The foundation of a positive childhood
Love – showing a child they are loved – is the foundation of a positive childhood. Young people have the right to be loved and positive, loving relationships form the basis that enable children to develop and thrive throughout their lives. There are many ways we can show people we love them, from giving gifts, the words we use or simple acts of service – helping someone out when they need it. For children in care, love can help heal wounds. Showing love now has a hugely positive impact on a child in shaping their future.
Love in the context of Care
Love should be the cornerstone of a positive care placement, but undoubtedly it comes with its barriers and challenges, especially in a care setting. It’s a subject we often skirt around and can feel uncomfortable saying the ‘L’ word, or overstepping the professional mark.
Letting love shine through
Fear of allegations, overstepping boundaries and regulations that have been set up in recent years to safeguard children can understandably stand in the way of showing a child they are loved. Crucially, not showing love to the children in our care can leave a vacuum that can be exploited by those the regulations are there to safeguard against.
Creating a loving environment
Our recent provider forum explored love in greater detail – its crucial importance as well as overcoming the barriers that exist in the Care world. Aberlour, The Cambian Group and Children’s Homes Quality alongside a group of independent providers within the Mind Of My Own community came together to better understand this topic and learn from those leading the way. Seemingly simple, shared daily activities like eating together, spending time together, love-led language, creating and documenting positive, lasting memories are all ways that we heard love can be shown in the context of residential care.
A recording of the session is available to view here, where you’ll find a wealth of resources, tips and insights into how to take a love-led approach with the children in your care.
If you’d like to hear more from any of the speakers, or get hold of the resources, contact tom@mindofmyown.org.uk
If you missed last week’s blog on developing a culture of wellbeing, please take a look here.
