Animal Magic
Our resource Animal Magic celebrates the amazing difference being around and caring for animals makes for many children and adults using a range of care services.
This resource is part of our approach to support innovation and improvement across the care sector in Scotland. Animal Magic highlights the ways many people get the most out of life by being around or caring for animals and pets. People experiencing care have told us that being around animals helps them relax, provides companionship, enhances their relationships, gives them a positive focus to their lives and makes them feel happier.
In the examples featured people experiencing care have told us that being around animals links to compassionate and nurturing care. Contact with animals can provide something special and magical in addition to human interaction. The examples show that having animals around services promotes a culture of kindness and tenderness for people of all ages, from young children to older people living with dementia. Some of the examples show that for some people , spending time with and caring for animals has specific therapeutic benefits and helps them process trauma and loss and become more emotionally resilient.
In Animal Magic and the accompanying film footage we hear the direct personal voices of people using and living in care services. We hear about the special bonds and transformative connections that are formed. We also hear that having animals in their lives allows them to form natural connections to the local community. This may be walking a dog or going to agricultural shows. Animals bring people together in a unique way and reduce isolation and loneliness.
Care professionals tell us in the resource that there can be challenges sometimes to overcome in order to keep pets in care services. We recognise that there is a balance to be struck to ensure that everyone’s choices and rights are respected. The care professionals’ outline how there are positive ways to overcome challenges and organisations that can provide support. For each of the examples there is a section on things to think about and signposts to helpful resources and research.
We have produced 18 short documentary videos to accompany Animal Magic. Both care staff and people experiencing care, in all kinds of settings, tell us their own stories of the benefits animals bring to their service and how they made it work. You can watch our video highlights on our YouTube channel.
We hope that these stories inspire other care services to explore the benefits and magic of animals. We would love to hear from you if you have an example you would like us to feature on The Hub. Please contact us at enquiries@careinspectorate.gov.scot
Animal Magic has also gained international recognition through being extensively referenced in ‘Our Wild Calling’, a book by the influential American author Richard Louv. Richard Louv first gained public attention through the publication of ‘Last Child in the Woods’ and at a Play Scotland conference shared the platform with our Head of Professional Practice and Standards.
Due to the ongoing interest in Animal Magic and animals being more involved in care services, we are currently collaborating with the following organisations to develop guidelines for animals in care and education settings:
Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA)
Edinburgh University
Education Scotland
International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organisations
The Society for Companion Animal Studies has published updated good practice for organisations introducing animals to health, social care and education facilities as visiting and/or as communal resident animals.
STAF (Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum’) are working with us to promote the benefits of pets and contact with animals for children and young people being looked after by local authorities. This includes a survey being led by care experienced young people.