In Stockport Family, we have a ‘community of practice’ model, that explicitly connects and identifies how we work together as an integrated children’s service. This guides us in achieving the shared vision for all children and young people in Stockport to have the best start in life and realise our Outcomes Framework. We have an explicit ‘community of practice’ model that connects the Outcomes Framework with our key practice influencers and sits behind and within all the learning and training we offer.
Where possible we want to foster ‘whole family’ early help practices. We look to work in a co-produced way, focused on relational working, drawing on strengths; seeing these as the best opportunities for growth & success, within families and across professionals, assisting our children & families to thrive.
We have 5 key practice influencers.
- Restorative Practice
- Co-Production
- Systemic Practice
- Solihull Approach
- Trauma Informed Practice
All 5 are connected by the following central principles.
- NEEDS: We believe in a ‘Humans first…’ approach. This means recognising the importance of identifying the needs of those we work with, and our own needs, and how whether these needs are met or unmet influences our behaviours and affects our emotional health and wellbeing. This also acknowledges that we are all on a learning journey, having good days and bad days, all needing empathy when we make mistakes.
- RELATIONSHIPS: We believe in the importance and power of relational practice. The building and maintaining of healthy relationships are essential to living well. Relationships are seen as the starting point for all our work and are appreciated as the best opportunities for growth & success, providing the foremost position for ecological change.
- UNIQUENESS: We believe in the value of seeking to understand before being understood. We believe that if we are to understand another’s world, we need to see them as social beings who bring their own unique life knowledge and experiences which are interconnected and impacted by wider systems. How we relate to and understand each other affects our ability to feel seen, heard & valued.
All 5 bring their own distinctive additions.
| Model | Core Concepts | Core Ideas | Key Beliefs About Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restorative Practice |
Values-based approach Human First … Needs Lead Unique Perspective Social Discipline Window Fair Process Repair Script |
Harm happens within our relationships. It is important to help people to repair relationships to live well, function in relationships and social systems. |
If we are to live in happier and healthier communities, we need to learn how to maintain healthy relationships and repair/resolve when harm occurs. |
| Co-Production |
Be open & honest Be respectful Be accountable & responsive Values the lived experience Actively listen Do what matters Work together |
Guiding how we work together. |
Working WITH, offering high challenge and high support leads to healthier relationships and the best outcomes. |
| Systemic Practice (Milan) |
Circular Questions Warming the context Social Graces Hypothesising Power balance Permission seeking practice |
We exist within relationships and systems such as families and communities Our experiences in these systems impact on how we feel and behave |
Language is a tool to create change at the level of beliefs. This impacts how we experience the world and approach relationships. |
| Solihull Approach |
Containment, reciprocity & problem-solving Understanding child development |
Our emotional, cognitive and social development requires empathetic and reciprocal responses helping us to understand how to behave and to feel emotionally contained. Our chronological age and developmental ages may not be parallel affecting how we feel and behave. |
Change happens through goal setting, that is developmentally appropriate (future orientated), and reflects an understanding of the individual unique experiences and context. |
| Trauma-informed practice |
Safety Choice Collaboration Trustworthiness Empowerment |
Harm happens within relationships.
This harm impacts how we feel and behave and how we experience the world.
To understand the person, we need to understand how their history has impacted them and how this affects their lives now. |
To create change we must first understand how a person’s experiences have impacted their behaviour to inform how we support and help them. |
