Training Workshops

Children who have experienced trauma (abuse, neglect and/or illness) in their early days, months and/or years can develop difficulties in many areas. This can take the form of rage outbursts, shutting off, difficulty getting on with adults and peers etc.

Many children who experience developmental and relational trauma also struggle to access learning and engage in the social environment at school. Often children who have missed out on such a lot early on do not respond well to typical behaviour management strategies.

It can therefore be incredibly difficult for people supporting these children to understand the best ways to help them to better engage with relationships, ‘normal’ home life and learning.

Overview workshop – Introduction to Attachment

Within the two hour overview workshop, delegates will learn:

• The impact of childhood adversity and trauma on physical development, brain development, emotional, social and cognitive development.
• The impact of pervasive levels of shame.
• How attachment might present in the home/classroom/clinic and how you can respond.

Applied workshop – Introduction to Attachment incl. practical strategies & discussion

Within the three-hour workshop, there will be more opportunities for reflection, discussion and activities to deepen understanding of attachment and trauma, with additional time to reflect on how to support the children you care for/work with. We will cover:

• The impact of childhood adversity and trauma on physical development, brain development, emotional, social and cognitive development.
• The impact of pervasive levels of shame.
• Empathic behaviour management strategies to supporting children with attachment difficulties.
• An introduction to Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy (PACE) as an ethos to supporting children with attachment difficulties.
• How fear presents in children and what staff can do to support children who are in a state of fear.
• How attachment might present in the home/classroom/clinic and how you can respond.

We offer more extensive training on Attachment and Trauma, for example, our one day and four day EBM packages. Get in touch for more details.

Self-harm and suicide in children and young people are hugely distressing issues for everyone whose life they touch. They are scary and it’s incredibly hard to think about how to handle these issues for the best. The emotions they stir in us can often mean knowing what to do in the moment is even tougher.

Our two hour workshop for parents and professionals will help you think about why children and young people turn to self-harm. We will offer support and practical advice so you can go away feeling more confident and empowered to keep your child as safe as you can.

Our two hour workshop for parents and professionals is a brief overview, that will help:

• Possible reasons behind self-harm and suicidal ideation in children and young people.
• Information on causes, effects and current research on self-harm and suicidal ideation.
• How to identify the warning signs and assess the risk of self-harm and suicidal ideation.
• Strategies on how to support children and young people who turn to self-harm and have suicidal thoughts.

FASD is the leading cause of preventable birth defects and is caused by foetal exposure to alcohol during pregnancy. It can have a significant impact on the child’s development and their ability to learn. Consistent and accurate information on FASD is therefore essential for recognition and intervention for children with FASD.

During this workshop participants will explore:

• What is FASD?
• The impact of alcohol on a developing foetus
• Different types of FASD
• How to support children and young people with FASD
• What doesn’t work and why

Everybody struggles with anxiety to some degree or another at some point in their lives but sometimes anxiety can become unmanageable. Childhood and adolescence are incredibly tough times with major changes and huge adjustments to make all the time. Understanding what anxiety is and the different responses that children/young people might have to it is key! With the right information and support behind you, you can help your child overcome difficult situations and equip them with the skills to cope with their worry.

Sibling relationships are often amongst the most significant and important bonds that we have in the course of our lifetime. However, it is very common for there to be conflict between siblings in childhood which can present in a variety of ways including rivalry, competitiveness, hostility and aggression. This workshop will explore the complex, often conflictual relationships children can have with their siblings as well as the support and comfort they can provide.

During this workshop participants will explore:

• Why our own experience of sibling relationships matters
• Relationship replication
• The different types of sibling dynamics
• What’s underneath
• How we can help using Empathic Behaviour Management

We recognise that working day-to-day with children who struggle with their behaviour, have social and communication difficulties, or have other conditions which require additional support. This can take its toll on staff. Teaching / care staff are required to manage the complex dynamics that can occur between themselves and the children in their care, and between the young people themselves, at the same time as ensuring children are supported to achieve their potential. This is a tough job and can leave teachers, TA’s and care staff feeling frustrated and burnt out.

Within this two-hour workshop, delegates will have/learn:

• An opportunity to explore the particular challenges that staff face when working with children with additional needs
• Discussion regarding the emotional impact on staff of working with these children
• How staff can take care of themselves and build their resources and resilience
• How staff can begin to make sense of violent / aggressive / challenging behaviour – what might be the factors that influence a child’s behaviour?
• Developing an example formulation to bring together the different bio / psycho / social factors underlying difficult behaviour and beginning to explore strategies that can help.