ARU Research Report 2019

The Up Project 17 that I’ve just had, one little boy came in and the first week he couldn’t interact at all. I gave him a book, he sat quietly to an edge and, but this little boy, like I said, the first week he sat quietly, within the second week he was trying to join in with a school group of boys, by the end of it you wouldn’t have known it was the same, he comes, he’s so involved, he came out of himself and then we were lucky enough to go and see…their school play…and that little boy had a lead role on the stage which was absolutely lovely to see; he really came out of himself.’ (Care home staff) Confidence to Engage Through the visits children’s confidence is also fostered, some of which was demonstrated in the children’s swift transition from apprehensive to engaged. Teaching staff described the confidence which the experienced had fostered, where the children were able to engage with new and different people. They also observed the children’s ability to adapt their communication to those that might have might have a disability: ‘I think definitely confidence with engaging with people that they don’t really know. They’re strangers, in effect, for the first week or so that they go, so I do think it builds their confidence.’ (Member of teaching staff) ‘One lady in particular, she doesn’t see very well so it’s very much explaining everything that you’re doing, verbalising everything with her. “Right, this is here and that’s there. Now I’m going to do this for you.” So, that’s sort of a challenge in a way because you can’t just say, “Here’s a pen, colour that sheet.” So, it’s learning to use their verbal skills as well really and explaining to her what it is that they’re doing as they go along, so rather than just rushing it.’ (Member of teaching staff) The children too described the confidence the experienced had cultivated in them. It was this learning that they explicitly described as transferable to other areas of life and people: ‘It was quite awkward to start with, but when I started to speak to them I got more natural…I feel like it’s really nice to have conversations with people that are different to us, because then you get to see how older people lived their lives… I think as well as it helps the elderly I think it helps us as well, to boost our confidence and talk to people that maybe we don’t know, get to know people.’ (Child 5 ) ‘I feel it was quite a good opportunity, because I felt that it was a good way to meet new people, not just going to clubs and things, they weren’t children, they were adults and elderly people, so you wouldn’t normally chat with elderly people, other than people that you know, so I found it was quite a different opportunity, but a good one.’ (Child 3)