Green Shoots From Old Branches

Well, it's been a strange and very sudden few months, coming to the recognition that after 22 years, I need some time out of frontline practice.

I hadn't actually realised it had been 22 years!

22 years of being present every morning to support children and families. I honestly couldn't think of doing anything better. And waking up this last few weeks without that rhythm has been very strange.

But, some things are constant. 22 years in Teaching, Social Work and Children's Homes means thoughts of belonging, mattering and system change are never far away.

Over the last few years, I started to develop my thinking in to a system that works for children through belonging, mattering and authentic care. I want to spend time to reflect on this and start working with schools, foster carers, homes and other organisations. I want to develop new safe spaces for Relational Trauma Responsive Care.

In the meantime, old friends have been in touch, I'm going to be training a couple of Social Work students for City of York. I'm also going to be spending time in several children's homes doing Reg44 Independent Person work.

So I'm off on my own, working independently. It is somewhere I had never contemplated being, but somewhere really exciting.

I'm setting up "The Learning Culture."

I'm not sure quite where it will go (it's has all been too quick), but thanks to old friends and some new partnerships, it's starting out where I want to be, developing the skills of people who are passionate about working with Children & Families.