A child and family unit

Press, 2 July 1983, Page 17

A child and family unit

Christchurch Hospital’s second school room, in Ward 24, is only a year old and works very differently from that in Ward 23. Ward 24 is the child-and-family unit and takes children who would benefit from a little time out from their families. Set up last year by Professor Philip Ney, based on a Canadian model, it is the only unit of its kind in New Zealand. A unit in Auckland has a similar purpose but is organised differently. The Christchurch unit caters for seven children at any one time and runs as a large family, says the ward’s school teacher, Bruce Hanton. Asked where he fits into the “family” of psychiatrists, psychologists, nursing staff, social workers, and doctors who all participate in the running of Ward 24, he replies: “I’m a teacher.” His job is to teach the children in the classroom each day. Each child has a particular programme, and while academic work is not neglected, it is only one of the areas of the over-all programme. As with the classroom in Ward 23 the teacher at the child-and-family unit comes under the responsibility of Bernard Hansen. He regularly visits both classrooms to talk with the teachers and liaise with the Education Board and the Education Department. Children are referred to the unit by their doctors, social workers, public health nurses, or social agencies. They are admitted for five weeks, and a further five-week follow-up is done when they return to their schools. “It is different from Ward 23 where children are admitted with medical problems. Children in Ward 24 have psychiatric or family problems. It is a much more formal situation,” Mr Hanton says. There are two criteria for admitting children to Ward 24. They must be under the age of 13 and the staff must feel that they can help the particular child. If another agency could do that better, the child and the family would be referred to it, says Mr Hanton. During the five weeks the children spend in hospital they are able to go home twice. This gives the staff a chance to see how they cope in their family situation. The whole family is involved in the child’s programme, Mr Hanton

says. “The parents contract to spend at least 12 hours a week at the hospital in different therapies with the children. That is very important. We cannot help the child without involving the family.” Mr Hanton talks to school teachers, doctors, parents, and brothers and sisters of the children. “We encourage the teachers to visit the children in hospital, some do. I make several visits to the children in their ordinary schools when they leave hospital.” Because the children are not all admitted together, at any one time Mr Hanton is directly involved with about 18. Seven are inpatients, seven are back with their families in the follow-up period, and another four are being assessed for admittance. Counting the families and teachers of these children the ward has direct contact with upwards of 60 people. Bruce Hanton, who has been with the unit since it began, estimates his workload at 60-plus hours a week. Previously a teacher in special education classes and of exceptional children, he finds his work at the hospital very rewarding. “We use a lot of arts and crafts in the' classroom. One day a week is put aside for drama, when we can do role-playing with situations the children know. We also use video and play-back film of the children doing things with their parents and together.” Lessons include trips to the library, museum, and park as often as possible. Once a child goes home and back to school, and the follow-up time is ended, the direct contact with the unit ceases. Sometimes families are referred to other agencies for further help; one child has spent a second period in Ward 24, but usually most families do not feel they need extra help, says Mr Hanton. "Once you have given the family practical help then it is usually okay. It is the practical help that most of the families need,” he adds. When the ward opened it was an experiment. Mr Hanton believes it is meeting a need. He would like to see it extended to include older children and “out-patient” facilities where families could visit and children who do not need to be admitted could go.