Elaine, I was very interested to read your post.  I do quite a lot of work 
with parents with learning disabilities in child protection cases.  I dont 
know about the Scottish system, which is obviously different to the English 
legal process for removing children into care, but maybe there is some 
overlap in our roles, being psychologists in the position of 'experts' who 
are meant to have something important to say about children, parents and 
families.  My own experience is that it can feel uncomfortable using a 
different voice to the 'system voice' which because of the adversarial legal 
system and the paucity of existing support for vulnerable parents cites only 
stories of deficit and failure on the part of parents and has concerns about 
risk as its highest context of meaning.  Nevertheless, I do refer to 
families' social and economic context in my assessments and reports. 
Actually, social workers are also instructed to do so according to the 
statutory assessment framework (the 'assessment triangle' in the Common 
Assessment Framework), but usually neglect to do so.  A really helpful book 
which brings together research and assessment approaches in this area is :

Jack, G. and Gill, O. (2003)  The Missing Side of the Triangle:  Assessing 
the Importance of Family and Environmental Factors in the Lives of Children. 
Barkingside:  Barnardo's.


I often have at the back of my mind Booth and Booth's concept of parenting 
as 'distributed competence'.  It is not only individual parents who bring up 
children - there is also the contribution of other family members, schools, 
neighbourhoods, communities, the media, the state...

I have also found Green and Vetere's paper helpful and inspiring (Green G & 
Vetere A (2002) Parenting, learning disabilities and inequality: can 
systemic thinking help? Clinical Psychology Forum 14 9-12).  It has 
encouraged me to use systemic thinking to come up with strategies to get a 
particular point of view (a socio-cultural perspective) across.  there is 
the systemic idea of 'a difference that makes a difference'; the need to 
acknowledge and engage with the dominant discourses and then offer a new 
viewpoint that is somehow digestible.  I definitely make an effort to look 
for resources, competencies, and signs of progress not only within the 
family , but also within the professional network.  Quite often I do feel 
sorry for social workers who are not far off being oppressed themselves.

I often think that whatever I do or say makes little difference once social 
services have taken the step of actually removing children.  But then 
sometimes I am surprised to find out that what I have said as a 'flying 
expert' can make a difference.  It is a priviledged and powerful position, 
and I think it is important not to shrink from that responsibility and to 
try and speak with authority in advocating for greatly disadvantaged people.

Deborah

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Elaine Douglas" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 1:17 PM
Subject: Re: On reflection


Thanks, Mark, I find the link very useful.

As a panel member in the Scottish Children Hearings System I am often
called upon to make decisions regarding children's lives that affect their
safety and well-being, as well as their liberty.  It is a role that yields
tremendous power, and like most psychologists is a role that is performed
with the greatest of intentions for good.  As I learn more about critical
psychology it has not escaped me that my intentions for good and not in
themselves enough, and that the powerful role that I perform is
justifiably open for criticism and scrutiny.  With that point in mind, I
feel like I am raising my head above the parapet by posting on this site
and whilst I truly desire some feedback I respectfully request that any
responses from list members are not aimed to blow my head off.

The link you provided has given me food for thought in terms of how to
understand and process the information that is provided to me in my role
as a panel member.  Sadly, often families are presented in frameworks that
endorse medical or deviant frameworks and thereby almost inevitably point
to well-trodden routes that do not guarantee a solution for the families
involved.  I wonder how the societal case formulation you created or,
indeed, what alternative models may be employed to expand the frames of
reference for working with complex issues.  For example, in child
protection cases where the families that we see are often are from
oppressed groups, and where the parents as well as the children require
protection and support.  Or, for the child with "behavioural problems"
that lives in a world that would drive most of us into a fit of
undesirable behaviour before we'd taken too many steps in their shoes.

Best wishes,

Elaine














> This reminded me of this framework that tries to offer an alternative
> approach to 'formulation' so liked by clin psychs., but looking at the
> interpellations of state, family and economy and their construction of
> the person. It isn't original, being based on Peter Leonard's work.
> http://www.compsy.org.uk/societal-case-formulation.pdf funnily enough I
> prepared it for an exercise with clin psych trainees that likewise tried
> to help them think about these influences and kinds of analysis, but
> also psychologically.
> I've posted the link before on this list, but there seem to be quite a
> lot of new people who might find it useful.
>
>
> Craig Newnes wrote:
>> Given the nature of some of the postings referencing various authors
>> (idealists/inspirations) I wondered about the various ideological
>> paradigms people on the list live within. Then, lo and behold, I came
>> across the following intended to be the opening of an article which
>> remains unfinished/dead.
>>
>> Clinical Psychology Trainees up and down the land are encouraged to
>> keep reflective diaries.
>>
>> At a recent training day on Harmful Clinical Psychology one
>> intelligent, probably gifted, trainee said she had/ never/ had a
>> conversation about Capitalism. I used the word 'eugenics' at one point
>> and half the room looked blank. So that's the labour market and the
>> history of psychology gone from any trainee perspective in one.
>> Another trainee said she just wrote down her thoughts 'What paradigm
>> do you use for those reflections?', I asked, "Political, economic,
>> social, psychological.?" "I just write down my thoughts", she
>> repeated. So I challenged her to record her thoughts concerning three
>> clinical sessions using a basic economic paradigm - what she gets paid
>> relative to her client, whether the client uses public transport by
>> necessity, what strata of housing and employment the client finds
>> herself in - that kind of thing. I didn't complicate it by asking her
>> to think about her role as a Bourgeoisie exploiting the proletariat. I
>> don't even know if the trainee was able to use an economic paradigm
>> but at least it's a way to structure her reflections.
>>
>> In terms of harm very few clinical psychologists seem to reflect on
>> the harm they might be doing to the people they see, on the harmful
>> systems involving diagnosis, incarceration, pharmacology they might be
>> employed within. This kind of reflection includes the possibility of
>> starting from the position that the psychologist is mostly in the
>> business of helping themselves, not others; helping others then
>> becomes, reasonably enough, an accidental bi-product of looking after
>> No. 1. It's not comfortable - but it keeps the debate alive.
>>
>> Craig
>>
>> ___________________________________ COMMUNITYPSYCHUK - The discussion
>> list for community psychology in the UK. To unsubscribe or to change
>> your details visit the website:
>> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/COMMUNITYPSYCHUK.HTML For any problems
>> or queries, contact the list moderator Rebekah Pratt on
>> [log in to unmask] or Grant Jeffrey on [log in to unmask]
>>
>
> ___________________________________
> COMMUNITYPSYCHUK - The discussion list for community psychology in the UK.
> To unsubscribe or to change your details visit the website:
> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/COMMUNITYPSYCHUK.HTML
> For any problems or queries, contact the list moderator Rebekah Pratt on
> [log in to unmask] or Grant Jeffrey on [log in to unmask]
>



-- 
The University of Stirling is a university established in Scotland by
charter at Stirling, FK9 4LA.  Privileged/Confidential Information may
be contained in this message.  If you are not the addressee indicated
in this message (or responsible for delivery of the message to such
person), you may not disclose, copy or deliver this message to anyone
and any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is
prohibited and may be unlawful.  In such case, you should destroy this
message and kindly notify the sender by reply email.  Please advise
immediately if you or your employer do not consent to Internet email
for messages of this kind.

___________________________________
COMMUNITYPSYCHUK - The discussion list for community psychology in the UK.
To unsubscribe or to change your details visit the website:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/COMMUNITYPSYCHUK.HTML
For any problems or queries, contact the list moderator Rebekah Pratt on 
[log in to unmask] or Grant Jeffrey on [log in to unmask]

___________________________________
COMMUNITYPSYCHUK - The discussion list for community psychology in the UK.
To unsubscribe or to change your details visit the website:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/COMMUNITYPSYCHUK.HTML
For any problems or queries, contact the list moderator Rebekah Pratt on [log in to unmask] or Grant Jeffrey on [log in to unmask]