Promoting children’s wellbeing, right to make choices and engage in playful activities in restricted environments through music and singing

This study represents a Froebelian exploration of the benefits for children attending Birmingham Children’s Hospital in participating in Ex Cathedra’s Singing Medicine project. The project offers play through singing games to children attending the Hospital. The study takes a qualitative interpretive approach. Data collection methods included interviews with parents and professionals and researcher observations of Singing Medicine sessions. Further to this a focus group discussion was conducted with the vocal tutors from the Singing Medicine project. hemes that arose from interviews included the important characteristics of the Singing Medicine vocal tutors; contribution to children’s emotions; contribution to child/family experiences of hospital; contribution to children’s development and learning (including neurodevelopment); spiritual and cultural dimensions; contribution to medical care (including contribution to the wellbeing of health professionals), contextual aspects of the project and contribution to family life, patterns and structures. The potential contribution to children’s neurodevelopment is an important finding since it was mentioned by participants that neurodevelopment is an aspect of healthcare provision often omitted due to the understandable need to focus on acute care and patient survival and recovery. From observations there was evidence of choices for children; following children’s lead; facilitating medical care; building memorable moments for families and focussing on children’s holistic development. From the focus group discussion with vocal tutors it was noted that there are important characteristics of and values held by the vocal tutors that relate to valuing children and families interests and strengths and empowering them, as well as ensuring that the project brings a positive dimension to their hospital experience

Family members' perceptions of a Singing Medicine project in a children’s hospital

Arts in Health projects are growing in number in the UK. One such project, Singing Medicine (SM), is offered to children with short and long-term health care needs at a Children’s Hospital in England as part of the Hospital’s Play Department. In an environment where children can experience loss of control over decisions and restricted play experiences, musical games and activities offer children affordances for choice and agency. They can also benefit parents and wider family members. In contrast to previous quantitative studies that explored the transferrable benefits of music participation for children, this paper reports on a qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with families of children with long-term health care needs (ages 3 – 14 years old). A new concept of ‘The Hospital Family’ is introduced from analysis of data. Family members valued relational aspects of the musical games and suggested that benefits lasted beyond the life of the child. These findings are explored in the context of ecological systems theory and Froebelian principles

Relationship-based early intervention services for children with complex disabilities: lessons from New Zealand

The Champion Centre, located in Christchurch, New Zealand, provides a relationship-based early intervention (EI) service for children with complex disabilities and their families. The programme is offered in a Centre-based model of service, in partnership with parents, and in accordance with international best practice. It advocates for children with disabilities through training and research. The author visited the Centre recently on a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship

Hear our voice: social, cultural and contextual considerations in researching with young and developmentally young children

Researching with young and developmentally young children offers opportunities and challenges for researchers in relation to issues concerning competency, understanding, vulnerability, power relationships and the role of various gatekeepers. The ethics of gaining consent and ensuring that children understand what is being asked of them requires a balance between preventing harm and ensuring adequate protection whilst at the same time ensuring all children have the opportunity to be included and have their voice heard. This article will discuss the social, cultural and contextual aspects of consent and understanding for including young and developmentally young children in research

The policy-to-practice context to the delays and difficulties in the acquisition of speech language and communication in the first five years

The research aim was to investigate the policy-to-practice context to the delays and difficulties in the acquisition of speech, language and communication in the first five years in one local authority in England. Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model was used to structure the thesis and as a tool of analysis. This facilitated an examination of the nested social contexts that influence children’s speech, language and communication such as policy intentions at the macro level and adult-child interactions in the microcontext of home and early years settings as well as relations between settings at the meso level and the local authority influence at the exo level. Successive stages of data collected have informed those that followed from analysis of policy documents to survey of and interviews with stakeholders such as early years practitioners, interviews with parents and observations of target children in early years settings. Analysis of policy texts revealed a gathering consensus on the importance of early years in children’s learning and development, future academic success and employability. The centrality of language, the effectiveness of early identification of children’s problems with speech, language and communication and early intervention to reduce or prevent later special educational needs and disabilities were highlighted. This study has highlighted the difficult and subjective nature of early identification and assessment and the wide variation in children’s early experiences, social interaction, speech, language and communication, socio-economic and socio-cultural environments. The benefits for children with speech, language and communication needs attending combined early years placements are exemplified. Children’s use of private speech has been an interesting finding. Practitioners from both mainstream and specialist settings would have liked to have more guidance on early identification and assessment in their initial training and would also like more training on ways to work with other professionals and to support children with English as an Additional Language. The study has enabled a distinctive model of bioecology for SLCN for birth to five years to be conceptualised. Challenges and opportunities for practitioners in supporting a diverse range of SLCN are discussed and the appropriateness and practicality of requiring generalist practitioners to undertake specialist roles is questioned

The People in the Purple Shirts’: Froebelian insights to a Singing Medicine project in a Children’s Hospital

Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel (1782–1852) yearned to promote and foster the harmonious and holistic development of young children through a combination of outdoor activities, songs and games. His Mother Songs, with games and exercises for mothers and their infants, aimed to encourage the use of senses, limbs and body to increase body awareness and promote mental activity. This article reports on a qualitative interpretive study into the role of a Singing Medicine project in a children’s hospital where children on all wards are invited to participate in singing games and activities. An aim was to understand how the application of Froebelian principles can help us to understand and conceptualise children’s rights and well-being in restricted environments such as a Children’s Hospital. Methods included semi-structured interviews with a range of health and education professionals who support children in a children’s hospital in England. In contrast to previous largely quantitative studies relating to the transferable benefits of arts in health projects, the findings from this study suggest that participants value the human connectedness imbued by a Singing Medicine project to children, families and health professionals. Wider benefits for children’s holistic development and empowerment to make choices through participation in singing games were also raised

Independent Evaluation of Fosterline England

This evaluation had three strands that included a brief review of relevant literature, a survey of existing and prospective foster carers and in-depth semi-structured interviews with ten existing and two prospective foster carers. The literature review focused on the social, educational and long-term outcomes for children in foster care, the impact of providing support for foster carers on their own well-being and that of children and the effectiveness of helpline support such as that provided by Fosterline. Survey and interviews focused on foster carers’ motivation to foster, their experiences of fostering children and the support and advice received from Fosterline in their fostering role

A Different kind of normal: parents' experiences of early care and education for young children born prematurely

The number of preterm births is increasing globally and in England, yet professional knowledge about the short and long-term developmental consequences and the psycho-social effect on parents is limited amongst the early years workforce. Using a social ecological systems theory approach this paper reports on a mixed-methods study that aimed to explore parents’ experiences of early care and education for young children born prematurely. Findings suggest that having a baby born prematurely has the potential to have a detrimental effect on parent-child bonding and can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder for parents. Parents identified a need for professional training for early years practitioners and teachers to help them understand the concept of ‘corrected age’ and the extra support that children born prematurely (and their parents) might need in attending parent and toddler groups, early years settings and on transition to school especially if there are also multiple births

Using Stimulus Material to Explore How Supervisors and Candidates Clarify Expectations During the Research Supervision Process in England

Aim/Purpose This study examined the perceptions of doctoral supervisors and candidates around how expectations for doctoral supervision are clarified, and the strategies used. Background Clarifying expectations is recommended in supervisor and candidate handbooks, supervisor training and recognition programme. Formal strategies have been adopted as a blanket approach by some departments, faculties, or universities but little research explores supervisor and candidate perceptions of this practice or available strategies. Methodology Semi-structured interviews using stimulus material were held with nine supervisors and nine doctoral candidates from a university in England which adopts a team supervision model. Supervisor and candidate dyads were not used. Contribution This study can be used to consider the process of clarifying expectations. A smorgasbord or selection of strategies is presented, for practice. Findings Six supervisors were clarifying expectations at the beginning using an informal discussion, although some supervisors used multiple strategies. Candidates did not recall their expectations being clarified. Some supervisors and candidates believed that expectations did not need to be clarified and there were concerns about formal strategies. Team supervision had a positive and negative influence. Four candidates wanted expectations clarifying but the different starting points and power issues suggested that supervisors need to create the space for regular discussions as part of a working alliance. Recommendations for Practitioners The stimulus material or smorgasbord of strategies can encourage dialogue between supervisors and candidates to enable them to discuss and select appropriate strategies, from the full range available. Recommendation for Researchers Researchers might want to undertake their own studies using stimulus material. The smorgasbord could be used in practice and research undertaken to see how it could be further developed. Impact on Society Supervisors and candidates using the smorgasbord and the idea of the working alliance can assist to have ongoing conversations about expectations. Future Research Researchers could conduct studies in other universities to see if similar findings are discovered. Future research could be undertaken where institutions have adopted a formal approach