Streetline aims to create a secure and safe environment where we can develop trusting and respectful relationships with each other. While living in Streetline we work with the young person to help recover from and repair past hurts while reengaging the outside world through family work, education and learning social and life skills.
Principles of Practice
Adapted from (2009) Brendtro,LK , Mitchell, ML, H.J McCall: Deep Brain Learning Pathways to Potential with Challenging Youth, Institute and Starr Commonwealth
PRINCIPLE 1
YOUNG PEOPLE SHOW DISTRESS THROUGH BEHAVIOUR——- THEREFORE WE NEED TO RESPOND TO THEIR DISTRESS AND NOT JUST THEIR BEHAVIOUR.
Young people who have difficulty controlling their turbulent emotions display distress through their behaviour. Abuse, neglect, violence, loss and disrupted secure bonds results in emotions becoming unregulated. Some young people risk becoming fixed on self-defeating styles of coping behaviour. Children who have been betrayed or hurt become highly alert to cues of danger and rejection, and inadvertently re-enact past pain.
At times traumatised children blame themselves.
Streetline role is to provide a secure base to help young people manage their feelings and gain insight into their coping skills.
PRINCIPLE 2
THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO COME TO LIVE IN STREETLINE BRING WITH THEM UNIQUE LIFE EXPERIENCE AND INNOVATION
Streetline value the vast life experience, energy, unique problem solving skills and self reliance the young people bring with them into Streetline. We prize each young person’s courage to come to Streetline.
PRINCIPLE 3
STREETLINE CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN RESTORING TRUST BY CREATING A SECURE BASE
Streetline strives to seek to understand how a difficult life experience by a young person and how this impacts on their journey through life. We do this by helping them gain a sense of security, stability, positive relationships and self regulation.
Remembering that young person will often repay their hurt in new environments, we endeavour to avoid being drawn into maladaptive patterns of relating such as power struggles and avoidance. Nor do we enable the young person in a role of victim. The young people need adults who will support them in negotiating difficulties and developing mutually respectful relationships.
PRINCIPLE 4
THE STAFF TEAM COMMIT TO WORKING WITHIN THE CORE CONDITIONS OF THE PERSON CENTRED APPROACH
Streetline uses the theories of Carl Rogers as an approach to working with the young people and Psycho-dynamic Theories to help us better understand distress behaviours.
PRINCIPLE 5
EMOTIONALLY CHARGED EVENTS ARE POTENT LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.
In terms of attachment theory, understanding internal working models provides considerable insight into the behaviours of young people. (Howe, Brandon, Hinings & Schofield 1999)
The concept of the internal working model is therefore of central importance…It helps us to understand how individuals behave when distressed or fearful and how young people view and relate to others under stress i.e. aggression, avoidance, anxiety, disassociation, ambivalence. It is important to recognise that when attachment issues are triggered.(Bowlby, 1969, p.194)
PRINCIPLE 6
CONSISTENT MESSAGES ALSO CAN CREATE CHANGE
The culture of a family, school, peer group or community is a silent curriculum which can direct the course of development. We are not even consciously aware of how continual immersion shapes our personality and private logic.
In Streetline, we work to build a culture of respect through frequent repetition of important ideas and values. For example, be aware of how your behaviour affects the people around you’ can transform values, thinking and behaviour. If a young person becomes entrenched with self-protecting attitude of ‘I can look after myself’ this can be respectfully challenged. If the young person acts in a harmful way to be validated by his peer group, this behaviour can be re-labelled as immature or ‘hurting others.’
Delivered with genuine respect these scripts tap into innate deep learning motivations for belonging and empathy.
PRINCIPLE 7
KEEP THE FAMILY IN MIND
Young people have often told us that not a day goes by that they do not think of thier families so Streetline will support and encourage young people to, where possible, to ensure family relationships are valued
PRINCIPLE 8
THROUGH RELATIONSHIP, YOUNG PEOPLE WILL DISCOVER THAT THEY ARE VALUED AND ESTEEMED.
It is important to recognise that there are a number of people in the young person’s life, for example family, teachers, peers who are important and have a lot to contribute. Parallel to this, young people will realise how important they are by an awareness of others and recognising how much they have to give.