Direct Work with Children: Hearing the voice of the child – 2 days

Course Aim:

The aim of the course is to build knowledge, skills and confidence for social care staff to communicate, listen and involve children in direct work and decision-making.

Note: This Direct Work with Children course is a pre-requisite to the Having Difficult Conversations with Children and Young People course.

Course outcomes: 

Participants will be offered the opportunity to:

Outcomes Day 1:

Participants will be offered the opportunity to:

• Understand how communication takes place and its different forms
• Take developmental /attachment considerations into account when communicating with children and young people
• Understand the effects of trauma/adverse experiences on children and how these may affect the communication process
• Work positively with race, culture and religion in direct work with children and young people
• Feel confident in the use of verbal and non-verbal communication
• Ground the child’s story in the assessment process.

Outcomes Day 2:

Participants will be offered the opportunity to:

• Demonstrate a better understanding of the experience of children in care and those leaving care
• Be more confident in the use of observation skills
• Be able to use mentalisation skills with young people
• Use draw and write techniques to help with communication
• Recognise the contexts which shape young people’s lives and the communication we have with them
• Demonstrate how the views, wishes and feelings of the child have shaped planning and influenced the outcomes at each step of their journey.