Early Years Collaborative: Learning Session 4
KEY CHANGE WORKSHOP
ATTACHMENT
WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES
• Build a common understanding of the operational definition
of this key change area.
• Present emerging learning in this key change area, including
both evidence base and new learning that will advance our
knowledge in this area.
• Introduce concept and opportunity of a “Pioneer Site”
• Discuss current or potential work within your CPP in this
area and generate themes across CPPs.
• Brainstorm change ideas to bring for discussion with your
CPP colleagues during the end of day CPP Planning Session.
• Have fun!
SOME IMPORTANT NOTES
• All feedback will be gathered after the session
by the Early Years Collaborative team and
made available on the Extranet.
• Our discussions today are about learning, not
about performance, so sharing your challenges
and failures can be just as important as sharing
your wins and successes.
MEETING NORMS REFRESH
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Suspend judgment as best you can.
Respect one another.
Seek to understand rather than persuade.
Invite and honour diverse opinions.
Speak what has personal heart and meaning.
Go for honesty without going on and on and
on.
Early Years Collaborative: Learning Session 4
KEY CHANGE WORKSHOP – ATTACHMENT
Elizabeth N King
Principal Psychologist
South Lanarkshire Council
Dr Helen Minnis
Senior Lecturer in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
University of Glasgow
Shirley Paterson
Depute Principal Psychologist
South Lanarkshire Council
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION
We are all born with attachment seeking
behaviours such as crying, clinging, imitation
and smiling. These behaviours are designed to
keep carers close ensuring that the baby’s
needs for survival, safety and sensitive care
are met.
Attachment is a process. When a baby needs
something – food, comfort, play – he feels
stressed and signals his discomfort through, for
example, crying, seeking to have his needs
met. Parents/carers ‘tune in’ (attune) to their
baby’s unique cries and signals for different
needs. This ongoing attachment process, in
the first few years of life, is crucial in shaping
how we grow and develop through childhood
and into adulthood – neurologically, physically,
emotionally, socially and psychologically.
REVIEW OF EMERGENT LEARNING IN THIS AREA
•
The brain is “the most complex structure, natural or artificial,
on earth” (Green et al, 1998)
•
Human brains develop rapidly: our brain doubles in weight
in first 12 months (Sunderland, 2007)
•
We can’t do what makes us human from within the womb
– it has to be done in the context of attunement with special
adults
• Harsh parenting in the early years is associated with conduct
disorder and later crime (Moffitt and Caspi, 2001)
REVIEW OF EMERGENT LEARNING IN THIS AREA
Developments highlighted in the Themed Breakout ‘Understanding the
Emergent Learning in Attachment’ at Learning Session 2
•
Scottish Attachment in Action
•
Attachment Matters For All - An Attachment Mapping Exercise
for Children's Services in Scotland, commissioned by the Scottish
Government 2012
•
Research and developments in Glasgow
•
Developments and research plans in South Lanarkshire Council
Scottish Attachment in Action
Scottish Attachment in Action (SAIA) is a multi-professional group constituted in August
2009. It is committed to promoting better experiences of attachment in the Scottish
population and effecting positive changes in social policy, education and mental health.
The group believes that altering the existing understanding of, and attitudes towards
attachment, is essential for improving Scotland’s current record on poor health and
socially destructive behaviours.
SAIA aims to:
 promote positive experiences of attachment in Scotland.
 advocate for attachment theory and practice to be a fundamental element of the
education of all professionals.
 develop training opportunities on attachment.
 advance effective attachment-informed practice.
 develop, promote and disseminate research into attachment.
http://www.saia.org.uk/
REVIEW OF EMERGENT LEARNING IN THIS AREA
Developments within Scottish Attachment in Action
•
Attachment Matters for All – An Attachment Mapping Exercise for Children’s Services in
Scotland: Following the successful publication of this joint report by SAIA and CELCIS,
further discussions have taken place with CELCIS on plans to develop the themes and
recommendations identified in this report - Full report available at
http://www.celcis.org/media/resources/publications/Attachment-Matters-For-All.pdf Executive
Summary available at http://www.celcis.org/media/resources/publications/Attachment-matters-forall-summary.pdf
•
2013 Annual SAIA Conference in December 2013 – It can’t be too little and it is never
too late: Why Attachment still matters beyond the early years
•
Network seminars in February and September 2013 – Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (February) and Why Attachment Matters when
children have to move – the emotional journey for us all (September)
•
Contribution of members of SAIA Advisory Group to associated groups and
organisations – The Child’s Curriculum; Maternity Public Health Special Interest Group
Attachment Subgroup; The ‘Jeely Piece’ Learning Together About Making Choices
Advisory Group
REVIEW OF EMERGENT LEARNING IN THIS AREA
Research on Attachment Disorders in Scotland
• A total population of children aged 6 and 7 in 29 Glasgow
primary schools were screened for attachment disorders.
• Very deprived part of the city
• Despite this, the great majority of children had normal
mental health
• The prevalence of attachment disorder was 1.4% - much
higher than previously realised
Minnis et al 2013
• Used similar measures in the Growing up in Scotland
cohort – prevalence approx. 0.7%
REVIEW OF EMERGENT LEARNING IN THIS AREA
Update of developments and research in South Lanarkshire Council
•
How Early Attachment Relationships support Transition (H.E.A.R.T)
 Steering group and a national critical friends group
 Flowchart for home to nursery transition process
 Research report on best practice in home to nursery transition
•
Launch of ‘A-Z of Attachment and Resilience’
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Workforce research led by Principal Psychologist – What is the most effective way
we can support practitioners to become knowledgeable, skilled and confident in
Attachment Informed Practice? What is the impact of a workforce which is
knowledgeable, skilled and confident in this area?
•
‘Our early years journey’ – a film currently being developed by the Early Years
Collaborative Programme Manager – theme of attachment will be embedded
throughout the film
For information, please email enquiries@slcpsych.org.uk
REVIEW OF EMERGENT LEARNING IN THIS AREA
What’s new?
Useful publications
•
Age of Opportunity by Wave Trust (2013)
•
Sabre Tooth Tigers & Teddy Bears by Suzanne Zeedyk (2013)
National developments
•
National Attachment Round Table discussion planned for 3 February 2014 –
chaired by the Senior Health Improvement Officer - Maternal and Child
Health
REVIEW OF EMERGENT LEARNING IN THIS AREA
What do we know in this key change area that will make a
difference?
• Ensure that ALL frontline professionals working with children are trained in
Attachment Informed Practice
• Ensure that ALL parents communicate with their babies from birth
• Ensure that health visitors have contact with ALL families across ages 0-5
• Ensure that social workers identify, as early as possible, families in which
attachment is not working well
• Ensure that transitions of ALL children with an adverse attachment history
are carefully managed.
BECOMING A “PIONEER SITE” IN THIS AREA
• A Pioneer Site is an area (specific geographical
location, nursery, clinic, school, community centre
etc.) that has:
1. The local will and interest to work on this important issue with
their community.
2. Leadership support to be the CPP’s Pioneer Site for this issue.
3. Adequate resourcing to do the work required for testing in this
area.
4. Some existing work in this area.
5. Willingness to share their data and learning with the
Collaborative, warts and all!
CURRENT WORK IN THIS TOPIC AREA
• STEP ONE: With your table, reflect on what
you are doing within your CPP, or could do in
this area:
– Who are individuals and/or teams currently
working on in this area? What are they
doing? Be as specific as possible.
– Be sure to generate as many ideas as you
can and write each idea on a post-it note.
CURRENT WORK IN THIS TOPIC AREA
• STEP TWO: Reflect on your ideas and identify
emerging themes from your table.
– Write the 3-5 largest themes on post-it notes
and bring to the front of the room.
– Facilitators will review all table themes to
find the top 5 themes from the room.
REPORT OUT
• What surprised you in your discussions?
• Are there any immediate ideas you want
to take back to your home team given
what you discussed?
THEMES FROM THE ROOM
• PLEASE INSERT HERE (DURING SESSION):
– Top 5 emerging themes based upon facilitator themes from
tables.
THEMES FROM THE ROOM
• With your table, review top 5 themes from
the room on wall posters:
– Discuss with your table where your specific
idea post-it notes might be placed within
each of the 5 themes.
– Designate 1-2 people to place specific postits on poster paper.
FINAL REFLECTIONS
• What are 5 change ideas you could
work with in your community you can
bring to your CPP planning meeting?
PARTING THOUGHTS
• We need Pioneer Sites!
• Remember, a Pioneer Site has the will and
interest, the leadership support, some existing
work in this area, resources (people) to
adequately do the work, and a willingness to
share their data and progress.
Do you think your CPP could be a Pioneer Site? Express interest with one
of your facilitators and the EYC team will follow up to explore this
opportunity with you.
THANKS FOR A GREAT SESSION!