Transcript Slide 1

Learning from
Successful Safeguarding
Choosing hope over fear…
Let the children who watch what we do
understand and thank us for choices we can
make.’
Barack Obama
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We are:
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Independent consultants working with
strengths based approaches
With experience in safeguarding and a
call for new ways of working
Offering a framework to build on your
expertise, knowledge & experience.
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Safeguarding success
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Looking for the ingredients of
practice that worked well
Developing appreciative
safeguarding practice
Developing an appreciative model
for Case Reviews
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Learning from success
In Newcastle:
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Learning about successful safeguarding practice with
practitioners and the LSCB
Developing an LCSB good practice panel which
invites people to identify and share their best
practice;
Conducting an appreciative CR process in which all
stakeholders work together to identify success and
focus on where change is needed.
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And elsewhere:
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Finding successful safeguarding practice
in preparing for a Joint Review
Piloting an Appreciative SCR process starting with what went right?
Building on successful collaboration to
create a strong strategic safeguarding
approach with a LCSB.
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‘I’ve
been involved in
countless case reviews….
…and never been satisfied with the
outcomes…we never seem to learn
anything new; they haven’t made
the slightest difference.’
Safeguarding Manager
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‘I often think that…
..if that child could see us now
they’d say:
“What on earth do you think
you are doing?!”
LCSB member
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New & deep learning from
appreciative case reviews
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Asking everyone what went well &
what they have learned
Everyone meeting together,
overcoming fear & mutual
suspicion
Affirming, learning & agreeing next
steps together
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High reliability organisations:
Weick and Sutcliff (2001)
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Are good at looking for the unexpected
Learning from potential accidents
Avoid mistakes becoming ‘undiscussable’
Hierarchy steps aside to support the most
relevant expertise – ask everyone
Spot the potential consequences of ‘little
mistakes that escalate’
Convert personal fear of speaking up to fear of
‘what may happen to others if I don’t speak
up?’
‘We
can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the
dark. The real tragedy is when men are afraid of
the light.’ Plato
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In the long run, what is likely
to be more useful:
Demoralizing a successful workforce by
concentrating on their failures
or
helping them over their last few hurdles
by building a bridge with their successes?
Thomas White, President GTE
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Organisations move in the
direction of…
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The questions they ask
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The stories they tell
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Their most powerful images of the
future.
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Judged on what we can build,
not what we destroy (Obama)
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People own what they have helped
to create
In every situation, something works
and we can build on these examples
Getting more of what we focus on,
we choose carefully
Change begins with our first
questions
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Changing our focus
Inclusive
Inquiry
Focus
Fault finding (what went
wrong?)
Process
Focus
SCIE Multi-agency systems
Learning together (What
went right?)
Appreciative Focus
Blame focus
Traditional SCR
Inspection
Learning from Success
Expert
Enquiry
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Starting the change with our
very first questions
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What do we know works well?
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What do we want more of?
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How can we make that happen?
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Choice One – Focus of Review
Deficits or strengths?
Starting from strengths
Asking what went right
Of the whole system
Learn about the things that worked well together,
affirm and support each other
Highlights where improvements are needed [practice
& management] and strategies for doing so
People have already identified what they need to
differently and have started doing it
Everyone has been involved in understanding the
practice, learning together and is motivated to act.
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Deep Learning
..takes place when people: ‘see the
larger whole and their
connectedness to this
wholeness.’
Peter Senge
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Choice Two – Review process
‘None of us is as smart as all of us’*
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Working with the whole system
Getting all the voices in the room
Sharing & understanding one
another’s perspectives
Collective insight creates collective
wisdom
Moving forward together
*Japanese proverb
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An new model
Internal Learning Inquiry
•Whole system review – involving everyone together
•Using AI cycle and starting with appreciative questions
•Collaborative approach to understanding
•Open, respectful dialogue in a blame free environment
•Inquiry takes place over 2-3 days, real time.
•Shared understanding and actions are agreed by everyone
and become the report and next steps
•High ownership; change starts immediately including
building and renewal of relationships, connections and
working arrangements between agencies.
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Discovery
‘Let us not look back in anger, nor
forward in fear, but around in
awareness.’ James Thurber
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Discovering what works well
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Talk to your neighbour for the next 10 minutes
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Listener: ask questions, listen, encourage,
look for the positives, note the highlights
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Speaker: chance to tell your story uninterrupted
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5 minutes each and swap
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If Serious Case Reviews were truly
effective, what would they look
like?
1. Tell your neighbour about a time
when you have seen
safeguarding practice save a child
What happened? What did you and others do?
2. If you had 1 wish for the future
of UK safeguarding what would it
be?
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Impact of our model
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Everyone is involved: working, learning, changing
and acting together,
Their work and contributions are valued and
morale is enhanced
Mistakes are regarded as opportunities for learning
Change begins straight away
Everyone has contributed to the Report
Reporting and dissemination are outcomes of the
process
People embrace agreed changes with a shared
motivation and enthusiasm
Shorter timescales
Cost effective – in time and money
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Unclenching our fists…
Barak Obama
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Build on the best of what’s working
now Inquire together about the best of
our existing processes e.g. ‘Working
Together’ and fulfilling its requirements
Begin from a motivated place where
deep learning & change begin straight
away
Purposeful activity that is safe for
children and practitioners
Join us on March 23rd to inquire
further.
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Testimonials from a LSCB
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Having some fun with the ‘envisioning
the ideal future’ exercise! Excellent
exercise. Strong messages and
learning.
Mixing with other professionals and
getting to know them. Positive attitude
to safeguarding and change is possible.
Thinking about solutions to getting the
best from the ‘system’.
A renewed enthusiasm!
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Choosing hope over fear
Barak Obama
Let us be the risk takers, the
doers. The ground is shifting
beneath us, we are already asking:
What can we do?
What will you do…..??
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About Appreciative Inquiry
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Appreciative Inquiry (AI)
A positive approach to learning and change
Appreciate
• Recognize the quality of …
• Be fully aware of or sensitive to…
• To raise in value or worth
Inquiry
• A process of gathering information for the
purpose of learning and changing.
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Using AI – Five ‘D’ Cycle
Definition:
Decide What to Learn About
Discovery:
Explore, inquire
Themes - Positive Core
Destiny:
Sustaining the
Change
Appreciative
Topic
What do you
Want More of?
Dream/Imagine:
Picture what might be;
create shared images
for a preferred future
Design:
Find innovative ways to
create that future;
Breakthrough propositions
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Discovery
“The real voyage of discovery
consists not in seeing new
landscapes, but in seeing with
new eyes”.
Marcel Proust
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If we allow ourselves to imagine
“ what if….?”
We will soon be asking:
“Why Not?!”
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Agreeing what matters
If we could do
everything
we are
capable of
doing,
we would
astound
ourselves ‘
Thomas Edison
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Making a start
‘Whatever you can do or dream you
can do, begin it. Boldness has
genius & magic in it’
Goethe
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Making it happen
If you want to
build a ship,
don't drum up men
to gather wood,
give orders, and
divide the
work.
Rather, teach
them to yearn
for the far and
endless sea.’
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
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Why it works
Principles of the approach
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In every society, organisation, team and group, some
things work well. (strengths based)
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Organisations grow in the direction of what they ask
questions about (social construction)
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People are more confident in moving to an uncertain
future when they carry forward the best parts of the past
(continuity and innovation).
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Change is seen as a journey rather than a one-off event
and begins right away(on-going)
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Everyone in the system participates
(involvement)
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Manchester Heart Centre
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Leadership development
Creating a sea-change in culture and
behaviour within the Centre
‘We are now more business-like, but not
at the expense of humanity’
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The impact of working with AI
BEFORE
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Feeling isolated
Feeling checked up on
In the dark
Cliques
Favouritism
AFTER
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(Alfred and Shohet 2006)
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Openness
Approachability
Empowerment
Professionalism
Honesty
OK to make mistakes
Early achievement of
targets
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Feedback about creating change
A remarkable level of positive feedback. Even those with a
gold medal for cynicism now have a thirst and enthusiasm for
change.
AI shaped the structure of the project and then disappeared.
The process was less important than the topic which we were
all focusing. We were not aware of moving through the
different stages – we were just working out what we wanted
to do next.
I am amazed at how far people moved during a single day.
We have a new understanding of and support for our journey
of change.
An effective model, which generates enthusiasm, energy and a
wish for change, and is fun to do. Brilliant.
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Useful References
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What is Appreciative Inquiry? by Joe Hall & Sue Hammond,
www.thinbook.com
Appreciative Inquiry: Change at the Speed of Imagination, by Jane
Magruder Watkins and Bernard J. Mohr.
The Power of Appreciative Inquiry. A practical guide to positive
change.
Diana Whitney and Amanda Trosten Bloom 2003
Appreciative Inquiry Handbook, David Cooperrider, Diana Whitney and
Jackie Stavros, 2003
Appreciative Inquiry: Igniting Transformative Action,” by Bernard
Mohr. From The Systems Thinker, Volume 12, #1, 2001, at
www.pegasuscommunications.com.
Presence: by Peter Senge et al
Theory U:by C Otto Scharmer
Other Resources:
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AI Commons website at http://appreciativeinquiry.cwru.edu/
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www.julie-barnes.co.uk and www.mooreinsight.co.uk
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