1. The role of communicating with children in the reception setting
Training on the Human Rights and Best Interests of Children in Transnational Child Protection Cases
Helsinki, September 20-21, 2016
Sirpa Kansanaho
Manager of Oulu reception centre

2. Oulu reception centre

3. Oulu reception centre Established May 1, 1991
One of two government reception centres (northern & eastern Finland)
Three different units under the Oulu reception centre
Transit unit – adults and families, in Oulu (capacity 400 persons, to be decreased to 260 on January 1, 2017)
Underage unit – unaccompanied children
Group home for children aged 0-17 (capacity 7 persons)
Residential care unit for youth aged (capacity 40 persons, to be decreased to 14 on January 1, 2017)
Accommodation unit – adults and families, in Pudasjärvi (capacity 180 persons, to be decreased to 110 on January 1, 2017)
Established May 1, 1991
One of two government reception facilities (northern & eastern Finland)
Three different units: transit, underage, and accommodation units
Transit unit in Oulu for adults and families (capacity 400 persons, to be decreased to 260 on January 1, 2017)
Underage unit for unaccompanied children, divided into a group home for children aged 0-17 (capacity 7 persons) and a residential care unit for youth aged (capacity 40 persons, to be decreased to 14 on January 1, 2017)
Pudasjärvi accommodation unit for adults and families (capacity 180 persons, to be decreased to 110 on January 1, 2017)

4. Important considerations
How could we…
facilitate children having their voices be heard?
establish a system which would increase the opportunities for children to be heard?
integrate the best interests of children into the work and evaluation processes of centres?
support the roles of different actors, such as care staff, social workers, guardians, lawyers, and parents? How could the centre facilitate their communication with children?

5. Underage unit social counsellors/ Jori 1/2
a. Having children’s voices be heard
The personal counsellor system
Regular translated discussions with youth
Reviewing client discussions with a multidisciplinary professional team
The increasing importance of everyday interactions (over translated discussions)
Common unit meetings about shared issues
Regular meetings between staff and children/youth to discuss matters
Youth have also had opportunities to shape the rules of their communities themselves. Their suggestions have mainly been well though out and well prepared.
a. Having children’s voices be heard (kuuleminen)
The personal counsellor system
Regular translated discussions with youth (either at their request, or based on adults’ observations)
Reviewing client discussions with a multidisciplinary professional team
As a shared language slowly develops, the youth’s sense of control over their everyday life and their sense of participation grow. Consequently, everyday interactions become increasingly important while the relative importance of translated discussions decreases
Common unit meetings
Regular meetings between staff and children/youth to discuss shared matters
Youth have also had opportunities to shape the rules of their communities themselves. The suggestions put forth have mainly been well though out and well prepared.

6. Underage unit social councellors / Jori 2/2
b. Empowerment (osallistaminen)
Guidance to take responsibility of own affairs
Independent travel to hobbies, buying their own clothes
Preparing food (individual, community, cooking club)
Cleaning (responsibility for their part in cleaning common quarters)
Youth have opportunities to influence e.g. weekend activities
c. Evaluating the best interests of the child
The child’s desires may not always reflect the child’s best interests
Counsellors are responsible for evaluating and setting boundaries
Typical issues: late night city visits, visiting friends over the weekend
Guiding youth to consider which social circles are worth joining
Complex cases are reviewed by a multidisciplinary team (social worker, healthcare worker, teacher, counsellors) which meets several times per week
b. Empowerment (osallistaminen)
Youth are purposefully guided to take responsibility of their own affairs, taking into account their capacities and personal limits
E.g. independent travel to hobbies, buying their own clothes (youth are well aware of their budgets)
Preparing food (youth may prepare food for the community when accompanied by a counsellor, or take part in the occasional cooking club)
Cleaning (everyone is responsible for their own part in cleaning common quarters)
Youth have opportunities to influence such activities, e.g. weekend activities
c. Evaluating the best interests of the child
The child’s desires may not always reflect the child’s best interests. Counsellors are responsible for evaluating and setting boundaries. Typically such discussions centre around late night visits to the city and staying over at a friend’s place during the weekend. It is important to guide youth to consider which social circles are worth joining and who really are their friends
In more complicated cases the issues are discussed in a multidisciplinary team (social worker, healthcare worker, teacher, counsellors) which meets several times every week

7. Social worker / Hanna (1/2)
Inclusive approach
The child is present in all social work processes
Children are approached individually based on their age and level of personal development
The child receives all information about their affairs, always has opportunities to voice their concerns and ask questions, and they are kept up to date with any and all ongoing processes
The child’s opinions are recorded in the client information database
Any choices affecting the child’s life are presented and justified to them, especially when such choices may contradict their desires
Listening to, and inclusion of, children
The child is present in all social work processes
Children are approached individually based on their age and level of personal development
The child receives all information about their affairs, always has opportunities to voice their concerns and ask questions, and they are kept up to date with any and all ongoing processes
The child’s opinions are recorded in the client information database
Any choices affecting the child’s life are presented and justified to them, especially when such choices may contradict their desires

8. Social worker / Hanna (2/2)
The child’s interests must be evaluated under many different circumstances
When a child displays various symptoms, one must consider:
what kinds of support can be offered locally?
might contacting child protective services be in their best interest?
During the asylum seeking process the child’s social worker gives a statement. In this statement they detail issues which must be considered in order to act in the child’s best interests
When a child receives a residence permit and is moved into a municipality, officials conduct a needs assessment regarding the child’s living and social guidance services
Children’s welfare is the responsibility of adults. They must take responsibility and make decisions which are in the child’s best interests
The child’s interests must be evaluated under many different circumstances
When a child displays various symptoms, what kinds of support can they be offered locally? Perhaps contacting child protective services might be in their best interest?
During the asylum seeking process the child’s social worker gives a statement indicating the issues which must be considered in order to act in the child’s best interests
When a child receives a residence permit and is moved into a municipality, municipal officials conduct a needs assessment regarding the child’s living and social guidance services
Children’s welfare is the responsibility of adults, who must take responsibility and make decisions which are in the child’s best interests

9. Nurse / Leena Unaccompanied minors
Meetings with healthcare workers are usually private
In complicated cases healthcare workers are supported by a multidisciplinary team
The child may reserve a doctor’s appointment when assessed necessary by the healthcare worker
Children arriving with families
Children are asked direct questions during the initial screening (based on age and level of personal development)
Teenagers are offered individual appointments with a healthcare worker
Family interactions and dynamics are monitored when parents are present
If concerns arise, the social and healthcare team work together to resolve them
Unaccompanied minors
Meetings with healthcare workers are often private
The healthcare worker informs the team as necessary. In complicated cases, they are supported by a multidisciplinary team
The child may reserve an appointment with a doctor as decreed necessary by the healthcare worker
Children arriving with families
Children are asked direct questions during the initial screening (based on age and level of personal development)
With teenagers, a separate appointment may be made with a healthcare worker
Family interactions and dynamics are monitored when parents are present
If any issues are identified, the social and healthcare teams work together to resolve them

10. Guardians, lawyers and parents/Hanna and Jori
The guardian is present from the earliest stages of the child’s process
The child is always informed about the guardian’s roles and responsibilities Emphasis: confidentiality, the guardian acting in the child’s best interests
The guardian may also meet the child informally to build a trusting relationship
The underage unit arranges translators as necessary and reserves a space where the guardian and child may speak in private. The child is informed of their right to meet their guardian whenever they want
The guardian arranges the lawyer and is informed if the child wants to meet with the lawyer. The guardian is present in any such meetings.
If contact information for parents is available, children may call their parents with the charges paid by the Oulu reception centre. If a child’s parents may be contacted via the internet the child will be offered opportunities to do so.
The guardian is present from the earliest stages of the child’s process
The child is always informed about the roles and responsibilities of their guardian. Emphasis is placed on the guardian acting cofidentially and in the best interests of the child.
In addition to their official duties the guardian may meet the child informally in order to build a trusting relationship
The underage unit arranges translators as necessary and reserves a space where the guardian and child may speak in private. The child is informed of their right to meet their guardian whenever they want.
The guardian arranges for a lawyer and is subsequently informed should the child wish to meet with the lawyer. The guardian is present in any meetings with the lawyer.
If contact information for parents is available, children may call their parents with the charges paid by the Oulu reception centre. If a child’s parents may be contacted via the internet the child will be offered opportunities to do so.

11. How a system can be established in order to increase the opportunity for children to be heard?
Regular meetings in everyday life (translated discussions with workers, unit meetings, separate meetings for children with families).
Special services for children in family units (e.g. Save the Children / LYT) and staff trainings aimed at improving the inclusion of children (e.g. The ”Talking about Children” training).
Annual customer survey (sample questions: 5. My counsellors value my opinion; 6. I can tell the counsellors about my concerns; 7. I trust my counsellors; 11. I can easily contact my personal counsellor if I need to talk to them)
Students’ and researchers’ role in conducting research in various units.
Volunteer work (especially in Oulu – for instance the Oulu university volunteer course at the reception centre underage unit).
Regular meetings in everyday life (translated discussions with different social counsellors, unit meetings, separate meetings for children with families)
Special services for children in family units (e.g. Save the Children / LYT) and staff trainings aimed at improving the inclusion of children (e.g. The ”Talking about Children” training)
Annual customer survey (sample questions: 5. My counsellors take my opinion into consideration; 6. I can tell the counsellors about my concerns; 7. I trust my counsellors; 11. I can easily contact my personal counsellor if I need to talk to them)
Students’ and researchers’ role in conducting research in various units
Volunteer work (especially in Oulu – for instance the Oulu university volunteer course at the reception centre underage unit)

12. Website http://jultika.oulu.fi/Record/isbn978-952-62-0989-0
Doctoral thesis of Mervi Kaukko - Participation in and beyond liminalities : action research with unaccompanied asylum-seeking girls
Website
Focuses on children's participation in a Finnish reception centre.
Unaccompanied girls’ views of children’s participation:
Children’s voice and participation
Participation as the right to silence
Participation as a means of coping with the present and preparing for the future
Transformative participation in a liminal space

13. Unaccompanied minors are the best experts of their own lives
Unaccompanied minors are the best experts of their own lives. They come without background information and no-one speaks for them.