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015050739 | ISBN 9781849056991 (alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Parent and child. | Psychic trauma in children. |

Parenting--Psychological aspects. | Child welfare.

Classification: LCC BF723.P25 R625 2016 | DDC 649/.154--dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015050739

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 1 84905 699 1

eISBN 978 1 78450 215 7

To the children from whom I am always learning.

(Chris Robinson)

To Bob Holman, a true champion for parents and children, for many years of friendship, in admiration and affection.

(Terry Philpot)

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

This is the most detailed The concept is based on the idea of creating a re-parenting environment, to restore the psychological deficits which children have suffered at the hands of their own parents and often of other adults. It was originally developed by Halliwell Homes (see pages 125126).

The children with whom Halliwell Homes works have suffered trauma, aggravated often by frequent breakdown in placements, such as fostering, residential care and adoption. Most of all this has led them to distrust adults. Restoring that trust (or, in many cases, creating it for the first time) is the task of restorative parenting.

Chris Robinson and Terry Philpot, in what is a comprehensive description of our work, describe the backgrounds from which the children come; their lives before care; the cause and nature of trauma; and the attitudes that this has created in them. They look at the impact which sexual (often combined with physical) abuse has on childrens psychological and emotional development.

Of course, each child is different and the programme treats them individually, seeking to treat the whole child. How this is done is explained in this book. This programme is about the creation of therapeutic living space; the role of the therapeutic parent; how clinical knowledge of a child can inform her long-term lifestyle choices; the role of education, both through Halliwells own schools, and mainstream schools; and issues of staff recruitment and the qualities they need for the work, and their training, qualification and retention.

Halliwell has developed restorative parenting, but its concepts and principles are applicable to all children of the kind described here. It is a clinical programme, but also a humanistic one. It is based on optimism, positing not only that each child who has been injured through abuse should have the opportunity to recover, but suggesting how restorative parenting can help them to realise that opportunity.

Andrew Constable and Karen Mitchell-Mellor,
Directors, Halliwell Homes

Restorative Parenting is a registered trademark of Halliwell Homes. We have only included the symbol on the first appearance of the term for ease of reading.

A NOTE AND
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The names of the children and young people mentioned in this book have, of course, been changed, as well as any details that might have identified them.

For ease of reading we have referred to children in the feminine form (she) and all adults in the masculine form (he) unless, of course, we are referring to specific cases and situations.

Writing this book has been very much a joint enterprise. We have spent many days in discussion, exchanging ideas and opinions, both as to subject matter and the shape of the book. During this process Terry Philpot wrote the text for each chapter, which we both then read, and Chris Robinson made comments, additions, amendments and deletions, from which the final text emerged.

This process was the same with regard to on education, where Terry Philpot worked with Matthew Hargreaves, director of education, Halliwell Homes, but Chris Robinson also made comments and amendments.

We are grateful to Georgina Speake, assistant psychologist, Halliwell Homes, for the help with .

CHAPTER 1

Children in Care

What Is Care and Why Are the Children There?

The experience of people who were looked after in care homes as children has been the focus of much public interest and concern. High profile enquiries into historical allegations of child abuse have resulted in shocking reports of institutions which have not only failed to provide adequate care, but have allowed and supported practices which have further harmed already damaged and vulnerable children. Stories of sexual and physical abuse, neglect and exploitation, often spanning many years, have become sadly commonplace.