We were delighted to welcome Prof. Kayoko Ito, Ms Li and Dr Noguchi to Harmeny on 19th March as part of their international research into residential and foster care comparison of five countries.
Prof Ito, Ms Li and Dr Noguchi travelled to Harmeny from Osaka Metropolitan University and Fukuyama City University in Japan and were accompanied by Dr. Ian Milligan, Honorary Senior Research Fellow, CELCIS/University of Strathclyde.
Prof. Kayoko Ito, Mandy Shiel, Dr. Ian Milligan, Craig Paul, Gavin Calder, Dr. Noguchi and Ms Li.
Their visit involved a tour of Harmeny, discussions with staff and time with the Carltons and Kips classes. Our guests also enjoyed an incredibly tasty Japanese themed lunch in Holly and Caroline cottages. Our homemakers created a beautifully presented feast of Japanese inspired food including teriyaki beef with spring onions, sweet chilli greens with baked tofu and sesame seeds, plus massaman curry, miso broth and gyoza.
The children in Holly had no problem in working towards their ‘eating the rainbow’ challenge that lunchtime!
Massaman curry, miso broth and gyoza being prepared for our guests
A cultural exchange
By welcoming visitors from across the globe to share experiences of residential care we do not only widen our own horizons, but those of the children too. At lunch in Holly there were many questions about life in Japan and our visitors’ own families and experiences. It was also an opportunity to try new tastes and textures and for our young people to show the adults around their bedrooms and the things that were important to them.
The children were also keen to share a little bit of their lives with our guests to take back to Japan with them with small toys and gifts the children had made. In return they got to try Japanese chocolate shaped like mushrooms!
Reflections on the trip
Our visitors shared that they were impressed with the environment (both within the cottages and wider, natural estate); the quality of relationships were evident and the on-site access to direct therapeutic support. Dr Noguchi also commented on our higher staff to child ratios, compared to similar services in Japan.
Following the visit, Ian expressed his appreciation for the “the special lunches that were prepared” and the opportunity to “witness the interactions which revealed the warm and positive relationships that exist at Harmeny.”
