1

Learning from Successful Safeguarding

Choosing hope over fear…

Let the children who watch what we do understand and thank us for choices we can make.’

Barack Obama

2

We are:

Independent consultants working with strengths based approaches

With experience in safeguarding and a call for new ways of working

Offering a framework to build on your expertise, knowledge & experience.

3

Safeguarding success

Looking for the ingredients of practice that worked well

Developing appreciative safeguarding practice

Developing an appreciative model for Case Reviews

4

Learning from success

In Newcastle:

Learning about successful safeguarding practice with practitioners and the LSCB

Developing an LCSB good practice panel which invites people to identify and share their best practice;

Conducting an appreciative CR process in which all stakeholders work together to identify success and focus on where change is needed.

5

And elsewhere:

Finding successful safeguarding practice in preparing for a Joint Review

Piloting an Appreciative SCR process - starting with what went right?

Building on successful collaboration to create a strong strategic safeguarding approach with a LCSB.

6

‘I’ve been involved in countless case reviews….

…and never been satisfied with the outcomes…we never seem to learn anything new; they haven’t made the slightest difference.’ Safeguarding Manager

7

‘I often think that…

..if that child could see us now they’d say:

“What on earth do you think What on earth do you think you are doing?!you are doing?!” LCSB member

8

New & deepdeep learning from appreciative case reviews

Asking everyone what went well & what they have learned

Everyone meeting together, overcoming fear & mutual suspicion

Affirming, learning & agreeing next steps together

9

High reliability organisations:Weick and Sutcliff (2001)

Are good at looking for the unexpected Learning from potential accidents Avoid mistakes becoming ‘undiscussable’ Hierarchy steps aside to support the most

relevant expertise – ask everyone Spot the potential consequences of ‘little

mistakes that escalate’ Convert personal fear of speaking up to fear of

‘what may happen to others if I don’t speak up?’

‘We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark. The real tragedy is when men are afraid of the light.’ Plato

10

In the long run, what is likely to be more useful:

Demoralizing a successful workforce by concentrating on their failures

orhelping them over their last few hurdles by building a bridge with their successes?

Thomas White, President GTE

11

Organisations move in the direction of…

The questions they ask

The stories they tell

Their most powerful images of the future.

12

Judged on what we can build, not what we destroy (Obama)

People own what they have helped to create

In every situation, something works and we can build on these examples

Getting more of what we focus on, we choose carefully

Change begins with our first questions

13

Focus

Inclusive Inquiry

Process

Learning from Success

SCIE Multi-agency systems

Fault finding (what went wrong?)

Blame focus

FocusLearning together (What

went right?)

Appreciative Focus

Traditional SCRInspection

ExpertEnquiry

Changing our focus

14

Starting the change with our very first questions

What do we know works well?

What do we want more of?

How can we make that happen?

15

Choice One – Focus of Review Deficits or strengths?

Starting from strengths

Asking what went right

Of the whole system

Learn about the things that worked well together, affirm and support each other

Highlights where improvements are needed [practice & management] and strategies for doing so

People have already identified what they need to differently and have started doing it

Everyone has been involved in understanding the practice, learning together and is motivated to act.

16

Deep Learning

..takes place when people: ‘see the larger whole and their connectedness to this wholeness.’Peter Senge

17

Choice Two – Review process ‘None of us is as smart as all of us’*

Working with the whole system Getting all the voices in the room Sharing & understanding one

another’s perspectives Collective insight creates collective

wisdom Moving forward together

*Japanese proverb

18

An new modelInternal Learning Inquiry

•Whole system review – involving everyone together

•Using AI cycle and starting with appreciative questions

•Collaborative approach to understanding

•Open, respectful dialogue in a blame free environment

•Inquiry takes place over 2-3 days, real time.

•Shared understanding and actions are agreed by everyone and become the report and next steps

•High ownership; change starts immediately including building and renewal of relationships, connections and working arrangements between agencies.

19

Discovery

‘Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.’ James Thurber

20

Discovering what works well Talk to your neighbour for the next 10 minutes

Listener: ask questions, listen, encourage, look for the positives, note the highlights

Speaker: chance to tell your story un-interrupted

5 minutes each and swap

21

If Serious Case Reviews were truly effective, what would they look like?

1. Tell your neighbour about a time when you have seen safeguarding practice save a childWhat happened? What did you and others do?

2. If you had 1 wish for the future of UK safeguarding what would it be?

22

Impact of our model Everyone is involved: working, learning, changing

and acting together, Their work and contributions are valued and

morale is enhanced Mistakes are regarded as opportunities for learning Change begins straight away Everyone has contributed to the Report Reporting and dissemination are outcomes of the

process People embrace agreed changes with a shared

motivation and enthusiasm Shorter timescales Cost effective – in time and money

23

Unclenching our fists… Barak Obama

Build on the best of what’s working now Inquire together about the best of our existing processes e.g. ‘Working Together’ and fulfilling its requirements

Begin from a motivated place where deep learning & change begin straight away

Purposeful activity that is safe for children and practitioners

Join us on March 23rd to inquire further.

24

Testimonials from a LSCB

Having some fun with the ‘envisioning the ideal future’ exercise! Excellent exercise. Strong messages and learning.

Mixing with other professionals and getting to know them. Positive attitude to safeguarding and change is possible.

Thinking about solutions to getting the best from the ‘system’.

A renewed enthusiasm!

25

Choosing hope over fear Barak Obama

Let us be the risk takers, the doers. The ground is shifting beneath us, we are already asking: What can we do?

What will you do…..??

26

About Appreciative Inquiry

27

Appreciative Inquiry (AI)

A positive approach to learning and change

Appreciate• Recognize the quality of …• Be fully aware of or sensitive to…• To raise in value or worth

Inquiry• A process of gathering information for the

purpose of learning and changing.

28

Using AI – Five ‘D’ CycleDefinition:

Decide What to Learn About

Discovery: Explore, inquire

Themes - Positive Core

Dream/Imagine: Picture what might be; create shared

images for a preferred future

Design: Find innovative ways to

create that future; Breakthrough propositions

Destiny: Sustaining the

Change

AppreciativeTopic

What do you Want More

of?

29

Discovery

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in seeing with new eyes”.

Marcel Proust

30

If we allow ourselves to imagine “ what if….?”

We will soon be asking:

“Why Not?!”

31

Agreeing what matters

If we could do everything

we are capable of

doing, we would

astound ourselves ‘

Thomas Edison

32

Making a start

‘Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius & magic in it’ Goethe

33

Making it happen

If you want to build a ship,

don't drum up men to gather wood, give

orders, and divide the work. 

Rather, teach them to yearn for the far and

endless sea.’

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

34

Why it works Principles of the approach

• In every society, organisation, team and group, some things work well. (strengths based)

• Organisations grow in the direction of what they ask questions about (social construction)

• People are more confident in moving to an uncertain future when they carry forward the best parts of the past (continuity and innovation).

• Change is seen as a journey rather than a one-off event and begins right away(on-going)

• Everyone in the system participates (involvement)

35

Manchester Heart Centre

Leadership development Creating a sea-change in

culture and behaviour within the Centre

‘We are now more business-like, but not at the expense of humanity’

36

The impact of working with AI

BEFORE

Feeling isolated Feeling checked up on In the dark Cliques Favouritism

(Alfred and Shohet 2006)

AFTER

Openness Approachability Empowerment Professionalism Honesty OK to make mistakes Early achievement of

targets

37

Feedback about creating change

A remarkable level of positive feedback. Even those with a gold medal for cynicism now have a thirst and enthusiasm for change.

AI shaped the structure of the project and then disappeared. The process was less important than the topic which we were all focusing. We were not aware of moving through the different stages – we were just working out what we wanted to do next.

I am amazed at how far people moved during a single day.

We have a new understanding of and support for our journey of change.

An effective model, which generates enthusiasm, energy and a wish for change, and is fun to do. Brilliant.

38

Useful References What is Appreciative Inquiry? by Joe Hall & Sue Hammond,

www.thinbook.com Appreciative Inquiry: Change at the Speed of Imagination, by Jane

Magruder Watkins and Bernard J. Mohr. The Power of Appreciative Inquiry. A practical guide to positive

change. Diana Whitney and Amanda Trosten Bloom 2003

Appreciative Inquiry Handbook, David Cooperrider, Diana Whitney and Jackie Stavros, 2003

Appreciative Inquiry: Igniting Transformative Action,” by Bernard Mohr. From The Systems Thinker, Volume 12, #1, 2001, at www.pegasuscommunications.com.

Presence: by Peter Senge et al Theory U:by C Otto Scharmer

Other Resources: AI Commons website at http://appreciativeinquiry.cwru.edu/ www.julie-barnes.co.uk and www.mooreinsight.co.uk