Foster Care

This 2 day training programme provides a comprehensive foundation in Life Story Work, helping participants understand its purpose in supporting children to understand their history, develop a sense of identity and emotional literacy. It emphasises the importance of holding a child’s story in mind throughout all work, recognising the roles of the wider team, and working collaboratively with parents and professionals to build a shared, supportive narrative. The course explores barriers to effective practice, introduces rapport-building activities to help children feel safe, and guides participants in using structured approaches to share a child’s story—moving from present-focused work, through the past, and back to the present and future. It also covers the use of life story books and later life letters, how to present difficult information in a developmentally appropriate way, and how to create individualised plans that reflect each child’s unique experiences, needs, and strengths. Participants will leave with practical tools, increased confidence, and knowledge of where to find further support.

This course is designed to provide participants with increased knowledge and understanding in relation to communication with disabled children and young people along with a greater confidence in using their skills

This course sets out to show the impact of parental mental ill health on children and how we try to implement safeguarding. It is relevant as we know that adults' and childrens' services are not working together

Permanence is about providing the child with a sense of security, continuity commitment and identity …. a secure stable and loving family to support them through childhood and beyond.’ (DCSF 2010). The right of every child to belong to a family is underpinned by the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Children Act 1989 states wherever possible a child should be brought up within their own family, the ‘Ideal family’ being birth parents or members of their extended family, the permanency planning process will explore all the options thoroughly.

This Life Story Work training programme equips participants with a clear understanding of what Life Story Work is and its importance in supporting a child to understand their history, develop a sense of identity and emotional literacy. It emphasises keeping the child’s story central in all work, recognising the roles of the wider team, and working collaboratively with families to build a shared narrative. The training explores common barriers, introduces practical tools for building trust and safety, and guides participants in using creative methods to share a child’s story. It also covers the purpose of life story books and later life letters, and highlights resources and support available for ongoing practice.

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), formerly Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is the umbrella term used to describe the leading cause of preventable birth defects and is the commonest known cause of cognitive impairment in children, in the world. 6,000 babies are born each year in the UK with FASD – and many are undiagnosed. If you work with children, adolescents or vulnerable adults you may be supporting someone with an FASD. It is a spectrum disorder caused when a pregnant women consumes alcohol, Improvements in screening, identification, and treatment of children with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) can be enhanced through systematic efforts to educate medical and allied health students and practitioners about these disorders. Such efforts will contribute toward the goal of better identification, diagnosis, and referral for treatment for individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure.

This course will enable workers who are engaged in work with children and families to develop effective ways and build confidence in working with difficult behaviour, in order to recognise potential impacts on professional dynamics and multi-agency child protection work when professionals are faced with working with families who are hostile and evasive.

Helping a child make sense of his or her past is an important part of a practitioner’s role in working with children and young people. Being able to do this sensitively and effectively will help the child cope with current uncertainties, develop a clearer sense of identity and contribute to plans for their future. This course has been developed with reference to the latest research, legislation, standards and good practice and the delivery of knowledge and skills is designed to take account of a wide range of different learning styles.

There are specific requirements relating to support for care leavers. The ultimate aim of leaving care services is to support care leavers so that they can live successful independent lives. Each care leaver will reach that point at a different age and there should be no assumption that the duty means that all care leavers will require statutory support until the age of 25. Young people are not adults and are also transitioning through developmental stages which impact on their decision-making reasoning, risk taking choices and ability to learn and use life skill. As part of this Transitions (Leaving Care) Training course we will look at brain development in adolescence and how to support young people through a range of transition situations

The aim of this course is to offer insight into positive parenting and child development

This one day course aims to introduce team support workers to best practice in creating effective plans. Lessons from research and guidance from current law and policy will be used to enable participants to explore the link between assessment and planning, the principles of SMART and ExACT plans, and the enhance their understanding of creative outcome focused planning.

This interactive one-day course will enable delegates to develop their knowledge and confidence in working with resistant parents and carers to improve the welfare and outcomes for children and young people. This course will develop skills in identifying disguised compliance, why families are resistant, how to identify and evidence this in assessments and understand what they can do to move things forward.