Quaker Cottage

Quaker Cottage

After Schools Programme

Internal Evaluation

April 2016 – March 2017

“Quaker Cottage is on a little big mountain, it makes me happy and excited!”

Oscar, age 6

Charity Registration Number: NIC 102457 Registered as a company Limited by Guarantee in Northern Ireland Number: NI063929

After Schools; Self Evaluation Sharon Crainey, June 2017

Contents

Page Number

Foreword 1

Outcomes and programme aims 4 - 5

Targets and data collection / recording

methods

7

Services offered 8

Tuesday Group Evaluations 9

Wednesday Group Evaluations 14

Thursday Group Evaluations 19

Summer programme Evaluations 24

Residential programme Evaluations 29

P a g e | 1

1.0 Foreword

Sharon Crainey, Manager

Quaker cottage afterschool’s programme, is a huge part of “Quaker Cottage FAMILY centre.”

Not only does the afterschool room take over the top floor of our amazing building, but I know the afterschool children are the energizers of all our groups.

Most of our children have difficulties in their young lives, showing signs of low self-esteem, lacking self-confidence, limited communication and poor concentration. But we have the opportunity at Quakers to go back to basics, providing a safe and open-hearted environment for opportunities to have fun, to share, to care and be shown love, this allows our children’s energy to burst filling our Cottage with smiles and laughter.

Our afterschool groups, run three evenings each week, divided by ages: 4-7yrs, 8-10yrs, then the 10-12year olds, this group is called pre-teens (sounds a bit cooler!)

All our groups are small, with a very high staff/child ratio, which makes the time in our groups both personal and productive for all involved. This is made possible because our skilled and dedicated childcare team is complimented by 3 international volunteers.

Not only does having our volunteers allow us more unique opportunities for those individual adult/child interactions, but our volunteers also bring the excitement of new cultures, which is a priceless learning experience. Listening to stories from other countries, hearing different languages, learning new songs, games and recipes are all the things our children never forget.

You may have noticed that I underlined the word FAMILY in our title. This is the word that attracted me to want to be involved in Quaker Cottage, and it is probably this word that has kept me here for 17 years.

I have visited many excellent parenting groups, creches, afterschool clubs and youth clubs. Then I ask myself what makes Quaker Cottage different? It’s FAMILY!

Many parenting groups work just with Mums, creches mainly just for babies and toddlers, afterschool and youth clubs for older children and teenagers.

But at Quaker Cottage we are providing an opportunity for a whole FAMILY to get involved in a positive life changing experience together. We know when a family is referred to Quakers, their family life has probably hit an all-time low and we know the journey ahead may be tough. What we also know is we can show our families things can be different and we can help them gain confidence and skills to make changes in their troubled lives.

At Quaker Cottage, we help make the strings that bring our families together or a little closer.

With all FAMILY members getting a piece of the Quakers experience in a way that is personal and special to them, they can take that home and share it confidently knowing in their heart that everyone in their FAMILY has got a little bit of

Quakers too! As one of our mums Karen put it: “I don’t have any family support but I feel like

you are all my family; all my kids love it here”

P a g e | 2


1.1 Background

Quaker Cottage is a cross-community family day-care centre which provides a holistic approach to supporting families in need. There are 3 intakes of new families each year who attend our 1-year package of intensive therapeutic and practical support services. Families are referred mainly by health & social care professionals from Belfast Trust and the mother’s group/individual therapeutic work runs in tandem with our crèche, after schools and teenage developmental programmes for the children of the mothers attending. The participation of the parent in play and learning encourages greater understanding and support of their child’s education at home, at school and in the community. Staff work in partnership with the parents who are fully appraised of their children’s development and staff provide ongoing support to develop each mother’s own parenting skills.

Childcare: Our highly trained and experienced childcare team work mainly in group based programmes at the centre during term time and at various places of interest in the province in the summer holiday period as well as offering each child the opportunity to attend a 4-day residential with their family at the Corrymeela Centre after they have been attending services at Quaker Cottage for 8 months. And our high ratio of staff to child also ensures the ability to provide more intensive one-to-one support where needed. After school programmes (registered for 16 school aged children up to 12 years of age and inspected annually by EYS). Sessions are provided one day per week for children aged 4-7 on Tuesday afternoons, children aged 11-12 on Wednesday afternoons and children aged 8-10 on Thursday afternoons. Children are picked up from their homes by minibus, which is one reason for the high attendance rates experienced with all our programmes. A variety of age-appropriate play equipment and materials are provided to enable a high quality play experience for all attending. Outdoor and healthy play is encouraged. A wide range of activities are incorporated into our programmes and children encouraged to participate in projects which enhance their concentration skills. Staff closely observe how each child plays and aim to provide a stimulating environment to enhance this development. Support with homework is included in the package of care and healthy snacks are provided. Every aspect of the programme is an opportunity for a learning experience through active participation in facilitated discussion with the children including issues around healthy eating, exercise, dealing with social exclusion, bullying, specific male/female issues, ethnicity & individuality, dealing with the past, anti-social behaviour, civic responsibility etc. It should be noted that over 50% of the children attending Quaker Cottage would be considered disabled, mainly children with hidden impairments such as ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome, Dyslexia and similar neurological differences. Our staff are highly trained and experienced in providing high quality play and a learning environment for disabled children and our resources reflect positive images of disability, children with additional needs culture ethnicity and gender.

P a g e | 3


Summer: During the summer period which is a particularly difficult time for mothers to cope when their children are not in school, a full Summer Programme of activities is provided for the children as an extension to the term-time after school’s provision. Every day we collect children from their homes and take them for a day trip to a place of interest. Children are involved in age appropriate activities each day and a healthy picnic lunch is provided. Activities are simple, wholesome and free but sometimes children are taken to museums, play parks or other paid in activities – often dependent on the weather.

The residential is an opportunity to strengthen the relationships already formed during the first 8 months of therapy, develop further the cross-community and inter-cultural understanding and give the families and children a break to relax and have fun. The families who attend Quaker Cottage live in difficult circumstances and few, if any, have been away from home together as a family. The residential is a marvellous experience for them. On return from the residential, each family member will complete a further 4 months of therapeutic support and activities at the Cottage. Families are picked up from their homes in Belfast and transported by minibus to the Corrymeela Centre in Ballycastle. Various activities (discussion groups, walks, play, day trips, barbeques, sing songs etc.) are provided over the period of the 4 days and all meals provided. All families are transported home on the final day.

P a g e | 4


Outcomes: Through our after school programmes, we hope to provide:

1. A safe and caring environment where increased self-esteem, greater family understanding and co-operation, improved social and life skills, enhanced development and mutual understanding and respect are actively promoted. 2. Help towards greater understanding of personal situations and discovery of new and different ways to cope with life’s challenges 3. Provision of wholesome and affordable family activities which could easily become part of normal family life. 4. Children’s social skills built upon allowing them to move on to the next stages of life as confidently as possible. 5. Development of understanding of unconditional love in its many facets. 6. Individuals assisted to find some inner happiness and personal contentment.

Cross Community:

Bringing children from all backgrounds to play and learn together is seen as a first step in building

relationships “across the divide” and hopefully cultivating a better understanding of each other.

With our encouragement, understanding, care and trough the programme we use, it is our hope

that these young people will leave Quaker Cottage with a better understanding of themselves, of

the “other side” and of taking their place in society.

Geographic Areas supported:

Court: Crumlin; Glencairn; Highfield; Shankill; Woodvale. Oldpark: Ardoyne; Ballysillan; Cliftonville; Ligoneil; New Lodge; Water Works. Upper falls: Anderstonstown; Falls Park; Glen Road; Glencolin; Ladybrook. Lower falls: Beechmount; Clonard; Falls; Upper Springfield; Whiterock.

P a g e | 5


2. Aims and Objectives of After Schools Programmes

Overall aim: to enable children to realise their full potential AIM 1: To increase the children’s self-worth and confidence in a safe and supportive environment (improved mental and emotional wellbeing and physical health)

OUTCOMES

INDICATORS OF SUCCESS

1.1 Children’s confidence levels

are increased

7. 8. - Incidences of improved physical appearance (cleanliness, interest in

clothes, identity etc.) 9. - Incidence of initiating and/or engaging in play/group discussion 10.

1.2 Children are happy to try out

new experiences

11. 12. - Incidence of freely engaging in a range of play/activities 13. - Incidence of new interests found 14. - Signs of obvious enjoyment 15. - High levels of attendance 16.

1.3 Children have improved health

and fitness

17. 18. - Incidences of making alternative lifestyle choices 19. - Incidences of trying out new outdoor activities/sport

AIM 2: To improve the social and life skills of the children who attend

OUTCOMES


2.1 Children can manage

challenging situations better

20. 21. - Incidences of positive facial expression and body language 22. - Incidences of dealing positively with conflict in groups 23.

2.2 Children show improved verbal

communication skills

24. 25. - Occasions of being engaged in conversations/discussion with others 26. - Incidences of obtaining support and guidance from adults 27.

AIM 3: To enhance children’s mutual understanding and respect

OUTCOMES


3.1 Children experience reduced

family conflict

28. 29. - Level of participation of siblings in same groups/outings 30. - Incidences of seeking parental guidance 31.

32. 3.2 Children make new friends and

develop existing friendships, particularly with people from a different community, religious or cultural background

33.

34. 35. - No of new friends made 36. - Cultural/religious makeup of groups

P a g e | 6


3. Locality Outcomes Measures

Improved mental and emotional wellbeing by strengthening services and promoting positive attitudes;

Improved physical health;

Young people supported to make healthy lifestyle choices;

Increased access to quality early years’ services;

Improved outcomes for children who are not at school or are not reaching target attendance rates;

Strengthened services at transition stages from preschool/primary/ post primary;

Access to quality play and leisure facilities;

Parents and carers supported to encourage children to enjoy, learn and achieve;

Children and young people to feel and be safe and secure in their homes and in their communities;

Improved outcomes for children at risk of abuse;

Access to family support services appropriate to age and location;

Support for families at risk of being homeless;

To be free from bullying;

Improved outcomes for children who live in poverty;

Access to safe, quality play areas;

That children and young people are valued by society and their communities.

P a g e | 7


4. Programme Targets

To provide:

A term time scheme for up to 12 children (4-7) running Tuesday afternoons from 3.00pm to

6.30pm running every week (apart from holiday/residential weeks) from September to June

each year.

A term time scheme for up to 12 children (11-12) running Wednesday afternoons from 4.00pm

to 7.30pm running every week (apart from holiday/residential weeks) from September to June

each year.

A term scheme for up to 12 children (8-10) running Thursday afternoons from 3.00pm to

6.30pm running every week (apart from holiday/residential weeks) from September to June

each year.

A Summer Programme for up to 12 school aged children (4-12) each day from/to Quaker

Cottage to various locations throughout the province for 6 weeks in July and august 2014 from

10am to 4pm Monday – Friday

Family residential for 4 days in May 2015, September 2015 and January 2016 for up to 11

children aged 4-12 at Corrymeela

5. Methods used to collect information to measure targets and indicators:

5.1 monitoring of targets:

Record children’s attendance within the project.

Complete monthly monitoring return forms, highlighting attendance etc.

At the end of year, provide a list of services delivered.

5.2 monitoring of performance indicators

Group evaluation sessions with children.

Observations recorded by staff.

Feedback from family members recorded.

Feedback from inspection reports

P a g e | 8


6. Services provided April 2016 – March 2017

Services provided 2016/17 A total of 81 individual children aged 4-11 took part in our after school’s activities this year. 

Programme

Male Female Age: 4

Age: 5 -11

Total children

Ethnic minority

Total sessions

Total attendances

Possible attendances

% Attendances

Tue after-schools: 16 16 6 26 32 1 39 425 508 84%

Wed after-schools: 12 13 0 25 25 0 35 272 296 92%

Thu after-schools: 12 12 0 24 24 0 38 315 379 83%

Summer programme: 16 19 6 29 35 1 120 (30 days) 310 330 94%

Residential: May 2015 3 7 0 10 10 0 12 (4 days) 120 120 100%

Residential: Sep 2015 4 4 0 8 8 0 12 (4 days) 96 96 100%

Residential: Jan 2016 3 9 0 12 12 0 12 (4 days) 144 144 100%

           

Totals

2

268

1682

1873

90%

                   

Total individual children:

37 38

6    75 81

         

 

P a g e | 9

7. Tuesday Group Evaluation

OUTCOMES INDICATORS OF SUCCESS

1.1 CHILDREN’S CONFIDENCE LEVELS ARE INCREASED

James was given the opportunity today in group to engage and interact with his peers, he usually comes with his brother but he has moved into another group. This move has come at a good time, as his brother would be very clingy to him and restricts him from developing play and imagination, with his peers. James appeared to be more confident today, it move seems to have let James have fun with other children doing activities he wanted to do, rather than just what his brother wanted to do.

Today I watched Cody, Chloe, and Sophie, who are all leaving next week, after a year at Quakers. It is very clear to see their confidence has grown so much by the way they join in with games and activities, initiate conversations and are visably so happy to be here. Even though this was the youngest group it was amazing to listen them talk about their memories and experiences.

Mum has said that Conor struggles with other children unless his sister Brooke is with him. Today Brooke did not come to group, this gave Conor the opportunity to engage in games and interact with his peers. I think he realized it was OK to play with others, and even found out the names of some other children. This is a positive step for Conor and hopefully this will help him find his individuality.

Charlie always enjoys himself in the group, he always has fun playing with the toys and participates well in activities. In the past he has found it difficult getting on the bus without a fuss, but today he managed it in a more positive way, it is great seeing him more confident and relaxed. Maybe every week will get easier.

1.2 CHILDREN ARE HAPPY TO TRY OUT NEW EXPERIENCES

Today we made some gloop for the children, Leo and Anto enjoyed it so much, they sat and played with it for almost an hour, other children came and went and they were all so comfortable with each other. Although they have different levels of understanding and concentration, they both really enjoyed the new experience. Gloop is great - NO SKILLS REQUIRED

Today I noticed when we were playing a game of snap, that Darcy, pointing to other children rather than calling their names. So I took the opportunity to encourage them to call each other by name while playing and learning a new game.

All the children and a new volunteer were so involved, learning a new Quaker song on the bus on our way to Quakers today. It was just lovely watching and hearing them have fun and developing their confidence and communication with each other, and realizing that big people need to learn too!

Sean suffers anxiety when separated from his family, as there has been a lot of unsettling times recently. Quakers has given him the opportunity to engage in activities that has taken his mind off the need to be with someone from his family all the time. Lots of times when Sean says he doesn’t want to do something we have found that he’s afraid that he can’t do it or is afraid of something new. So today was great to see him decorating biscuits with Leo (friend), and then to move freely around other activities. We can see how much more comfortable Sean has become at Quakers.

P a g e | 10



Robbie joined group today for the first time and he knew no-one, he played with the cars while looking around familiarizing himself with the setting and others. He was attracted to a group of children who were laughing and shouting (clearly having a good

time) playing a game of cards – he joined in, and instantly made friends. As his comfort zone expanded and he tried new things with his new friends he began to have a lot of fun and seemed a little less nervous.

1.3 CHILDREN HAVE IMPROVED HEALTH AND FITNESS

I was in the after school room waiting on the bus arriving with the children. I could hear it pull up, and within seconds 7 energetic, excited wee children came running through the doors, with big smiles on their faces. Each one of them so happy to be at Quakers and to be with their friends, and I just thought some people say children don’t want to play, I think given the opportunity all children want to play.

Sophie goes to gymnastics classes and has learned to do the splits. She has been really keen to show this to the afterschool group, so this afternoon we cleared space so she could do this. Other children in the group did not have the confidence to show off their moves until Sophie started, then another three children joined in, and then it turned into a talent show. Everyone in the room was watching and cheering them on, it was a fantastic afternoon.

7 children, 7 scooters all zooming around our playground. All full or energy, all laughing and all smiling. It’s so good to be able to provide opportunities to support good health and fitness in such a fun and inclusive way.

A couple of the children were having fun bouncing on the settees, this isn’t something we encourage! After just a few minutes one of our volunteers suggested a walk to feed the donkeys (to use our energy) everyone was up for it! Fresh air, sunshine and taking care of the Donkeys, great idea, great FUN!

2.1 CHILDREN CAN MANAGE CHALLENGING SITUATIONS BETTER

Bobby and Dakoda were playing together with lego and talking about where to put pieces together. They were both sharing and swapping their bits of lego, it was really nice to see this from Dakoda as she finds it difficult communicating positively with others and has in the past resulted in negative situation.

Caoimhin is a boy who finds it difficult engaging with other children in a productive way. So today when playing a game with a small group of children, Caoimhin was encouraged to manage his reactions in a more positive way, giving the game a lovely outcome, and some new ways of how to use his social skills.

Tiernen quickly switched from a fun mood to a sad mood on the bus journey home. Tiernen suffers from low self-esteem and finds it difficult to deal with his emotions. Quakers prides itself as a safe, secure and loving environment for the children, were we focus a lot on happy moods and positive behaviours, therefore giving us the opportunity to empathize with the children when they are feeling low and down. Tiernen went home a happy boy.

P a g e | 11


Dana finds it very difficult to share with other children in the group. Today she was given the opportunity to join in a group activity using many resources which involved so

much taking turns and sharing. This enhanced her positive body language and improves her social skills therefore helping Darcy to manage any challenging situations in a more positive way.

Miley was distant from the rest of the group on the bus, she just couldn’t decide whether or not to come to Quakers, and didn’t want to leave mum. Miley finds life a home tough especially since her baby brother came along, he’s had a few medical conditions and mum is spending a lot of time at the hospital. I shared empathy and reassured her, so when she arrived at Quakers her mood had started to change; I’m so glad she decided to come and was happy to watch her playing very happily with Leah.

At storytime today it was good to see Che’s concentration improving as he chose to sit and listen to the story. This can be very difficult for Che to sit in the same place for any length of time. So hopefully these small signs of improvement will develop and will be used in the future.

2.2 CHILDREN SHOW IMPROVED VERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Carly and Afton have met each other briefly over the past 2 weeks but today they sat with each other on the bus journey and chatted about Quakers summer programme, and how much they were looking forward to it. It is great to see 2 girls from different parts of Belfast getting along so well.

Sophie got on the bus today and said, with sincere empathy, Dean (her brother) was sick today and not able to come to Quakers. I hope he is better soon, it’s not nice being sick and we will all miss him. This short message got all the other children talking about how they would not like to miss Quakers. Lots of little discussions went on throughout the journey. Although the children all have their own individual needs they all showed signs of respect for each other.

Today was Chloe’s last session in the group. Her year at Quakers has been an emotional one. So to see her engaging and talking to staff and peers and sharing her feelings is amazing. Hopefully she leaves Quakers with confidence and social skills.

Laura and Carly were chatting on the bus today and very quickly turned into a conversation about residential. Bit by bit they were getting more and more excited when they realized what kind of trip it would be and the different activities they were going to do. Incidents like these really do make a difference to the children that come to Quakers and to their future.

Liam had a distressing start to the group today. Liam just recently got a diagnosis for ADHD, his is now on a slow release medication, which is having a big impact on his eating, sleeping and moods. Today it was lovely to see the one to one support a staff member was able to give, they gave him guidance and showed an understanding of his feelings. His challenging behavior significantly reduced and his confidence levels increased, giving him the opportunity to engage with the new boy in the group (Leon), and have fun for the rest of the session.

P a g e | 12



3.1 CHILDREN EXPERIENCE REDUCED FAMILY CONFLICT

Sophie and Dean (siblings) do almost everything together when they are at home. Dean would be quite dominant of Sophie. But at Quakers it is really lovely seeing them play separately with others in the group. It is great they have a place where they can have fun with different children.

Mum would say Matthew’s behavior is out of her control, and she is constantly playing referee with him and his siblings. So at Quakers we made a decision to observe him, and noticed that he would respond in a positive way when he was challenged in a calmer manner. Now after a few weeks Matthew will do things when asked at Quakers that he would not have done at the beginning, and Mum is trying to be more consistent at home and is noticing a positive change in Matthews behavior.

Shonagh experienced an unhappy situation at home over the weekend, mum informed us this morning. So when Shonagh came to Quakers in the afternoon she discussed some things that happened and got upset and very emotional. It is really good to know that Shonagh feels loved and safe at Quakers giving her the opportunity to share her feelings.

Jolene and Cory are siblings but live in separate houses, Cory is in this group and Jolene in our Thursday group, Mum has always talked about their jealousy when they’re together, about so many different things. So being aware of this we have been do lots of talking about families and siblings, and today I couldn’t believe that Cory drew a family picture that included his sister! Mum was delighted!

3.2 CHILDREN MAKE NEW FRIENDS AND DEVELOP EXISTING FRIENDSHIPS, PARTICULARLY WITH PEOPLE FROM A DIFFERENT COMMUNITY, RELIGIOUS, OR CULTURAL BACKGROUND

Logan was very friendly and nice to Dean, who only today joined the group. When Dean got on the bus Logan told him not to be scared, Quakers is brilliant and you get to have lots of fun and get juice and biscuits. Dean smiled at Logan and Cody said “I’ll be your friend.”

Che gets picked up from school by one of our other Mums who has children attending the same school on a Tuesday, he goes to their house and they all wait together to get picked up by Quakers. It has become regular part of their week, and they have become good friends.

Carly joined the group again after being away for a few months. Although she was anxious and nervous about coming back she was happy at the idea of it. She spoke to Cody and Shonagh about the things they could do up at Quakers together, and on the way home she couldn’t wait until next week to see her friends. It’s lovely when friendships can last even if you don’t see each other for a while.

Lia was really concerned about Miley who didn’t come today because she was sick. During group Lia asked if she could make her a get well card because she does miss her friend when she is not at Quakers to play with her.

Poppy and Lia sat beside each other on the bus, they talked and sang for the whole journey, and I watched them in the group as they played together. Poppy tended to be

P a g e | 13


a bit bossy to Lia, but after explaining to both of them the best way to play together, it was good to see how their friendship developed throughout the afternoon.

Leo and Kaden met each other for the first time today and had a ball. The bus journey on the way home with the boys was amazing. I realized that when children are given the opportunity in a fun and loving environment they can just open up, and be ready for any activities that is offered, the boys where just so happy, the whole time it felt as though they’d be friends for years. As Kaden got off the bus he called to his Mum “Can my mate (Leo) come to my house some day?”

I arrived into middle of the session today. Naomi came straight over to tell me that the new girl that started today is a girl out of her class, and that means she can be friends with her in Quakers and at school. She was delighted!

Kid’s comments:

“I don’t want to go to Florida with my family in the summer because I am going to miss the summer scheme.” Kirstin said while completing the craft activity “I love coming to Quakers, because you can make cool stuff and bring it home with you.” Today was Sophie and Chloe’s last day at Quakers, they were chatting on the bus about their memories at Quakers. Sophie – “I have just made so many friends, I love Quakers and all the new friends I got.” Chloe – “I liked it when me, mummy, Charlie and David, played at Quakers.” “quakes makes me happy cause the grownups play with me” Leo

Staff comments:

On the way to Quakers today on the bus the children learned a new song “the Turtle song.” They really liked the song and all of them sang very loudly and full of enthusiasm. Life can be so tough sometimes even for the youngest of our afterschool children, just taking time to notice listen and show a little empathy can make such a massive different to their day!

Mums comments:

“My kids love coming to Quakers. They get so excited when they see the mini bus coming.” “I couldn’t come last week because my kids were sick, and it kills me when I can’t come to Quakers”. “My two are usually so jealous of each other, Quakers is the only thing they don’t fight about

P a g e | 14


8. Wednesday Group Evaluation



This afternoon’s theme for the girls in the group was ‘hygiene’. We gave each other facials and talked about how important it is to take care of our bodies. Megan and Victoria were given the opportunity to talk about how to improve their physical appearance using some cleansing products that was provided for them. The girls just relaxed so much into to the group and you could see their confidence growing through the questions they were asking.

Tamra finds it difficult to engage with her peers in the group. So while she was working on a craft, Dillon sat with her, initiating conversation. He asked her questions about school and home, he was being silly with her (typical Dillon) and making her laugh. It was so lovely watching the two of them interact with each other and watch their developing confidence within themselves both socially and personally.

I was so impressed with Maddy and Holly this afternoon in group, how they made the new children feel so welcome. It was just a few months ago that they were the new young people in the group. They involved them in all activities and they were so confident when we were playing a group game of cards. It was lovely to see them positively engage with them.

Dillon showed so much confidence today, not only in his physical appearance, but as he was sharing the kitchen rules. As his role of kitchen captain today, he was the one to remind us how important it is to wash our hands before preparing food, and to wear an apron to protect clothes.

Becky does enjoy craft, but she prefers an adult to finish it for her, as her patience is very limited. So today at craft instead of abandoning the project before it was finished, she stayed chatting to the others and soon enough she returned to her craft and finished it herself. I feel this is the start of Becky showing her growing confidence in herself.


Niamh got the opportunity to varnish some the girls nails this afternoon. She was so excited doing this and was surprised anyone would let her do their nails. It was lovely to see her doing something she hadn’t experienced before. I think Niamh was surprised that we trusted her to paint nails, as she said she’s not allowed to this at home.

This afternoon we introduced the trust game to the group, it was a bit of a struggle getting everyone to join in, as these children show very little self-worth and confidence, it can be difficult for them to try new experiences. After the first round of the game, the room was alive with screams of laughter. It was amazing watching them working together and trusting each other so quickly.

On our bus journey up to Quakers we had such a laugh doing riddles. Daniel particular really got into it, and he was so pleased with himself when he got the answer to a few of them. He surprised himself how good he was at riddles as he hadn’t done them before.

Cooking at Quakers is always a great new experience for our young people, as they don’t get the opportunity to do it at home, because for some Mums its more hassle than its worth. But today proved the importance of these experiences Rocha and Curtis

P a g e | 15



were absolutely delighted with themselves – producing chicken curry and rice for the entire group.

Today we had an egg challenge in the group, at the start of the session the young people thought we were mad wanting to wrap an egg up and throw it of the balcony. But as they worked together in their teams, chatting and laughing yet focusing on the challenge of making their egg secure, they all got fully involved. And after throwing their eggs over the balcony all admitted they’d great fun!


The children are all full of energy when leaving the after school room to go home on the bus. They have all spent an hour and half talking, listening, and laughing with each other (something that is not always experienced at home). Afternoons like this improve their mental and emotional well-being and hopefully increase their social skills that they can use outside of Quakers.

When we got up to Quakers, Daniel who has never been before was amazed by the view (overlooking Belfast). I actually stopped talking to him to let him soak it all in. I could see he was nervous, anxious, and blown away by what he was feeling, yet very excited. Our environment is so different from his home lifestyle which I know is very unsettling a lot of the time, We know being here will have a positive impact on his emotional and mental well-being.

The whole group begged us on the bus today to let them walk the mountain again. They just walked it two weeks ago. Since the mountain walk they done nothing but talk about all the activities they want to do during the summer.

At Quakers we try to make mealtimes as fun and healthy as possible! Not only with what we cook but the way in which we sit down a share a meal together. Observing the group today, that I was involved in I feel that we are really achieving this. The group was so relaxing with everyone engaging in conversations, and trying the different food that was made by the young people themselves. We hope that these small experiences will help provide simple life skills for a more improved lifestyle as the young people grow into adolescents.


At the end of each session we provide the group with a dinner before they go home. It is important that we all sit around the table to eat. Communicating and talking would be a massive challenge for these children. So week after week they are encouraged to listen, talk and take turns in the group – giving them important life and social skills. For Lee this was a big challenge but since he became involved in the menu planning and the cooking and serving process this has become more fun than a challenge.

Today we gathered round and had hot chocolate to share ideas for the next few weeks. Most of the young people who come to Quaker Cottage find it difficult to socialize with peers and give each other time to speak and listen, as a lot of the time at home they are not given the opportunity to speak and be listened to – but we made a contract at the beginning of the group to address these issues and let the young people share their thoughts – this made conversations and discussions happen in a more positive way and lots of ideas were shared.

P a g e | 16



Not having a mobile phone in their hand can be a challenge for any young person, there can be huffing and puffing and grumpiness when they’re asked to put it in the phone box. But I have noticed as time goes on a Quakers the huffing has got less, I watch and listen how the staff team talk to the young people, and empathize with them but assure them that they’re going to have a great time. It really works and sometime we need to go back for the phones that they have forgotten.

At Quakers we are always providing lots of fun activities, but also try in involve activities that include more serious topics and issues. So over the last few weeks we have started the sessions of with a 10 minute group discussion, including topics that the young people have put forward, these have included bullying, our communities, drugs and alcohol misuse. Exploring these topics can be challenging for our young people, as they are living with these issues on daily basis. But what we have noticed is the young people realize they are in the same situation as each other, they began to empathize with each other and really get involved in the discussion, we also provide lots of visual activities which helps them get involved in the discussions.


Victoria is normally very quiet in the group, so this afternoon was a great opportunity, when we were giving each other facials, to engage with her. It gave her a chance to verbally communicate, share thoughts and stories and she interact really well with others in the group.

The group chat today was about ‘secret text’ and how to stay safe on social media. We started off with a group game, and everyone got involved sharing their own views. It was a very interesting session and a great opportunity for the group to develop communication skills.

Micheala and Mackenzie played a board game this afternoon with one of our volunteers. These 2 young people both have limited social skills and have difficulty communicating in a positive way with peers. Today I observed them engaging with each other and working together to get the most out of the game. These kinds of activities are so important, it gives the children the opportunity to develop crucial skills to support them in their lives.

Dillon and Maddy were the kitchen captains today, they worked really well together making dinner for the group. They were both engaging and supporting each other. Maddy found it difficult to fit her apron and it was a lovely moment when Dillon went to help her.

For most of the young people attending our setting, communication doesn’t come easy. Lots of our young people haven’t been listened and/or talked too, natural conversation hasn’t been encouraged. So for many of them they just don’t bother either joining or initiating conversation. But as they go through their time at Quakers I have watched this change, as we have time for them and we do value what they have to say. This was seen I our session today 7 young people didn’t leave the table after our group discussion, they just hung around with the staff team chatting and laughing, exchanging stories and really interested in each other’s conversations.

P a g e | 17




Dominic was fighting with his brother when the bus went to pick him up. Their sister/guardian was at the door and she clearly communicated she was at the end of her tether – not knowing what to do and how to control the situation. So the bus arrived at a good time to take Dominic to Quakers to give the brothers and the whole family a break for a while. Sadly the problem will still be there with the brothers, but the afternoon give us the chance to give much need support to the family, Dominic had a really productive and fun afternoon, lots opportunities to share how he was feeling, and hopefully find some positive ways to deal with his frustration. Also now we know how tough it is for the family we will be able to support them through the other sessions we provide.

Two siblings in our group are experiencing a tough time at the minute. Life for them does have its up’s and down always, but due to mum having to spend a lot of time at hospital this has made things even tougher. But through chatting to them today I think Quakers has provided these two lovely young people an environment where they can show how they are really feeling, and they now realize they can support each other, and even though they are really frustrated with everything that is happening they both love mum so much and want to support her.

Through our group discussion about families today, the young people had lots of opportunities to challenge themselves and each other about their thoughts of all the different roles in our families’. So talking about the roles of a Mummy, Daddy, Grandparents, older/younger sibling and even guardians. Really give them some to think about,. So I hope that when the go home they may be able to deal with family frustrations in a more positive way.

Corey and Chantel (siblings) don’t live in the same house, so Quakers has been able to provide a space for the two of them to spend time together, and hopefully our summer program and residential will be a positive experience for the whole family to spend quality time together.


Our last session with this group, the leavers all got tee-shirts and everyone in the group drew a sign/picture. Megan made sure she had everyone’s signature and all the staff as well. It was amazing, watching them interact with each other. I had a sense they were all feeling for one another, when they were leaving the building. It is difficult for them saying good-bye as they may not see each other again out of Quakers.

Two new boys started our group tonight and it made me proud to see how the rest of the group welcomed them. I so lovely to feel the sense of inclusiveness in our setting.

Tonight in our session we had 11 young people, from varying different backgrounds and religions, 5 staff/volunteers also from different background and religions. But in Quakers that doesn’t matter everyone sat round the table doing an art activity which involved their name and the importance of individuality. They were all engaging in conversations and sharing materials and generally happy in each other’s company.

On the bus this afternoon were talking about an incident that had happened on the news, each the young people showed so much sympathy for those who had died or had been injured. All relating to what it would have been like if it had happened in Belfast and how they would have felt if had been their family of friends, the conversation flowed even as we came into Quakers. I feel we really do provide an environment that

P a g e | 18


allows our young people to freely express themselves regarding all types of issues, all cultures and communities.

Four of the young people were playing frustration tonight which meant the game was full, then Daniel came over and said he wanted to join in, there wasn’t one hesitation from anyone, And Kirsty said you can share with me. I think Daniel was pleasantly surprised. I just smiled!

Today while everyone was eating pizza and garlic bread the conversation was flowing. Some catching up from last week, some planning what to do next week, such a great atmosphere with a great bunch of young people. Some have known each other nearly a year, some for a few months and some just a couple of weeks, but it didn’t matter just all happy to be together.

Kid’s comments:

TJ “Why do I have to finish next week, I don’t feel I’ve been here very long” Zoe-Lee “I’m so happy to be back, my sister wants to come too” “Quakers is class you get to cook and everything”

Staff comments:

Over the past 12 weeks we added 7 extra children from past families to make up our pre-teen group. Every week they all choose to come to Quakers and their attendance was almost 100%. Each Wednesday they all went home with a dinner in their belly and a smile on their face. I think our group is really bonding, I can’t believe the way the kids share their stories with each other, but also they even take time to listen to each other, and I know this is tough for most of them.

Mums comments:

Michaels mum can’t believe how a walk on our mountain has changed him - he came home so proud of himself. She had been pleading with him to go to the gym with her as he hasn’t gone out of the house in weeks. So when he said Mum I want to get fit she nearly cried.

“He’s gutted he’s finishing soon, will you definitely bring him back over the summer” “Aaron just loves it up at Quakers, he never sticks at anything he joins”

P a g e | 19


9. Thursday Group Evaluation



Lily would be quiet in the group and is also softly spoken. Today she wanted to show me what she had made with the ironing beads, it was so good I asked her to could she show the rest of the group. She quietly and shyly smiled, then nodded yes. All the other children were really impressed, and she was delighted with herself.

Leetta organized our hairdressing role play salon with Summer. She had a phone to take appointments and even made ‘house calls’ to do varnish nails, focusing on her own professional style. She was well proud of the nails she painted and the designs she had created. We pride ourselves at Quakers providing a safe and supportive environment for the children’s self-worth to grow.

This afternoon we had a pyjama party in group. When we picked up Clare at her new house she was so happy to see us, that she jumped right into my arms and gave me a big hug, smiled all over her face and said how much she missed Quakers. This made me laugh because she was at Quakers that morning with her mum.

Kaci and Mya made very attractive sand jars using lots of different colours. It was lovely to see how proud they were of themselves when they were finished. Lily saw how excited the girls were she wanted to make one for herself. She has become so much more confident in the group that engaging with others would have been very difficult for her to do in the past.


It was really difficult today to get Kane to join in with activities. His mum said he had been in a bad mood since he came home from school. Some of the children were at the craft table colouring in their favourite super heroes. Colourng in wouldn’t be one of Kanes activities but when he found his favourite character he was so excited and couldn’t wait to get stuck in. it was really lovely to see his mood had changed for the better.

We brought a new game to the group today called ‘speak out’. Five of our group joined in, all five children have different levels of social skills. Most did not know how to play but it was really special watching them all help each other out. They were congratulating themselves and so very pleased, the laughed so loud they had tears running down their faces.

Holly, Neil and T.J. have very different additional needs and all would lack confidence. So today was amazing when I saw how much fun they had playing with the role play kitchen, and tea set. They forgot to care about whether or not it was cool and just let their imagination take over.

Just before the end of our session we made our group into 3 small groups and went on a bug hunt outside of the cottage. Peyton quickly found 2 bugs and collected them in her jar. She was really pleased and proud of herself and said “I have never found bugs before.” All children were so engaged and found all the bugs they were looking for. Such a lovely way to end the session.

P a g e | 20




Today when the bus arrived at Jamie’s house to pick her up, she and her 3 siblings came charging to the bus, all so excited to see Quakers. The bus was only there to pick up Jamie, but her brothers and sisters were pleading and shouting “can we get on the bus and come today?” It was funny to see their wee cheeky smiles because they had already had their group two days ago.

Today we played a very popular game of ‘pass the parcel.’ To give the children a challenge, we asked that they do 5 star jumps before they had a turn, before long all children and staff were doing star jumps. This turned the game into a real funny one but also giving them the opportunity to improve their physical health.

Karson and Kaci have both got strong personalities and have in the past found it difficult to get along. However today while they both worked on the same craft project, it gave them the opportunity to chat and laugh together. This has bonded them closer together for a more healthier friendship.

All 5 children we picked up today, literally bounced onto the bus, most of them came out of houses that had curtains pulled, and when asked what they’d been doing they told us nothing! But yet the bus arrived and the energy was flowing. I believe energy gives energy and I know that children connect Quakers with fun! And I know that Fun improves health and fitness.


Mason and Lucas who are both the same age but both have very different behavioral needs. They would often disagree and wind each other up. Today they came close to becoming physical but staff was quick to interact and they went their separate ways. Before group ended I watched the boys as they got together and shook hands. This was a big deal for the boys – it put a smile on my face.

Ollie and Neil would sometimes tend to be rough and physical with each other. After being asked not to sword fight, Ollie remembered about the fun game he played last week. He got out the jenga blocks and asked Neil to join him, where they sat and built with them in calming and relaxed environment.

T.J. is very quiet in group and finds it difficult to join in and play with other children. Today he showed signs of improvement and enthusiasm when playing with the shop/café. It was lovely watching him interact with other children, asking questions, responding well between others. Improving his social skills, engaging in a positive way, learning how to play in an appropriate way.

I am amazed at the change in Olivia. She suffers from anxiety and would always seem too uncomfortable to initiate activities, but today it was brilliant to see her challenging other children at the football table and taking charge. She has been given the opportunity in a supportive environment to develop her mental and emotional health, and now we can see how much more confident she is which she can use in the future.

P a g e | 21




Aria is girl who lacks confidence and can also experience a lot of sadness in her life. Aria is also being assessed for Autism. She shows signs of being very content when she is at Quakers, but needs a lot of support and guidance from staff, but this has proved to be helping her find her feet and her own comfort zone. I am really happy that we are providing an environment where children can do this.

We can see how Abigail feels intimidated in big loud groups with her peers, because of her nature, very shy and lacking self-confidence. Abigail would tend to stay with one of the leaders, or just one or two children at a time. It was her birthday celebration, and she was so pleased about it that she was sharing her plans not only with the leaders but with all the other children sitting around the table with her.

Maddie is so quiet and general would just nod in agreement, but during group today, she asked for different things from the art room so she could make her craft. I watched her during the session, and it was lovely seeing her confidence grow as she asked other staff to help her. By obtaining support and guidance she was developing her social skills.

Scarlet finds it difficult to make friends. She tends to make up stories to get attention, but this often has a negative impact on her. Today when Scarlet was talking about things she does outside of Quakers, Chloe was able to relate with her. They talked for a while and it was great seeing her being genuine and true to herself.

Matthew enjoyed our group activity today about dealing with emotions and feelings. He would be one of our children who find it difficult to control his anger. So the support and guidance he got from this enabled him to communicate in a positive way when he began to feel angry at a situation on the bus journey home.


Michael is the youngest of six in his family, he finds it very difficult to control his temper especially at home with his siblings. So when he comes to Quakers with his sister Riley, I notice how good they get along with each other and how Michael looks out for her. It is so lovely that they have Quakers as a common place where they feel safe and loved.

Holly and Jayne are both in the same class at school and are friendly. They both have experience with family conflict at home with siblings and family members. At Quakers we provide a place and space where these children have an opportunity grow friendships, develop self-confidence, and most of all have fun.

Matthew and Miley (brother and sister) showed signs of reduced conflict today in group when doing a group activity; this was a positive change from earlier when they were shouting at each other. They have been given the opportunity in a supportive environment to show a little respect of each other by doing a fun activity together.

One of our Mums’s thought it may not be such a good idea that her two kids are in the same group, after their first night I understood why! I could see this by the way they spoke to each other threw looks at each other and basically did not want to be in each other’s company. But this is now week three and what a difference – not playing directly with each other, but in the same games and activities, sharing, turn taking,

P a g e | 22



talking and basically being OK with each other. I do think we made the right decision about their groups and I hope we continue to provide opportunities for their relationship to grow positively


Owen saved a seat on the bus for Aidan, moving over to make room for him. They chatted about their week and high-fived with each other. We started a group game, and Owen isn’t always keen or patient when playing games, but with his new found friendship with Aidan he was happy to be silly and laugh with the rest of the group.

Josie was feeling sad today getting on the bus because she had found out that she was going to have to give away her new puppy. Katie shared with her the story about the dog she used to have and how she felt when her dog was gone. They both have a lack of social skills, so it was great to see them engaging in this way.

At story time Kaci recognized we were going to read and volunteered to read it to the group. She was so proud of herself, and the other children were impressed with her reading skilsl. Laura asked –“how did you read all that?”

“I had a lot of practice.” She replied.

They both moved on to another activity were they made bracelets for each other – connecting the friendship.

Eva has only been with Quakers a few weeks, she was shy and quiet on the bus journey to the cottage, but after laughing at some of the stories and jokes I noticed she relaxed. It was a busy afternoon with games, arts and crafts and this gave Eva the opportunity to engage with other children, so our journey home on the bus she found it a lot easier to build some friendships.

Kid’s comments:

“Why do we not get to stay at Quakers a long time?”

“When I’m of school can I come to Quakers More?”

“I love Quakers” “Why do you love Quakers?” ”Just because I love

Quakers”

P a g e | 23


Staff comments:

Most of the children who attend Quaker Cottage, suffer from emotional and mental instability. But what is positive to see is how well our children accept each other and understand one another’s individual needs. The children are given lots of opportunities to grow as a group, through games, arts, crafts, and communication activities, therefore enhancing and developing their respect for each other.

Eva is a part of a family who would dwell a lot on illness within the family circle. I understand this as I know there a lot of illnesses within the family, but what I also know is that children deserve to be allowed to be free and/or in some way sheltered from “big Peoples” issues. When Eva started with us I really felt for her, because of all the allergies and illnesses on her information form, only to find out these were all things mum thought she had and Eva thought she had. We very quickly realized we needed to change her mind set, giving opportunities for lots of positive thoughts, showing we believed in her especially her strengths, and then Eva stared to believe in herself. Today I watched Eva laugh out loud, initiate games, show signs of both physical and mental energy. She is just amazing young girl, who when given the opportunity, was able to improve her own self-esteem and confidence. I feel so privileged to be that Eva unknowingly allowed us to help her do this.

Mums comments:

“I have only been coming to Quakers a few weeks and already I feel at home.”

“He would lie and play those games all day then when the bus pulls up he’s

full of energy”

P a g e | 24


10. Summer Programme Evaluation



Liam, Karson, and Dean all worked together as a team on the scavenger hunt. Liam found some clues in the craft room, and he helped Dean to draw them, he passed the paper on to Karson. It’s your turn now – he said. Dean asked Liam – where is the next clue? Watching them initiating and engaging with each other to make the scavenger work shows definite signs of positive interaction and an increase in confidence and self-worth.

Michael is a very shy and nervous boy, but we could see how his confidence grew over the summer. He ventured into the cave with his peers and staff, he showed signs of being frightened at the start, but quickly overcame this with lots of reassurance and help from staff. Michaels bonding with both staff and other children has helped Michael believe in himself.

Hollie didn’t like to take part in group games or activities as she is a very shy girl, so it is fantastic to see how our summer program has increased her confidence to try new activities.

Were only on week to and I can see Jason’s confidence levels increase, Jason has Autism and finds it so hard to express himself, and has great difficulty in understanding where other people are coming from. This morning Jason came out to the bus with his head up, not much of a smile but was able to ask “why you’s are late and where are we going today? I said we were going to the museum you could see he was delighted with his half smile. He doesn’t usually speak for at least an hour. He’d a great day!

Today we went to Victoria park, with our afterschool children, what a super day! The energy was flowing, the children organizing their own games, setting up snack time sorting out the equipment bags, all taking ownership for their day out.


Joseph was nervous when we arrived at the beach, he said he didn’t like the water or the waves, but with a Quaker magic story, he eventually was there chasing waves and throwing pebbles in the sea. The sign of excitement and thrill on his face was so nice to see. When we were leaving he said he would like to come back to the beach.

Fire trucks would regularly be in and out of areas where are families live, and most times it is not a very positive experience, and sometimes the fire crew are not always welcome. So during our summer program we invite the local fire crew with their fire truck to Quaker cottage for each of our three groups, for an up close and personal experience. This gives opportunities for the whole family to crew ask questions and get to try out the equipment. Today was just another time when I could see that when our families see something from different perspective and given the chance to be involved in a positive experience, they can have a really fun time and show their openness to new knowledge. I would hope that this experience today with their family and friends in their communities.

Reuben, Sophie, Cody and Chloe were both ecstatic and nervous when the large fire truck arrived on our mountain today. What a wonderful experience they had especially

P a g e | 25



when they got to knock cones down with the fire hose. Michael just thought he was the business when he got the firefighting gear on, he was beaming.

Lady Dixon park is one of our most beautiful parks, and on rose week it just turns into the most colourful park ever. Even though the children end up in the play park at the end of the day. They get to experience so many other things on the way. Hill rolling, the Japanese garden, tree climbing, petal picking, making pot pourri, and a traditional puppet show. Watching their faces throughout the day, makes me feel privileged to be a part of Quakers. Jude’s memorized face at the puppet show, Lia and Shona’s giggling while making pot pourri, and probably the best was Michael, Bobby, and Sean’s laughing as the rolled the whole way down the big hill. Watching children enjoying nature is super!

I was with Abigail, Peyton and Kiera going round the farm today, I can say that they enjoyed every activity they participated in, even though they seemed a little wary at a times which is understandable. Holding baby chicks, so gentle and caring, bottle feeding baby lambs and goats, watching sheep races, feeding ducks and red deer, and they finished off with mad fun on the hay slide. Being with them of their farm experience was so much fun.


After the first day of the summer – on the beach, at the castle and a play at the park – the children were so excited and so full of energy, I just wished that every day of our summer program could be like this and it was.

Watching Liam run to stand on top of the enormous rock at the beach, was really touching, he put his hand on his head and said – I am looking for the pirate ship. He talked about it for a while and let his imagination run away, he was so engrossed and fascinated. It was lovely to see him have such a lovely experience. These are the sort of healthy experiences all children should be given the opportunity to discover.

During the summer program Dean has displayed fantastic development in his confidence, health and fitness compared to the way he was a few months ago. Today at the beach he was running with Liam and throwing stones into the water, and looking for treasure and generally being more active and involved than before.

Kelsey–Leigh was so exited today when we were telling mermaid stories and looking out on the ocean to see if we could spot any in the water. It was lovely to see her using her imagination during play. A few months ago Kelsey-Leigh would have been more withdrawn would not have let herself go with the flow. A lovely healthy sign.

The Giants Ring is a massive green area, in a lovely wooded area outside Belfast. For our children it’s a place were they can go to, to explore, listen to enchanted stories, play games and run for hours. Today we arrived with our picnic bags, sports bag and 12 children bursting with energy. Hours later we got back on our bus, empty picnic bags, and 12 happy children, chatting and singing sharing stories about the fun things they’d done. What a super day!

On the way home from the farm today Nathan said “can we go to the park” I couldn’t believe it we had just had 5 packed hours of fun activities at the farm and the energy was still flowing.

P a g e | 26




Summer showed positive reaction today when Karson was causing a disturbance in the group and knocked into her. Instead of reacting to him she came to a volunteer as she was feeling hurt. She got a big hug and an explanation of how people deal with their feelings differently. Hopefully taking these extra few minutes with Summer and speaking to her in a language she understands she will be able manage her feelings like this in the future if she was ever in a similar situation.

At the beginning of the summer program Adams automatic reaction to not getting what he wanted was to storm off. This could be in the middle of a game, having snack or even getting a seat on the bus. Being aware Adam has difficulties in these situations, instead we used “prevention instead of cure” so situations we thought that might trigger Adam, a staff member would go to Adam and say this is what we’re doing next, and ask “what do you think to make it better this time?” doing this lots of times has really helped Adam, and the other children are definitely enjoying being around Adam more.

Oisin can be very angry at sometimes, and even when he is not angry he sometimes looks angry and isn’t very approachable. He would also at times be quite snappy with the other children even though he doesn’t mean too. I really feel sorry for him, as he has been going through very tough time both at home and at school. I was really hoping that our summer program would be a special time for him. And I think it has. We were able to give Oisin a lot of one to one time especially on the bus talking about his feelings and how his actions affected others around him. Oisin is just ten, but I feel he really did understand lots of what we were saying and really wanted thing to be different and lots of times it was different. I hope things continue to be more positive for him.


While travelling on our bus we like to have sing songs and encourage the children to join in. Unfortunately in the past, Dede has preferred not to join in, and would rather cover his ears. However today when his name was called to sing, he joined in with all the words and enjoyed the singing, I think he surprised himself and gave his friend William a ‘high five.’

Oisin really improved his communication skills over the summer, he may have not got things right all the time, but was definitely more pleasant while talking to others, and showed lots more openness to be involved in conversations. Mum was delighted.

Today was particularly nice coming home on the bus, it was a very calm atmosphere, sometimes it can be a little noisy, but the children were all very relaxed talking about their day, sharing stories about what they had seen at the folk and transport museum, taking time to listen each other, sharing bus bingo sheets, laughing at riddles and just in general showing lots of respect for each other and enjoying each others company. Getting of the bus I give them all a high five and said what great day I had sharing it with them.

Darcy and James showed lots of patience in their communication with one of international volunteers whose first language isn’t English. I was lovely to see them take time out of their play to just talk, and share stories about their culture with others.

P a g e | 27




It was so good to hear William and Aaron actually speaking to each other rather than snapping. At one point today William actually asked Aaron did he want to sit with him.

Nuala and Eva just continually wind each other up, Mum says at home it’s just awful, and she actually thought they did it to wind her up. But we noticed the tension between them, some jealousy and a bit of a clash of personalities. Over the past few weeks we’ve been recognizing this with both of them and I feel they really didn’t realize how bad things were and it seemed more like habit behaving like this towards each other rather than meaning to hurt each other, and now there is a noticeable change in their behaviour toward each other, here’s hoping this will continue for everyone’s sake.

Haven, Carla and Che all got onto the bus in great form this morning, Mum got on just behind them and said “the only time these 3 get up and dressed and have breakfast without falling out is on their Quaker Day, I just wish Quakers was on everyday”

Mum had shared it with us that Ollie has been having lots of issues with his wider family, and this is having a very negative impact on Ollie’s already difficult behaviour. But by sharing this information with us we have been able to do lots of work with Ollie over the summer as we have longer periods of time with him and also lots to fun times to balance his day. Mum has noticed a big difference at home, she says he even talk to me now.


Watching Kelsey, Carly and Kaci on the basket swing squashed together while Shannon was pushing, it made me realise how comfortable and easy these girls are with each other. They have their own individual needs and all come from very different backgrounds, but can still get along when given the chance to be out and about playing.

Nathan, most of the time prefers his own company at the park, so it was great to see he asked Jason to come play with him on the roundabout and see how dizzy they get. Watching their friendship develop was very special as these2 boys are at different needs and are at very stages of their play development, but I do think they compliment each other.

Today as a group we went to Lady Dixon Park. It always a fun packed day. Sophie is the youngest of our afterschool’s and we weren’t quite sure if she’d keep up with the others. It was great to see how well Sophie did, running and climbing with Beth and holding her hand. Beth showed how caring she is and how well she was looking out for Sophie.

Kelly lost her bouncy ball and got herself all upset about it, but the lovely thing about it was when Anto gave her his ball and he had a genuine the look of concern on his face. It made her smile and the two of them played together in the park taking turns, laughing and having fun.

The conversation on the bus home from the park today with the older children was brilliant, some just realizing they were from different communities, the questions began to flow, but they all listened and respected what each other was saying, and showed genuine interest in each others lives, and they did recognize all the similarities they had. I was so proud of them, an I told them.

P a g e | 28


Kid’s comments:

“that was class today, can we go back there next week”

“I wish I could start Quakers all over again”

“I think my Mummy would like to come to this park too”

“I loved feeding the ducks, I thought they were going to eat me”

“can I go to your house someday, then you can come to mine” (2 new friends)

“I loved going to the haunted house, in the haunted field and seeing the

haunted sheep”

Staff comments: Our children just never seem to get tired, they just love everything they do at Quakers, their endless energy amazes me. A summer full of fun packed daytrips and activities for the children, out every day really does them a world of good. Develops their energy levels and increases their health and fitness. The children are so excited when the bus arrives, seeing their faces is a perfect start to a busy day. We can always observe children’s confidence levels increase during our summer program and this time was no different. Listening to the children talk and laugh with each other and the staff team is great. The children not being afraid to initiate conversation, and give suggestions for favourite games and activities to be played is a sign of great progress

Mums comments:

“I just love Tuesdays and Fridays cause we all get out of the house” Ann

“They have a ball everyday they’re out with you” Laura

“He was shattered when he came home on Monday, It was great, it was it the first night

he’d slept in ages” Samantha

P a g e | 29


11. Residential Evaluation



Lauren deals with her insecurities by often adopting an attitude of being ”too cool” for activities. But, residential saw a different side of Lauren emerge – the side that is happy playing as a 12 year old rather than trying to be older. Being bored didn’t last long when we arrived at the park, she loved it when I was catching her toes while flying high on the swings she was happily laughing and shrieking in the game. She was able to relax and enjoy playing as the lovely girl she is without worrying who to impress. Every swing we came to she would run over and call out, “will someone catch my toes”

For two days Kaci and Kelsey-Leigh practiced for the talent show at every opportunity. They performed brilliant in front of all the mums, babies, staff and volunteers. It was a great success and they were so proud of themselves.

Stephen asked if I could join him and his family at their table for dinner. I was so glad he did I could see how his confidence has grown. He was making sure everyone at the table had a seat and plenty of chips and burgers. He offered everyone sauce and drinks, generally being a host at the table. Stephen shared all his stories with everyone telling them what fun activities and trips he had done in his day, digging sand at the beach, hide and seek at the forest, and playing at the park. Stephen had everyone’s attention, while still focusing on the job in hand.

Gerard was afraid to climb up the climbing frame and cross the bridge because of the height. I could see clearly by his facial expressions that he would love to do this so I told him I would help him. I encouraged him and said we could do it together. He trusted me and we crossed the bridge together. He was happy that that he did it with my help and wanted to do it over and over again.

Afton spent two evenings drawing a picture of a mermaid, she used lots of colours and glitter, it looked amazing. But the important thing was to see her sense of pride when she was showing it to everyone hopefully she achieved a new level of confidence that she can use in the future.

We ended our last evening with a talent show for all the mums. Every child participated but for Hollie it was particularly difficult to do her act with every one watching, she is very shy shows very little confidence. We worked together and pointed her focus away from the audience, and she an amazing act. She was so proud of herself and her mum was amazed. Hollie not only gained self-confidence but lots of memories as well.


On the last night of residential, Joshua was having trouble relaxing for bedtime so I offered to go sit with him while his mum was busy. He was having a hard time settling down and I offered him a relaxation exercise to rest his muscles and brain for a while. At the end of it, he was able to lie still and said, “that was really cool.” Fifteen minutes later he was sleeping.

When we were at the beach for the treasure hunt, Eammon was so delighted and impressed by the beach and the sea, he stopped several times to grab some sand and through in into the water: “I love it.” He was fascinated by the waves and the sand. Such a lovely experience for him.

P a g e | 30



Karson and I had a game of table tennis. I have to say he was fantastic and we made a really good team. So every opportunity we got at Corrymeela we made our way to the

games room to play our new found common interest. By the end of our residential he was so confident at playing table tennis. Hopefully we can continue this activity when we get back to Quaker Cottage.

Sophie was quite impressive this evening. She separated herself from her mum and brother, which can be difficult for her, so she could go with the group to make a camp fire. Sophie has never seen a camp fire before and she did not know what to expect, but it was exciting for her to experience something special without her family.

“In and out, in and out, in and out” this is what Summer was saying as I approached the swings, “I learned how to do this yesterday, I’m really happy” Summer has autism and would find new experiences difficult so this was very exciting for me, not only to witness this new experience but also to hear her describing her new found enjoyment. She was also really happy and excited at meal times when she tried different foods. Mum did not expect this, as it would happen at home. Her mum was really pleased with her and Summer was proud of herself.

The children had a scavenger hunt at the beach, and the highlight was when Sophie found the shell of a crab. All the other children were around her fascinated, they took turns at holding it. None of the children had ever seen a crab before, and when Sophie brought it back to Corrymeela to show her mum she had never seen one either.


Our holidays give loads of opportunities for improved health and fitness – Katie loved everything and is going to tell her teacher everything. She loved sledging, going to the beach, wrapping her granny up in toilet roll on our last night challenge, she loved most of the food especially the hot dogs.

On our first day we went to the beach for a treasure hunt. All the children were amazed by the waves and so excited to explore under rocks and seaweed, climb walls and adventure into the caves. A trip like this can improve physical health and emotional well being.

At the pirate park it was lovely to see Gerard, Wesley, and Jude, playing pirates together, using their imagination with such comments as;

“we need to find treasure.”

“we can hide the treasure in the sand.”

“We can take the ship to the sea.”

The use of their imagination was amazing, on a cold January evening after dinner playing in the park. This is such a healthy opportunity for the children compared to sitting in front of a TV at home, improving the mental and emotional wellbeing which promotes physical health

P a g e | 31



We took the children to the beach to climb the very high sand dunes. When Emma got to the top I noticed she was scared and asked if she could come down with me. We

sledged down the dune laughing and screaming with excitement, when we got to the bottom Emma rushed straight back up again. She showed determination by trying out this new outdoor activity and this will definitely improve her health and fitness levels.

A treasure hunt in the forest had our 9 children fascinated – looking, hiding, climbing, and jumping. All the children in the group have their very own abilities and needs, but they all came together to work as a team to find the clues and the treasure, shouting with excitement and laughter which was so lovely to see.


Being with the same group of people (adults and children) for 10-14 hours a day for 4 days can be a challenge for any one, but I could clearly see through our family’s expressions and conversations they were having with each other it was so much more positive than experiences that they have had in their lives.

Nathan was becoming a bit fed up on one of our longer bus rides. He had a baby wipe in his pocket from earlier in the day and found a way to entertain himself and others around him. He poked his finger through the wipe so it formed a cape for his hand. He had created his very own super hero to fly by the window and swoop over the seat in front of him. Jude and Stephen quickly requested wipes so they could form a superhero team protecting the bus as we drove.

I went with a few children who were feeling cold at the park to sit on the bus to warm up with a packet of crisps. But this ws a challenge for Jude. Jude wanted to have the whole bag for himself and was getting upset about the idea of sharing. I asked if he would be in charge of making sure that everyone got some crisps. He developed his own system and order for everyone getting their crisps in turn. He passed out one crisp to each person going around the circle and was particular in watching to make sure no one was missed out. This reduced any kind of negative situation.

Sohpie would normally stay close to her mum and brother, and would find bus journeys difficult. But when driving down to Corrymeela she was happy enough to sit at the back of the bus beside Kelsey and Kaci, they invited her to sit beside them, the girls were talking about their new clothes they got for their holiday with Quakers. Mum just kept looking back and smiling at Sophie, she was very proud of her.

P a g e | 32




Nathan has great difficulty socially as he has such poor communication skills, he very rarely communicates verbally with staff or children in group. But being on a 4 day holiday with a wide range of children and so many outdoor trips, really gave Nathan loads of opportunities to engage with others. Nathan still may have seemed quite quiet to others but on so many occasions throughout our holiday Nathan interacted with others. What was lovely to see was Nathan playing in the forest, calling out names of the other children in the group. We could also see excited he was throughout the game, clapping and jumping. We all could see a positive difference in Nathans social and life skills during many activities.

There was a definite improvement in communication on the way home on our bus, instead of shout at each other our children were full of confidence, engaging with each other, taking turns listening, and trying to involve mums when discussing their fun adventures, quite funny – trying to outdo each other.

Stephens’s concentration was greatly improved on residential, he showed lots of patience listening to others, and taking turns in conversations. This gave him the confidence to carry on and engage with and arts and craft group activity. He was also able to focus and complete a game of table tennis with 3 other children. The perseverance from staff to encourage and support Stephen, improves his social and life skills, you could see how Stephen feels trust towards staff to let this happen.

We took the children on a visit to Dunluce castle – a fantastic place to play hide and seek and chasies. We were able to make up stories about mermaids and pirates. It was fascinating watching as they were so intrigued with discussions and questions.

Sarah was really looking forward to the beauty night. We were painting nails, doing facials, make-up, and feet and hand massages. She has experienced using make-up in the past, so was able to hold a conversation with Ingrid (volunteer) sharing stories and techniques. It was lovely watching her improve in her social and life skills. Mum would say Sarah wouldn’t be one to initiate conversation.


On our bus journey to residential I had a mum and 4 sisters in one family. It was clear that Latisha (the oldest) had very little time for Amber and Dempsey but preferred the company of her youngest sister. So instead of a bus journey that Mum was dreading, we had, 2 hours of singing lots of songs, telling jokes, colouring and of course bus bingo! This gave lots of opportunities for positive of interaction with the sisters. This set the beginning of the holiday on good terms as the sisters engaged with each other in a positive way. This experience, I believe, reduced any family conflict for the rest of residential.

Katie/Joshua (niece/uncle) I know like all siblings they don’t get on most of the time (verbally and physically hurting each other) and would be very jealous of each other due to family circumstances. So knowing all this made Katie’s comment very special “I hurt Joshua by accident when we were doing the treasure hunt and he said he was ok”.

P a g e | 33


OUTCOMES


Emer and Aisling (sisters) participated in the pampering session and it was great to see them communicating with each other and discussing what colours/patterns they liked.

It was a lovely positive atmosphere with a calming feel to the room. The level of engaging with each other was an amazing experience for them as their home life is normally a noisy negative environment.

Our last morning at Corrymeela can be a very anxious and stressful one for the mums, who are packing for home, making beds, tidying rooms and feeding babies. So what we have found to be a great help is to take as many of the children as we can, for a long walk along the beach. It reduces any conflict with mums and children and gives them both a more stress free time for their last morning at Corrymeela.

The babies joined the after school children at the park for a morning. It was lovely to see the siblings so happy to see each other, which isn’t always the case when they are at home. It shows that just sometimes just a change in the environment can make all the difference.

Liam and Kaci (siblings) both managed a challenging situation on the last day, when they both wanted to sit on the same seat. Instead of arguing about it, this is usually what happens. They both looked at me, then each other, then went and sat on other seats!


I feel I could write a book about making friends – we all (families, staff and volunteers) come from different backgrounds, religions and communities, but it doesn’t matter when you are with Quakers, bonds and friendships were continually being made. Joshua “can I bring Ja Ja home”, Wesley “Katie makes me friends”, Katie “my best friends are Amber and Dempsey and Stephen and Ja Ja, and I really like Wesley too”. This is priceless.

It is so special to see our children interact with Corrymeela volunteers who they have never met before. Most of out children have low self-esteem and confidence and to see them engage with 2 volunteers from Uganda is a very special. They will have memories to keep for a very long time especially the younger children like Jayden and Will, asking for Ja Ja and Samson to sit beside them on bus trips. This kind of experience will develop mutual understanding of people around them.

Joshua often bounces about without any awareness of his impact or what is going on with the children around him. But on our holiday he was one of the oldest in the group and he took on a role of looking out for the younger children. When Curtis was upset about feeling cold, Joshua gave him a hug and said, “don’t worry, we’ll get you a blanket to keep warm, my wee friend.” He was so caring and conscientious.

Sophie would be a bit quieter an slower than most children in the group as she is the youngest, but what was really lovely was the connection and friendship she made with the Corrymeela volunteer Ingrid. Ingrid understood Sophie’s needs, and teamed up with her for all the trips, making sure she didn’t miss out and kept with the group.

P a g e | 34


The children searched for chocolate coins at Dunluce castle, and it was really nice to see Karson sharing his with Carly and Liam as he found more than the others. showing respect and understanding for ones who did not find any coins.

At mealtimes the after school children decided to sit with each other at one table. Even though they were together all day they did this throughout the residential and it was named as the ‘after school table’. It shows the bond they had with each other.

Kid’s comments:

This is what Amber had to say about residential; I liked Corrymeela because I went to the beach and was sliding down the sand dunes. My room was awesome it had a table and a bathroom. Kevilee (sibling) didn’t like the shower but I did. We got hot chocolate and toast every night and nice toast for breakfast. I loved the sandwiches and soup for lunch, I dipped my sandwiches in my soup. The volunteers were awesome because they pushed me high high on the swings. The monster hunt was scary, I thought one of the monsters was going to eat me and I didn’t want that to happen, my mummy would be looking for me. It was ok being with my family on residential. For all our children going to Corrymeela is a new experience and I just loved Wesley’s view on it. Wesley’s speech would be very poor for his age, lacks confidence and at times gets very frustrated and sometimes angry. “I like dinner, I like beach, I like sand, I like stones, I like sea, I find chocolate at the sea (treasure hunt), I like my bed at Corrymeela I had 5 beds, I seen monsters (monster hunt) they scared us, I like them, they like biscuits, Katie made me friends”. My heart just melted as I’ve never heard Wesley put all those words together.

“ I don’t ever want to go home, because this is the best place ever.”

“It was good having all our Quaker friends on the same holiday.”

“I loved the beds they were so comfy. “

“I liked waking up in the morning, getting ready, and seeing all my

friends”.

Staff comments: I was sitting on the back row of the bus with the afterschool children coming home talking about our holiday and you could just hear the confidence flowing through the children’s conversations. Not afraid to express themselves while sharing their experiences. For 4 days all after school children are out on trips such as the beach, parks, castles, forests, and walks etc. The amount of new outdoor activities they got involved in was positive experience for every single child, and energy well used. At Quakers want to give the children a safe and supported environment that develops their confidence and self-worth. And this definitely happened on our residential. Every evening at we all came to dinner with the mums. All Quaker cottage staff interacts with the families, giving support where and when is needed. But more importantly showing our families the importance of communication sharing meals together. The Children were full of stories about their day trips and remembering all the things they did from they got up that morning. Some mums for lots of reasons find it difficult to engage and listen to their children, so being there gives us the opportunity to support and guide the whole family while sharing their stories and enjoying a meal together.

P a g e | 35


Every night the children got hot chocolate and toast, this helped them unwind and relax before bedtime. None of the children experience any kind of bedtime routine, so for them to have this opportunity to wind down, and feel happy and safe in our cozy holiday home is great.

Mums comments:

“Thanks for an amazing holiday”

“I was so proud of Summer on residential, all the new things she tried, she has

never tried so many new things in such a short time before.”

Margaret said “when I saw the DVD of our residential I couldn’t believe the

children had such a great time, I think they had more fun than us and that’s

saying something.

Mandy said “I found the DVD very emotional when I saw it we had a fantastic

time. I can’t wait to watch it with Jude tonight and see his wee face.

P a g e | 36


Quaker Cottage

Documents

Transcript of Quaker Cottage