1. Humour in Child and Youth Care Work “Helping workers to learn what they need to achieve for greater competency in practice” John Digney
Why think about humour ?

2. Universal ‘truths’
Humour occurs in most (if not all) residential settings and can be a vital part of our work with kids.
Humour has the potential to enhance quality of life and outcomes for kids.

3. DEFINING HUMOUR Thoughts ???
‘Hardly a word in the language … would be harder to define with scientific precision than this familiar one.’
Sully (1902)

6. Observations from Workers
CYC NEEDS ‘appropriate’ humour
Effective use of humour is a skill
Humour depends on context
Humour can be a safe approach to working with kids
Staff need to understand ‘why’ they use humour

7. 5 ‘Daily Life’ Categories
The ‘Care’ element
The dle element
The ‘crisis’ element
Humour & learning
Humour for staff

8. Humour as part of the ‘care experience’ for youth
Humour as an expression of caring and compassion,
Humour to comfort and make the ‘care experience’ feel safe,
Humour to project a positive setting (of the care setting for youth),
Humour as an alternative to force or authoritarian approaches.

9. Humour used in everyday interaction with youth
Humour in connection & relationship,
Humour to confirm trust,
Humour to equalise and humanise,
Humour as a way of ‘being with safely’,
Humour to re-connect and restore

10. Humour in crisis prevention and intervention
Humour in pre-defusing
Humour to overcome resistance, (humour to ‘break the flow’)
Humour to defuse or calm

11. Humour & learning Humour to communicate a message to youth
Humour modelled for youth.

12. Humour for staff Humour as an aid to coping
Humour to overcome embarrassment

13. Humour Concerns Humour may require relationship
Humour must be genuine (not forced)
Humour must not be sarcastic or hurtful
Humour relies on precise timing
Monitor reactions
Can be abused
Can be very dangerous

14. END