The doors of the sanctuary will open
for one month to families seeking solace. The show's
presenter Claudia Winkleman will be guiding the audience
through the daily events. This production has been put
together with the collaboration of an ethics committee
made up of child-focussed experts. Dr. Byron is a consultant
clinical psychologist and has worked in the NHS for
15 years and has a great deal of experience of working
and teaching in many areas of mental health and psychology.
Tanya says, "This series gives me a unique opportunity
as a practitioner to experience what happens to families
once they leave the consulting room and to continue
working with them. I love the thought of all the families
living together, giving each other help and support."
The BBC states that observing children's behaviour
behind two way mirrors is a long-established psychological
technique for ensuring children are relaxed and natural
in their play and interaction with each other. Filming
in this way is actually far less invasive and intrusive,
particularly for young children, than filming with
cameramen, sound recordists and crew around them.
The safety and welfare of the children involved was
a primary objective and consideration for the production
team from the outset of this project. To this end,
Dr Tanya Byron and other programme consultants were
enlisted. Before the families are presented to Dr
Byron for her consideration, the short-listed families
are all psychologically screened by Judith Lask, a
leading Family and Systemic Psychotherapist. She is
a UKCP Registered Psychotherapist and the Chair of
the Association for Family Therapy.
One problem that is tackled is related to sleep.
Nicola is a 28 year old mother and has a 23 month
son Dante. Dante will only sleep when Nicola is with
him. If he is put in his own bed he will get up 10-15
times a night. Nicola has spent the last six months
on the sofa in an attempt to get him to sleep on his
own. Dante is also clingy, has tantrums and will not
let his mother divert her attention from him. Nicola
is unable to get a full-time job, because son Dante
has only just started nursery.
