BARGING-IN...CHILD AND YOUTH CARE IN SOUTH AFRICA

It was an early Saturday morning role call required before  boys with weekend leave of absence were allowed off the facility. The six units formed up in groups on the forecourt. Any general announcements were made. The allocated boy took the unit role call and answered "All present and correct"  or the names of those AWOL (absent without leave). 

There was a lot of chatter among the 25 boys in a particular house. 

The formalities ended  with the usual "Enjoy your weekend... Dismiss!"

At that, the whole of that house ran full tilt to another house close by. The large double door was closed and locked from the inside. They gathered in front of the door loudly threatening to break it down to get entry. I got myself there, my back against the door. "OK, guys what's going on. Someone please explain". 

 The story was, they alleged, a boy from that house had stolen one of the other boy's leather jacket and locked himself in the house for safety and protection. They were determined to get in, get him, beat him up and recover the jacket.  

"OK, let's talk. We can sort this out. There are other ways of doing this". The threats continued. "OK, let three of you come and talk........ The sentence went unfinished. A very large male child and youth care worker, an ex security officer, "barged in" in front of me. He stood firmly between me, my back still against the door, and the boys, covering me altogether. "Get to your house" he shouted loudly. "Get to your house". "Get to your house". They slowly dispersed mumbling ,grumbling, gesticulating, angry.

"I was handling this".
"You needed protection".
"If I needed you I would have called you". 

I had not felt the need to be physically protected at that moment. I thought that "negotiation" and problem solving as well as group de-escalation was underway. 

Privately. "Please don't do that again. You can ask if I need help. If I needed you I would have said". 

The intention, I think was probably good. The display of power above my authority and my professionality left me feeling, undermined and disempowered.

I called this "barging-in",

He was 14 years old, highly intelligent, articulate, trying to find himself a direction for his life ahead. It was especially difficult for him as at age 14 he could not read. He was held back at school to be in a grade with children of his reading age. Being a fairly tall boy. he was noticeably out of place which made his situation even worse.

 I cannot remember how this started. It seemed to come out of nowhere. We were sitting side by side on the couch watching a movie in the TV room. Just him and I in the TV lounge. Maybe something in the movie triggered it. He stood up and faced me. I remained seated. "What do you know about us teenagers? You know nothing. You just do this because you get paid. Do you think that you understand us?......

The person who walked into the lounge at this point had been in child and youth care settings longer than I. and... hello... repeat 'barging-in' story. ..She stopped, stood between the 'on the couch' me and the boy. "Don't you talk to the Director like that! You can't talk to the Director like that ".  

He went into the dormitory.

"He was just being a teenager" says I. "He has to do that. I was dealing with it".
"He can't talk to you like that". .. Walks out.

Privately. Same conversation as with the ex security officer child and youth care worker. Power based 'barging -in' making me look professionally ineffective.

The pulling of rank or length of service, the status of the child and youth care worker...auxiliary level or relief worker, does not justify 'barging in' . It's just not professional teamwork

When, in South Africa Child and Youth Care became a recognised, registered profession, we had for the first time a code of ethics and a code of conduct. I thought that this 'barging-in' thing was Supersession. The as yet, uncirculated Policy Guidelines for Child and Youth Care Workers Reggarding Profeaaional Ethics and Behaviour  South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP)  defines Supersession.

C6 Supersession and Delegation
In cases where a child/ family is already in receipt of child and youth care services, it would be regarded as Supersession if another child and youth care worker assumed services in that instance.

Sounds as if my 'barging-n'thing could be interpreted within this definition. I was told that in practice it is not. It is in the instances as set out in the Guidelines of where Supersession is permitted that it becomes somewhat clear that Supersession has to do with "taking over a case without multi-disciplinary team agreement or in the unencouraged absence of the allocated child and youth care worker.

In whatever way the definition is interpreted, I'm convinced that 'barging-in' behaviour is unethical.

The SACSSP Act of 110 of 1978 with amendments and the regulations contains the code of conduct and ethics for child and youth care workers. In looking at Behaviour Towards Clients and other Professional Persons. 

Again a direct quote
6(2) The casting of reflection directly or indirectly upon the probity, professional reputation, skill, competence, knowledge of a colleague or of such other person.

Seems to me that 'barging-in' would be a breach of professional child and youth care worker ethical practice. It's not team-work and must not in any way be interpreted as such.