The story of a journeyThe story of a journeyRavi KS Kohli Ravi KS Kohli

Professor of Child WelfareProfessor of Child Welfare

Thinking about journeys Thinking about journeys of learningof learningBased on my research into the lives of Based on my research into the lives of refugee children, I will consider:refugee children, I will consider:Journeys that take us to places where Journeys that take us to places where we feel safe, where we belong, and we feel safe, where we belong, and where we can be successfulwhere we can be successfulContextual influences that turn our Contextual influences that turn our territories into desirable or undesirable territories into desirable or undesirable places to live and learnplaces to live and learnWhat we do to make citizens out of What we do to make citizens out of those who wish to join usthose who wish to join us

Refugee journeys to Refugee journeys to citizenshipcitizenship

Firstly, Firstly, acclimatisationacclimatisation, learning or attempting to , learning or attempting to learn the language, norms, roles and customs of learn the language, norms, roles and customs of the host community, the host community,

Secondly, Secondly, adaptationadaptation, learning to deal with new , learning to deal with new roles and customs as they rebuild their lives and roles and customs as they rebuild their lives and identities. identities.

Thirdly, Thirdly, participationparticipation in host societies, at the in host societies, at the level of employment, education and training, and level of employment, education and training, and living in contexts that are safe and comfortable living in contexts that are safe and comfortable

Fourthly, resettlement takes place at the level of Fourthly, resettlement takes place at the level of shifts and shifts and absorptionabsorption of cultures of belonging of cultures of belonging

Resettlement processesResettlement processes

Belonging SuccessSafety

Cultures of receptionCultures of reception PathologyPathology: Those scarred by conquest, war, : Those scarred by conquest, war,

famine and death, need to be mendedfamine and death, need to be mended BureaucratisationBureaucratisation: setting up systems, : setting up systems,

categories, and rules to administer and tidy categories, and rules to administer and tidy up asylum as a ‘messy’ realityup asylum as a ‘messy’ reality

Watch your backWatch your back: powerful cliques, looking : powerful cliques, looking caring but in an acute struggle for caring but in an acute struggle for supremacysupremacy

Crisis-drivenCrisis-driven: policies determined by fear of : policies determined by fear of flooding or single catalytic eventsflooding or single catalytic events

WelcomeWelcome: Providing Sanctuary for refugees : Providing Sanctuary for refugees as real people with the right to a ‘home’as real people with the right to a ‘home’

Hawkins P and Shohet R (1997) Supervision in the helping professions. Buckingham. Open University Press

Hawkins and Shohet (1997) describe Hawkins and Shohet (1997) describe five different types of cultures within five different types of cultures within helping organisations:helping organisations:1.1.The personal pathology cultureThe personal pathology culture2.2.The bureaucratic cultureThe bureaucratic culture3.3.The watch-your-back cultureThe watch-your-back culture4.4.The reactive crisis-driven cultureThe reactive crisis-driven culture5.5.The learning/developmental cultureThe learning/developmental culture

Organisational CulturesOrganisational Cultures

The learning/developmental The learning/developmental cultureculture

People feel safe as part of the duty of care that People feel safe as part of the duty of care that is valued and prioritisedis valued and prioritised

The quality of relationships matter, so that The quality of relationships matter, so that civility, clarity, precision, reliability, prompt civility, clarity, precision, reliability, prompt attention and kindness become part of the fabric attention and kindness become part of the fabric of experience for staffof experience for staff

Learning is for everybody, and a shared Learning is for everybody, and a shared responsibilityresponsibility

‘‘Potential’ rather than ‘fault’ and the co-Potential’ rather than ‘fault’ and the co-management of problems and crises are management of problems and crises are identified as a starting point for learningidentified as a starting point for learning

How different people make their journey through How different people make their journey through this culture is understood and valued.this culture is understood and valued.

There is a will to be balanced, connected, and There is a will to be balanced, connected, and ethical when sustaining reciprocity between staff ethical when sustaining reciprocity between staff

Medics

Teachers

Practical help

Immigration

Lawyers

People who are missing

Therapists

People who are known to have died

Hidden friends & family

Living family members

Companions

Friends

Witnesses

Companionship

Dom

ain

s o

f socia

l w

ork

p

racti

ce

Carers

Police

linking

bridging

bonding

Kohli, RKS (2007) Social Work with Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children. Palgrave.

Journeys Journeys to to professiprofessional onal citizenscitizenshiphip

Practical Practical helphelp

witnessinwitnessingg

companioncompanionshipship

safetysafety

belongingbelonging

successsuccess

simplestories

puzzles and worrie

s

navigation advice

complex logistics

reflective

accounts

bonding

reflexive accounts

bridging

linking

The learning journey as The learning journey as safety, belonging, successsafety, belonging, success

Learning and re-learning challenge our Learning and re-learning challenge our safety: expect to be perturbedsafety: expect to be perturbed

Acclimatise, adapt, participate, absorbAcclimatise, adapt, participate, absorb Make fragments fit the wholeMake fragments fit the whole Make yourself and others feel safe: Link, Make yourself and others feel safe: Link,

bridge, bond: belong with othersbridge, bond: belong with others Endure, endure, endure: keep the faithEndure, endure, endure: keep the faith Success is hardly ever an accidentSuccess is hardly ever an accident