Found an Ideal Venue? What next when working with children in care?

Once we have found ideal venues to workshop in with looked after children, how else can we prepare for the group sessions to ensure they run smoothly...

Once we have found ideal venues to workshop in with looked after children, how else can we prepare for the group sessions so they run smoothly, help build relationships with both carers and children in care whilst ensuring both emotional and physical safety?

• Keeping contact with carers:

It is a great idea to send out reminder emails the week leading up to sessions to carers, so they know that they are always welcome and feel included. You can also let them know of any local events coming up which could be of interest to them and children. Also, give them the opportunity to give feeback on past sessions in writing or anything the child may have coming up performance wise or at school or anything else of interest. Sometimes people find it easier to feedback in writing, if not, they have the opportunity to speak during sessions. Do not request feedback too formally (forms/surveys etc), as they are busy people who have lots of pressures to deal with on a day to day basis. 

• Keeping in Contact with Venue: 

Many venues will hire out their space to general public. Make sure that you keep in contact with the venue on a regular basis to check whether there would ever be risk of any staff/people crossing over into your hire time, for intsance they may be cleaning up after a party. If so, update risk assessment accordingly. It would be recomended to hire the venue an extra 30 minutes before and after session time so there should be no crossover between children/carers and general public/unknown staff members. 

• Registers:

Carers should register the children they are looking after before attending the sessions. The registers should then be sent to music leaders/session runners before each session. This will help to prevent any strangers entering the building unexpectantly as there will be someone letting people in securely at front of house at the beginning of sessions. It also means that if you have an unsecure entrance to the building whilst letting people in, it can be secured once everybody on the register has arrived thus excluding the risk of potential intruders. 

Register details could include:

1. First Name
2. Surname
3. Male/female
4. Emergency number
5. Carers Name
6. Notes

• Hospitality Pack:

Prepare for breaks and welcoming carers and looked after children by supplying refreshments. A hospitality pack could include: Plastic colourful cups, mugs, plastic cutlery, plates, tea, coffee, sugar, fruit juice, milk, biscuits, fruit. Avoid too much sugar - can cause mayhem!! 

• Other Equipment/Recources

You may want to take keyboards, speakers, laptop with wifi access, extension leads - ensure all electrical goods are PAT tested. A percussion box is always useful and pens and paper for break time (can also be used to help aid song writing, self expression). A first aid kit should also be accessable at all sessions. 

• Be aware of risk assessments at all times:

Go over the risk assessment at the beginning and end of sessions and make any adjustments necessary. For instance, we have a child that we work with who used to have his gran drop him off to sessions, he is now high school age and is happy to walk himself. We did not know this until gran had dropped him at first session and informed us that he would be on his own in future. We then had to put a procedure into place so that we could communicate with gran when he arrived and when he was returning back to her care. The risk assessment would need to be updated to show this. 

• Entrance to building & Enrolment Forms:

As metioned above, a register would have already been established so that music leaders/front of house person knows who to expect to ensure security. The register details are filled out on arrival along with enrolment forms. Enrolment form details would include:

1. Name of participant
2. DOB
3. Carer's Home Address
4. Carer's Home tel
5. Emergency Contact Name
6. Relationship of Emergency Contact To Participant
7. Emergency Contact Tel
8. Medical Details
9. Any Other Special Requirements (people participant is not allowed to contact, places to be acoided etc).
10. Needs or Support required in Order to Participate in Session?
11. Declaration
12. Photo authorisation (Y/N)
13. Publication (Y/N)

A Music Leader/Trainee should be available to help fill out erollment forms in a relaxed, informal manner. It can help build relationships through conversation. 

• Rules/Discipline/Codes of Conduct:

It is vital when working with this group of people to consider musical inclusion and pedagogic practice at all times. Some organisations or practices hand out ground rules, discipline routes and codes of conduct when working with groups of young people which can work well depending on the group and surroundings but from previously working with children in care as music leaders it seems that this way of work would be counterproductive to the social pedagogic practice we are delivering. Considering the Youth Music Framework Criteria, it is essential that the young persons views are integral to the session from the offset and this would be to include them in determining boundaries/ground rules.

• Timings of Sessions:

​Session order that has worked best thus far in sessions:

1. Set up (without children present)
2. Welcome
3. Session 1
4. Break
5. Session 2
6. Showcase
7. Reflection time (without children present)
8. Pack up. 

The session times have been decided to ensure the duration of contact time and depth of contact are sufficient and appropriate to acheive intended outcomes in accordance with the Youth Music Framework Criteria. Reflection time is also included in this to encourage good music leader practice. 

 

There are so many things to think about when considering working in a workshop environment with children in care. Hopefully, this list of things to consider should help prepare you for your first and future sessions. If you have any questions or would like to add anything then please feel free! The next blog will be about actually working with the children, which I personally can not wait for!