Separated in Scotland

Welcome to the site for the ESRC funded project ‘Supporting separated migrant children to thrive during COVID-19’.

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Thank you all for attending our today's workshops 'Supporting separated children to thrive beyond Covid -19'. We had some very inspiring discussions & we are looking forward to the post-Covid future with hope & inspiration.

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Telling stories should not be about competition, but about creating comfortable spaces for understanding ourselves and others.

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Sharing stories creates a safe environment which makes young people relaxed & more open to other forms of learning, and fosters a more effective knowledge acquisition.

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They were also given an opportunity to make sense of their journey experiences, a different one than they usually tell to other authorities.

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They also improved their English - developed vocabulary, range, pronounciation, speech of delivery and interactional skills.

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So, what did our young people learn while developing their own stories with Katrice @katricehorsley? They developed understanding of how a story has impact - through gestures, emphasis, structure, linguistic techniques - e.g. matching clauses & contrasting coordination.

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It's important to use the connectives such as 'however', 'despite', 'moreover' instead of 'and then, and then, and then' ... while marking the moments when the emotional tone of the story changes.

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While constructing stories, it's important to let young people use the symbols they are familiar with, derived from their culture, language & experience.

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Katrice Horsley @katricehorsley talks about storytelling, cultural & personal narratives, and various storytelling techniques to make sure stories are engaging, entertaining & remembered.

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As we are sharing one of the animations from the project @katricehorsley @HandsUpProject @AnimationJamUk with the project attendees, it's a chance to watch it again: https://t.co/UydRJZWfur

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Prof. Fiona Copland will talk about the project & the storytelling intervention, and Katrice Horsley @katricehorsley will explain successful storytelling techniques.

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We will be discussing enhancing English language skills of separated migrant children through storytelling during our Session 3 at 16.00 - the registration is still open:https://t.co/wzZuTvo9bJ

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Sometimes Covid regulations are not compatible with proper safeguarding young people need - it's a difficult balance.

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It's important to hear what young people say, but it's equally important to hear what they don't say - and these moments happen more often during informal contacts, e.g. a shared bike ride or a walk. It is important to create space for such moments & that's difficult to do online

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When difficult topics are raised, it's important to support a young person afterwards - this is difficult to do online, but even a follow up phone-call can help.

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It's also important to see young people in their environment, and understand their living situation.

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One of our speakers, Ruth Weston from City of Edinburgh Council, talks about her experiences of working with separated migrants people & practicalities of such work. She points the importance of informal contact that happens before or after the meeting.

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The potential danger flagged by asylum lawyers - the superficial informality of online meetings may be detrimental to young people, and make them undermine their seriousness & potential impact on their lives (e.g. Home Office interviews).

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Discussion: just because something is practical & easier, it doesn't mean it's the best for the young people.

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We mentioned hybrid way of working before - which aspects of an online work to keep & which to replace with the face-to-face contact? What is the best practice?