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Social Responsibility and TOC in
the Public Sector:How a UK Police Constabulary
incorporated TOC to engage
at-risk youth.
Debi Roberts MA Ed, UK, TOCFE, Hertfordshire County Council
2013
26-27 October 2013, Moscow
www.tocpractice.com
8th International Conference of theTOC Practitioners Alliance -
TOCPA
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Debi Roberts MA Ed.
Director of TOCFE UK
Head of Goldratt Social Applications
Educational author
Youth support officer in charge working with three local youth
town councils.
Project Officer for Hertfordshire County Council
I have a Masters in Education, specialising in emotional
literacy in educational settings. I have worked with children and
parents for nearly 20 years, predominantly looking at ways of
supporting thinking skills and facilitating awareness of how
emotions influence thinking.
[email protected]
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County of HertfordshirePopulation 1.5 million
Hertfordshire UK
St Albans City
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copy right Debi Roberts 2013
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Video
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copy right Debi Roberts 2013
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Girls Night In
A TOC Emotional Literacy intervention
A project for young women,
faced daily with difficult
choices.
Regularly making bad decisions
particularly in relation to alcohol.
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copy right Debi Roberts 2013
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Mine: Create and deliver an effective programme.
The Police:
Short Term: Trial a TOC alcohol intervention by identifying and
working with up to six female students aged 15/16 years old, who
are abusing alcohol. Engage and educate them so as to reduce their
alcohol consumption, associated crime and anti-social
behaviour.
Long Term: Introduce a programme that can be rolled out across
the County that is proven to reduce crime and anti social behaviour
by teaching teens to drink within government guidelines.
The girls mmmmm.....how could I confidently assume what their
needs were?
Goals
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In the police
Standard Practise
With the girls
With Myself
Obstacles
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a. I do not have a working knowledge of this subject matter I
dont drink.
b. The girls may not respond well to me.
c. I am not used to the limitations of public sector
initiatives.
d. Working with police officers who are not familiar with TOC or
emotional literacy techniques or the concept that there are not bad
people only bad actions.
a. I study and research until I have a thorough knowledge of
this subject
b. If I believe people are not bad though their behaviour might
be, and.... I can convey that theses girls are precious to me as
individuals, (Kohult vital functions) And.... I apply emotional
literacy techniques in a non confrontational or judgemental way,
and I am warm, friendly delighted by them (Hughes P.A.C.E)
then.....I have done everything I can to ensure they respond well
to me.
c. If I dont know what the past limitations are I cant be
limited by them!
d. Lead by example. Get agreement for structure of workshop and
the theories supporting the structure. Model my curiosity and how I
use the branch and cloud to explore how behaviour is always an
attempt to meet needs.
Obstacles For me
Inter-speculation
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a) Budget
b) A commitment from fund holders
c) Communication with other agencies to organise
effectively*
d) Data poorly recorded by the police making it hard to
identify:
I. Suitable girls for the project.**
II. What alcohol had been seized from them.
III. Amounts and locations of the seizure.
IV. Specific enforcement action applied and any follow up
work
carried out!
Obstacles for the Police:
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a. Most alcohol interventions for teenagers focus on alcohol as
the problem
b. Alcohol is a problem It often not the core problem fro the
drinker
c. Most interventions / support agencies do not acknowledge the
following as significant or if they do, seem unable to offer
solutions to the girls :
Boredom. Frustration.
Loss of hope. Lack of knowledge.
Family unable or unwilling to support better choices.
Obstacles within Standard Practice:
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LACK OF
SELF ESTEEM
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Copyright Debi Roberts 2007
Inappropriate wants
unmet or hidden
needs
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Obstacles for potential participants
being mindful of their thoughts and needs, imagine into their
world, what would
stop them from attending?
a. This is not mandatory.
b. They are marginalised.
c. They have no support.
d. They are used to being singled
out for interventions.
e. They have pre-conceived
negative ideas about authority
figures.
f. They do not want to listen or
they do not understand what
is being said.
g. They cant get to or from the
sessions.
h. They will be hungry when they
get there.
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This workshops was prepared using TOC and ALWAYS used TOC
methods to engage and educate the participants however other
methods and theories supported the project and were key in my
approach to working with the young women.
1. Dan Hughes PACE (playfulness, acceptance, curiosity,
Empathy).
2. Enable (Meeting their being and doing needs ).
3. REBT (rational emotional behaviour) it was useful once but
now lets see what might be better.
4. Attunement and all of Kohuts vital parental functions
(validation of their experience, ability to sooth and regulate and
model self-soothing and regulation and containment)
5. Bowlbys Attachment Theory.
6 . Milan Theory of Family.
Additional methodologies
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All three girls have sad and complicated stories. But each
regularly drinks more than 20 units of alcohol a week
They are all as close to social and economic breakdown as it is
possible to be in Hertfordshire.
They all are in serious trouble at the PRUs they attend due to
absenteeism, violence and lack of co-operation.
PRU = pupil referral unit, children who are unable to engage in
mainstream education are often educated at PRUS THESE ARE NOT THEIR
REAL NAMES OR PICTURES.
Jane is 16 Penny is 14 Honey is 16
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a) Chronic conflicts have been going on for some time and thus
carry a lot of emotional baggage or story.
b) For many families and individuals, chronic conflicts have
conspired to create a loss in self esteem, self belief and
independence.
c) Often we only scratch the surface of a problem.
These girls endured various chronic situations.
TOC allows a person to acknowledge the needs
behind the wants getting closer to the core problem.
Chronic situations
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a) by improving participants ability to make healthy and
sensible decisions.
b) Teaching participants a method to predict the possible
outcomes / consequences of their
actions.
c) Exploring how the consequences of their behaviour effects
others
(family/friends/education/emergency services etc).
d) Teaching participants a method to articulate their goals and
create a time ordered plan to
achieve stated goal.
e) Sharing clear information regarding alcohol and the effects
on individual organs.
f) Offering reparative contact and transformational relationship
contributing to explorations of
authentic self via TOC , Emotional Literacy techniques and art
therapy.
g) Improving students ability to stay connected to authentic
self, even on a bad day.
h) Supporting participants ability to take responsibility for
their lives by improving their ability to
hold the opposites they are confronted with, (e.g. parents they
love who were sometimes
unloving) to manage paradox (e.g. they were both their own best
friend and worst enemy)
and to live with contradiction (mixed media messages surrounding
alcohol) and uncertainty
(none of us knows what the future holds but we can prepare for
opportunities).
i) To relearn a different way to be and be responded to.
j) To support each girl by offering an abridged version of the
course to their parents/carers (one
evening).
How was this programme going to impact chronic life situations
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Not drinking but still having fun
Budget, lack of communication and co-ordination meant some
identified obstacles
were not successfully managed (venue - room layout) however all
other obstacles
were overcome and goals for the evening achieved. We had a great
evening, the
girls stayed till the end of the session, engaged in all
activities and returned the
following week!!
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Copyright Debi Roberts 2007
all night
d
not to party
all night
d
WANTSNEEDS
COMMON
OBJECTIVE
To party all night
To be able to get up in the morning for school/work
To have fun
To have a good life
First attempt at a cloud
a
c
b
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to party
Not have
people over
every night
to party
Get to bed at
a decent
time
party
To have
people over
every night to
party
Have someone
with me when I
fall asleep
I need to
I must..
To sleep well
and be rested.
Janes thoughts as she considered assumptions - these do not
necessarily explain the link but give a deeper
understanding) Having a party every night usually results in
someone staying over.
I dont like being alone at night.
In order to
Janes thoughts as she considered assumptions (these do not
necessarily explain the link but give a deeper understanding of the
problem) Having people over every night prevents me going to bed
early.
Having people over every night means I take a lot of alcohol and
drugs which stops me getting up in time for
school or work.
Having people stay over every night requires a lot of energy
manipulating people to stay over.
a b
c
d
d
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I dont know how to go to
sleep on my own.
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to party
Not have
people over
every night
to party
Go to bed at a
decent time
without drugs and
alcohol
party
To have
people over
every night to
party
To have someone I
feel safe with stay
with me when I
fall asleep
I must..
To sleep well and be
rested
because.. C-D1: guests bring drugs and alcohoI
which I then take.
because..B-D1: I know how to manipulate my friends to stay over
after the party.
B-D2: Having a party every night usually results in someone
staying over.
B-D3: I dont like being alone at night and having a party makes
this less likely.
A-C1: After parting half
the night I cant get up
in the morning for
school or work
A-B1: m scared of being
alone in the dark on my own
a
d
dc
b
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So I would like to share what I have found to be true..
Toc allows hidden truths
to be exposed.
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I didnt understand what a unit was or why it was important to
limit them
You dont patronise us or tell us what to do You dont patronise
us or tell us what to do You dont patronise us or tell us what to
do You dont patronise us or tell us what to do I dont want to drink
anymore, want to drink anymore, want to drink anymore, want to
drink anymore,
I dont want to die at 50 andI dont want to die at 50 andI dont
want to die at 50 andI dont want to die at 50 andI dont want to
look older than I amI dont want to look older than I amI dont want
to look older than I amI dont want to look older than I am
We drink because were bored, but this isnt boring, so if we are
here, we are not drinking
I know what I want to do with my life now
Feedback from the girls
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Every stage has a Every stage has a Every stage has a Every
stage has a conflict conflict conflict conflict
and through its and through its and through its and through its
resolution resolution resolution resolution
our identity is our identity is our identity is our identity is
shapedshapedshapedshaped
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1. Re-kindle their dreams. Provide a tangible experience of
that
dream. Create ATT to ensure the dream becomes a reality.
2. Be available a relationship has been created and cannot
just be lost, create a reducing agreement as to when and
how I will be available.
3. Provide continued support outside of group and ensure
ripple effect as groups double in size with each course as
original participants bring friends and relatives on to
subsequent courses.
Exit Strategy and sustsinability
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Did the girls make any changes?
Had the course effected their ability to make
better decisions for themselves?
Had they remembered who they were and
where they were going?
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Decided to take control of things and make changes.
Realized she could no longer continue to live in the toxic
environment that
was her family home. Shortly after these sessions she was
fortunate
enough to secure her own accommodation.
When I last heard of her she had started college and was on her
way to
becoming a plumber the dream she identified for herself at
the
beginning of our sessions together.
I won't pretend that its going to be all roses for her because
its not. Jane
still has many obstacles to overcome however; in addition to
her
incredible inner resilience she now has some practical tools
that will
support her, even when those close to her cant.'
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Back in mainstream school.
Attends all 5 full days.
Has a method for expressing
her emotions (the branch)
that she can take and show to
people instead of kicking their
door down.
Penny
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Immediately -1. Resolved her conflict with her Pupil Referral
Unit.
2. Parents no longer facing charges.
Honey kept in contact with us and we were happy to
continue mentoring to support her search for a
job.
Short term -
We attended her college interview with her where
she was accepted outright on to a childcare course
- at a higher level than was aiming for!
Her parents are more able to deal with life.
September 08 she started her child care
course. She has met some young ladies
there who are drinking too much and has
instigated the first teen lead drinking project.
Honey
Has not drunk in 5 years
- having internalised
the tools after the
course, she applied the
tools again and was
able to give up
smoking.
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Sent: 04 March 2008 00:19:00 To: Debi Roberts
([email protected])Hiya debs ...just thought ill email
you let you know some good news lol .. iveapplied for collge doing
entry level child care and i may be doing my gcse at collage .. ive
also applied for a couple of jobs in town and have a job interview
tuesday at 9.30 .. so hopefully ill have a job in no time lol
..
The course made a big difference to the way i look at my life
and made me relise i did drink to much (which i have change a lot
ihavent drunk anything at all for the past 2 months) ... and it has
made me want to go out and look for a job and sort my education out
... i want to say thanks for all your help s well because to be
honest with out you and lara i wouldnt be where i am now with a
interview and maybe starting collage so THANKS A LOT !!! :)
anyway i surpose i better try and get some sleep ready for
tomorroomg im so nervous ...
ill email you tomorro let you know how i got on :)
love h
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Does not drink and used the tools to give up
smoking
Lectures in college supporting young
women to make sensible choices
Received funding to attend a TOC Odyssey Programme where
she met Dr. Goldratt and impressed him everyone who met
her.
Is in a stable relationship and about to be
married
Long Term
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The police Constabulary initially rolled this out community
police officers however within the next 12 months had taken
a
strategic decision to focus on law enforcement and not
diverse
into preventative work and so repeating this project on a
large
scale was no longer a priority for them.*
Sgt. Stephenson went on to became Inspector Stephenson and
took on the portfolio for youth.
The Inspector we had worked under, Inspector Dent, was
seconded to Whitehall to advise on Alcohol strategy.
Outcomes for the Police
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Some Additional thoughts
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TOC Methodologies can
facilitate and promote
profound change in people
Copyright Debi Roberts 2007