Children's rights and children place outside their home Discussions and results from the workshop in Torino, Sept. 2012

2 Before the placement: Who is making the decision for the placement? What is the process? How to include the child’s perspective?Before the placement: Who is making the decision for the placement? What is the process? How to include the child’s perspective? =>Are the legislative definitions, controls and monitoring really sufficient for fully implementing the Convention on the rights of children and adolescents? Formulate recommendations for your country and in general and/or identify good practice Questions for workshop Day 1

3 How to inlcude the child’s perspective? Group I System to ensure that the child is heard before the placement Professionals who are specially trained to interview children Ensure that what is written in the law should be carried out in practice Make sure that all children are informed of their rights – they should be nationally educated Status of social educator. Enforce a structure with appropriate power => ensuring the quality of education Lack of power: we are weak professions for weak people

4 How to inlcude the child’s perspective? Group II Denmark, Italy, Norway, Spain => similar challenges Social Services are involved in the decision together with judges, local authorities etc. Whoever takes the decision should know the perspective of the children. Decisions should be based on facts and thorough consideration How to include the child perspective? That remains the difficult question. A good principle, but a lot of “buts…”

5 How to include the child’s perspective? Group III Be aware of different cultural perspectives Practice/Methods/Tools of listening are important (direct listening/interpreting etc.) In every case are conflicts of interest. We need to be aware of that. It needs special skills

6 Most important issues from Saturday I Gap between law and practice Not matter where decision are made we have to hear the child How to include the child‘s perspective Different kind of laws in different countries – we have to look whether we find the children in those laws and set certain standards Big gap between intentions in the law and in the practice – power to children and power to the professions who are working with them important. We are there together with the childen. We have to show how we can contribute. Paper lives the perspective of the child – the social educator is an enabler Who knows what is good for a you? Always take a step a back when considering this question. Big responsibility: everyday we have to think about the right of the minor.

7 Most important issues from Saturday II very important that the child is heard Convention has to come to life On of the main aims is empowerment We need a village a crow a child Document as a guideline and an instrument AIEJI is representing a lot of social educators over the world. The paper should be used worldwide.

8 Which is the responsibility of every social educator to enforce the children’s rights by the UN Convention in his daily work and in a Residential Child Care Center? What are our strength and competences? What methods and skills do we already have to make sure the child’s perspective is met? Do you have concrete examples? What are recommendations? Questions for workshop Day 2

9 What are the skills/contributions of Social Education? Group I Social educators should know the law (convention). It is an important working base. To respect the rights of our clients and to work with them, is part of our education. We have the necessary knowledge and the necessary tools. We should make it more explicit the link between the convention and our methods and knowledge Also in the light of the convention time for reflection and supervision of our actions is crucial The ladder of participation is an important tool for reflection of our action. Being aware of the ladder of participation in different situations: we have to ask which step of the ladder is appropriate and possible for which situation? And an move from level four (where participation starts) to a higher level? Children are involved in daily life. It is our responsibility to create situations where their point of view can come forward – use different instruments and methods for those situations We could be responsible that other decision makers and parents have knowledge of the perspective o the child – we are in the position to help children to come forward with their views. How can we be objective? It is a big responsibility not to colour the view of the child. Structure in residential care is a good structure to involve children. But need to have the ability to also involve children outside formal structures. There should be structures in society, who makes it possible to have participatory democracy – create a space for the voice of children.

10 What are the skills/contributions of Social Education? Group II First steps of ladder of participation/it starts with information. How to inform children of their rights? Have it in early age, when mother is pregnant School and residential centre: information on the CRC must be available in these settings Role of social educator to inform: e.g. children have the right to complain, social educators should help to complain – how information could be provided, see website of ceesc as example Social educators have the competences to make sure that the respective of the child is met. But relationship is key and an important base. The SE is the best enabler – relational competences 5 th step of the ladder of participation: how can children be partner for decision making? Peer Education is an interesting method often used in Italy A child is just a child – this perspective is important – do not to consider the child for the problem

11 What are the skills/contributions of Social Education? Group III Our role: based on time and quality of time Relationship is basic – social educators have the conditions in daily work and necessary inside views to observe the needs of a child Weakness: limited time Methods: family groups in school It is our responsibility to identify the child’s perspective – to chair the communication of all different actors (e.g. during family conference) We should not be afraid to observe the child need’s

12 Questions at the end of the seminar Which is your favourite article / what do you like about the convention? What was missing during the seminar? How do you take the paper forward?

September 2012: AIEJI seminar in Torino => re-edit the paper: Include data and examples from different countries and recommendations from the seminar October 2012: AIEJI Board meeting in Luxembourg => Discuss the paper, if needed re-edit, start translations in AIEJI languages (FR/ES/IT/DE) 2-5 April 2013: AIEJI World Congress Luxembourg => Present the paper/discuss it in a work-shop / promote paper The next steps