What is In My Shoes?
In My Shoes is an easy-to-use computer package that helps
children and vulnerable adults communicate about their experiences
including potentially distressing events or relationships. Extensive
testing shows it can be used in a wide range of circumstances, including
interviews with children who may have been abused, or who have difficulties
in expressing emotions, who are hard to engage or who have developmental
delay or other difficulties. It has been used successfully in interviewing
learning disabled adults.
How does it work?
In My Shoes uses images, sound, speech and video. Through
a series of modules, children are encouraged to share information
on their experiences and emotions with different people in home,
educational and other settings. The interview is structured, systematic
and clear. Forensic considerations have been central to its development,
and the focus is on facilitation of communication about the subject
areas, with leading questions being avoided.
Does the child use it alone?
The program has been designed so that a trained adult will sit alongside
the child and assist, guide and interact with them through a structured
interview process. The information that is gained is a product of
the three-way interview; it is not a question and answer session
with the computer. However, the nature of the program is such that
children who are unable to use the spoken word can still, with appropriate
support, use the tools within the computer program to give an indication
of their experiences and feelings.
How does it help?
In My Shoes is an excellent means of engaging the child
and building rapport between the child and the interviewer. It promotes
communication in a unique way, and provides a structure for the
interviewer, which helps to maximise the opportunity for the interview
to address sensitive areas and to facilitate sharing information.
It helps children to communicate about their experiences, thoughts,
feelings and wishes. It also provides extensive and detailed session
records. It provides a wealth of pictures for later use and discussion.
When is In My Shoes useful?
In My Shoes is useful in a range of contexts and settings.
These include:
- enabling a child to talk about their experiences, thoughts, feelings
and wishes
- helping a child to talk about their experience of living in their
current, or previous family or other care settings
- preparing for and conducting Achieving Best Evidence
Interviews
- contributing to an assessment of the likelihood of significant
harm and abuse and neglect
- contributing to assessment and planning about a child’s rehabilitation
to their birth family
- gathering a child’s wishes and feelings about being fostered
or moving to an adoptive family
- communicating about pain and discomfort, past or present, including
children in hospital
- assessing the needs of a sibling group
- talking about school with a child – learning, friendships,
relationships with teachers and others
- enabling children with learning disabilities or hearing impairments
to communicate
- helping children with problems in concentration to focus
- engaging adolescents who find face-to-face interviews challenging
- talking with a young person about leaving care
- communicating with vulnerable adults
Who can use In My Shoes?
Any professional working with children who engages in interviewing
may find it helpful. It has been used by psychologists, social workers,
child psychiatrists, other mental health staff, health workers,
educational workers and specialists in forensic services. In
My Shoes enhances the skills of practitioners and clinicians
in direct work with children and young people.
What are the requirements for computers
to run In My Shoes?
In My Shoes requires a PC computer or laptop with a mouse
and with a sound card which runs Windows XP or later, or a Macintosh
running OS X.3 or later, and access to a printer. An extra mouse
or trackball is highly recommended (so that interviewer and interviewee
each have control of the computer). The software for both Macintosh
and PC computers is supplied on a single CD.
The development team:
Rachel Calam, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, University
of Manchester
Antony Cox, Emeritus Professor of Child Psychiatry, Guys Hospital,
London
David Glasgow, Forensic Clinical Psychologist, Glasgow Carlton Partnership.
Phil Jimmieson, Principal Experimental Officer, Computer Science,
University of Liverpool
Sheila Groth Larsen, Educational Psychologist, Liverpool
The Department of Health, the Universities of Liverpool and Manchester
supported development of the program. The current version and the
training programme was completed with support from the Instone Bloomfield
Charitable Trust and the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
The program is described more detail in:
Calam, RM, Cox, AD, Glasgow, DV, Jimmieson, P and Groth Larsen,
S (2000)
Assessment and therapy with children: can computers help? Child
Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry, 5(3) 329-343.
Information on Training Course:
Giving children a voice: Direct work with Children using the In
My Shoes Interview
Professionals require training to be able to use In My Shoes
effectively. There is a two-day training course based on an action
learning approach. The two training days are separated by a number
of weeks, which enables trainees to try out In My Shoes
in their work setting in between the training days.
The two-day course provides training on navigating round the In
My Shoes computer program competently. Specific interviewing
skills are developed for using In My Shoes to promote communication
and to maximise the opportunity it provides to address sensitive
areas and share information effectively. Trainees are also helped
to plan and prepare specific applications of In My Shoes
in different practice contexts and service user groups.
Aims of the training
The aims of the In My Shoes Training include enabling trainees
to:
- Use the In My Shoes computer program
- Develop the specific interviewing skills needed to use In
My Shoes effectively
- Understand and be able to interpret the results file from an
In My Shoes interview
- Plan future use and the specific applications for In My
Shoes in their work and register with the In My Shoes
helpline
Professionals applying to attend training
Any professionals attending need to demonstrate relevant training
and experience and affiliation to an appropriate work setting and
that:
- They have appropriate training in a relevant discipline
- They are supported by their management or an appropriate
supervisory network in their use of the package in their work
- They have access to children and an appropriate level of
clearance for this
- Their organisation has a framework for child protection
procedures
- Their organisation has in place an appropriate data protection
framework for working with confidential information
- They have access to a computer which can be used when seeing
children
Developing competency
Developing competency in using In My Shoes is a core component
of the training programme and trainers and trainees are encouraged
to check their progress in using In My Shoes effectively
over the course against a self-assessment checklist. On some courses,
it is possible to become an accredited user of In My Shoes
and/or to train as a trainer.
Shape and content of training
Training in the use of In My Shoes is based on an action-learning
model and the two training days are separated by 3-4 weeks to enable
practitioners to practice interviewing using In My Shoes
in their workplace.
On the first training day:
In My Shoes is demonstrated, and participants then work directly
on computers with modelling and role-play with expert feedback and
guidance. Participants learn about:
- The structure, content and rationale of the program
- How to navigate their way round the In My Shoes modules
- How to set certain preferences for operating the program
- Some of the specific interviewing skills to use with In
My Shoes to facilitate communication with a child or young
person
- How to save, open and print an In My Shoes results
file
Work in between training days:
After the training day, participants will be expected to practice
interviewing with In My Shoes in the workplace and undertake
interviews with 2 children, one of which need to be in the workplace.
They are required to bring brief reports and In My Shoes
results files back to the second day of training.
The second day of training:
On the second day of training, participants' experience of using In
My Shoes is reviewed and there is further micro-skills training.
The day includes:
- Debriefing and trouble shooting
- Training on additional specific interviewing skills for using
In My Shoes
- Applications of In My Shoes
- Further practice sessions using In My Shoes and self-assessment
by participants on their progress in using In My Shoes
effectively and their future learning needs
- Strategic planning to assist staff to continue using In
My Shoes in their practice
- Introduction to the practitioner network and email helpline
Trainers for the In My Shoes
training
The DfES supported the development of a group of accredited trainers
who have been trained by the development team of In My Shoes
and they deliver training across the UK and in Europe.
Overview of resources
Participants will receive a CD containing the program and a guide
for users and details of access to the In My Shoes email
helpline and practitioner network.
Preparation for Training
If agencies commission training it is recommended that a half-day
Managers Briefing is held several weeks prior to the training to inform
them about In My Shoes, to enlist their help in identifying
staff and to brief them on how they can support, supervise and audit
trail the use of In My Shoes by their staff. Please discuss
costs and arrangements with the Training Coordinator. |
