This is a workshop focused on getting the welcome right for children who are starting for the first time at a new school when we know the welcome will be difficult. Perhaps they have been excluded from elsewhere, they are new to this culture, they have complex needs or they are just very different or highly anxious? Course Category Meeting emotional needs Behaviour and Relationships Inclusion Now available as an online course Description This is a practical ‘non-medical’ day or half day workshop or twilight session for front line practitioners working with children and young people that will find starting at a new school or setting difficult. Drawing from international research and literature, reports from inclusive schools and our own experience over many years as educational psychologists of the challenges of children with major social and emotional needs, we will explore together what the best practice can and could look like. We explore: Creating a welcoming team or ‘committee’ of young people Training the team in effective ‘welcoming’ and supporting Building a support circle around a new child and running this circle effectively Auditing what makes for a successful welcome of any new child at the school Facilitating the involvement of young people in successful welcoming activities and preparation Links between this work and building ‘circles of friends’ and peer mediator training Testimonials Belonging and feelings are so important Definitely made me reflect a lot on the go-to behaviour management techniques we use! Excellent! Never thought of it like this before Learning Objectives Increased confidence regarding developing inclusive practice for newcomer children in mainstream schools The challenge of a good ‘welcome’ fully understood Access to a wider range of practical strategies to impact on settling an individual’s social and behavioural needs on joining a new setting Deeper understanding of core values surrounding inclusion of emotionally disabled children Opportunity to reflect on involving children and young people in effectively welcoming and including new students New skills, scripts and processes to make inclusion and relationships in school fulfilling and restorative Who Is It For? Practitioners working in schools and other settings with children and young people of all ages Key workers Teaching Assistants with support roles Heads and deputies SENCOs Advanced skills teachers Primary and secondary classroom teachers Parents Local authority support services Course Content The course explores the questions : What does it take for a child to: Feel safe and secure as they transition into a new school or setting?Feel supported by their new peer group?Understand how a new setting or school operates and to feel confident there?What else can we do to go about including high profile children or young people with challenging emotional needs?How can we best enlist the involvement of children and young people in the early work of inclusion with a new member of the school or setting? This course also explores practical strategies, concepts and language for key adults building relationships with individual pupils. This is a participative day that aims to be explorative and practical. Opportunities to develop empathy with the children of concern will be created. If you liked this course you may well like: FRESH APPROACHES TO BEHAVIOUR AND RELATIONSHIPS
Circle of Friends is an approach to enhancing the inclusion, in a mainstream setting, of any child or young person who is experiencing difficulties in school because of disability, personal crisis or because of their challenging behaviour towards others. The ‘circle of friends’ approach works by mobilising the young person’s peers to provide support and engage in problem solving with the person in difficulty. Online Course now available via Teachable Platform – Creating Circles ofFriends Learn at your own pace… lots of text and video support Course Category Inclusion Peer Support Behaviour and Relationships Autism and Communication Description Circle of Friends is an approach to enhancing the inclusion, in a mainstream setting, of any child or young person who is experiencing difficulties in school because of disability, personal crisis or because of their challenging behaviour towards others. The ‘circle of friends’ approach works by mobilising the young person’s peers to provide support and engage in problem solving with the person in difficulty. ‘Circle of friends’ is not the same as ‘circle time’ but many of the skills and techniques used by teachers in ‘circle time’ can be used to support the ‘circle of friends’ process. Over the past 12 years Colin Newton and Derek Wilson have been encouraging the use of ‘circle of friends’ in a wide variety of primary and secondary schools, often with very successful outcomes. Some of these are described in their books ‘Circles of Friends’, (Folens, 1999) and ‘Creating Circles of Friends’ (Inclusive Solutions, 2005). This is an excellent opportunity to learn from Colin Newton and Derek Wilson the educational psychologists who brought this Department of Education endorsed approach to the UK. Learn how to build teams around challenging pupils by drawing on a resource which is always there…. other children. Enjoy participating in a multi media workshop that will challenge, entertain and reach for your emotions. Circles of support are for us all, for life…. and they work! Testimonials ‘Absolutely fantastic session – so thought provoking and positive.’ ‘Well presented excellent course’ ‘Wonderful, mind blowing day. Lots of children and young people there we need to really see – not treat’ ‘Excellent presentation, lively, modern, current – definitely got the attention. Course gave great food for thought and I feel confident that this way of working will have a place in the future of our school. Learning Objectives To be able to understand the values and wider context of inclusion To be able to set up and run a ‘circle of friends’ to reduce likelihood of a pupil being excluded or segregated To understand and be able to maximise the power of the peer group in supporting relationships, achievement and behaviour Who Is It For ? Primary and secondary teachers Heads and Deputies SENCOs Learning Support and Guidance staff Advanced Skills Teachers Parents Local Authority Support Services Community Development workers Early Years and School based Practitioners Course Content The course answers the questions: What do you do with the child who is isolated by their aggression and anger, through being different, disabled or new to the school or community? Practically how do we go about including high profile children or young people? How can we help some children be friends? We will cover: The importance of Welcome Inclusion values underpinning this work The Intentional Building of Relationships – ‘Circle of Friends’ work as an example Not doing it alone – The Importance of Teams in developing inclusive practice Practical setting up of circles of friends Lessons learned Stories of circles in primary and secondary mainstream schools ^ Circles of Friends Training in Kiev, Ukraine
Give your team the opportunity to pause and reflect on what matters most to them about the work they do. The act of listening to each other creates relationship and strengthens trust and inclusion within the team – in creating a shared vision, groups of people build a sense of commitment together. Using the PATH or MAP processes of group facilitation and the creating of a large wall sized graphic we will provide a School Improvement Plan to be proud of! Course Category Visioning and Problem Solving Person Centred Planning Strategic Work Team Building and Leadership Description There is an old Japanese proverb, “Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare” “There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about” MARGARET WHEATLEY – ‘TURNING TO ONE ANOTHER’ (2002) Give your team the opportunity to pause and reflect on what matters most to them about the work they do. The act of listening to each other creates relationship and strengthens trust and inclusion within the team – in creating a shared vision, groups of people build a sense of commitment together. They develop images of ‘the future we want to create together’, along with the values that will be important in getting there and the goals they want to see achieved along the way. Unfortunately, many people still think ’vision’ is the top leader’s job. In schools, the ‘vision task’ usually falls to the Headteacher and/or the governors or it comes in a glossy document from the local authority or the DfES. But visions based on authority are not sustainable. Drawing on the planning tools MAPS and PATH (Pearpoint, Forest and O’Brien 1997) and other facilitation sources we use both process and graphic facilitation to enable the group to build their picture of what they would love to see happening within their organisation/community in the future and we encourage this to be a positive naming, not just a list of the things they want to avoid. ??Let us join you to explore your vision and the ‘roadblocks’ to your vision. Testimonials “Thank you so much for the work you did with us yesterday – I have since been in 2 schools today and have spoken to an number of other colleagues who were present – all were totally overwhelmed by the session – they loved it.” “I was totally blown away, so nice to reflect and realise what a long way we have come” “That was so powerful and motivational” “Our Primary is now an OFSTED rated ‘Outstanding School’ – we were in Special Measures – the Visioning and Planning using the PATH process for 3 years has seriously contributed to this”. Learning Objectives To create a far reaching and shared vision of the future for the school team/group you are working with and ensure that each person present contributes to this To create a visual representation (a graphic) of the vision and use this to plan future actions and to inform school improvement and development plans To facilitate the group in thinking through what some of the barriers to achieving their vision are and to begin work on how these can be removed To build a sense of commitment, common purpose and trust within the team/group Who Is It For ? Headteachers School managers EIP Managers Whole staff – including everyone Course Content The facilitation of a shared vision can be delivered as a full or a half day but, unlike our other training days this day depends on your and your team’s needs and the time you have available The course will cover: Creating the vision The Story So Far Headline Themes Naming the Nightmare A Year from Now Naming Roadblocks and Barriers Building strength Who will we need to take with us on the journey towards the vision Who are we? – Gifts, Strengths and Talents Charting Specific Actions
This is a practical ‘non-medical’ day for front line practitioners working with children and young people who have experienced serious trauma in their life. We work to strengthen understanding of children who have faced issues of trauma emerging from abuse, violence, loss and family breakdown. Online Course now available via Teachable Platform – Impact of Trauma Learn at your own pace… lots of text and video support Course Category Meeting emotional needs Behaviour and Relationships Inclusion Teaching and Learning Description This is a practical ‘non-medical’ day for front line practitioners working with children and young people with serious issues arising from trauma. Drawing from the international research and literature and our own experience over many years as educational psychologists of the challenges of children with major social and emotional needs, we will explore together what the best practice can and could look like. We explore the language and key concepts of trauma and outline very practical classroom strategies. We look at what Psychology may help us in our understanding of children who have faced trauma. We explore the themes of: Hyperarousal Intrusive thoughts Constricted lives We look at triggers, self-regulation and unpack a range of strategies. We explore what young people with these difficulties really need from us. We also spend time looking at the emotional impact on practitioners working with children with such needs and what helps at a personal and team level. We can all do something – we do not have to wait for expert therapists to arrive! Testimonials I had no idea… It had a huge impact Belonging and feelings are so important Excellent! Learning Objectives Increased confidence regarding developing inclusive practice for traumatised children in mainstream schools Simple understandable explanation trauma understood Access to a wider range of practical strategies to impact on social and behavioural needs Deeper understanding of core values surrounding inclusion of emotionally disabled children Opportunity to reflect on professional attitudes and behaviour towards parents and pupils with complex emotional needs New skills, scripts and processes to make inclusion successful Who Is It For? Practitioners working in schools and other settings with children and young people of all ages Key workers Teaching Assistants with support roles Heads and deputies SENCOs Advanced skills teachers Primary and secondary classroom teachers Parents Local authority support services Course Content The course explores the questions:What does it take for a child to:Feel safe and secureMourn the past traumaReconnect with ordinary relationships with children and adults?How can we start to develop an understanding of traumatised children?What is the true impact of trauma?What else can we do to go about including high profile children or young people with challenging emotional needs?What useful psychological constructs can we use to guide us?This course also explores practical strategies, concepts and language for key adults rebuilding relationships with individual pupils.This is a participative day that aims to be explorative and practical. Opportunities to develop empathy with the children of concern will be created.If you liked this course you may well like:FRESH APPROACHES TO BEHAVIOUR AND RELATIONSHIPS
Introducing the Eclectic/Integrative Therapy Package: Personalized Healing for a Holistic Transformation Are you looking for a therapy approach that is tailored to your unique needs and draws upon various therapeutic techniques? Miss Date Doctor’s Eclectic/Integrative Therapy Package offers you a comprehensive and personalized healing journey that combines the best elements from different therapeutic modalities. Eclectic/Integrative Therapy is a flexible and adaptive approach that recognizes that each individual is unique and may respond differently to various therapeutic interventions. Our experienced therapists will work collaboratively with you to create a treatment plan that addresses your specific challenges and goals. Here’s how the Eclectic/Integrative Therapy Package can support you: Personalized Treatment Plan: Our therapists will conduct a thorough assessment to understand your needs, history, and preferences. Based on this assessment, a personalized treatment plan will be crafted, drawing from a diverse range of therapeutic techniques. Tailored Approach: Eclectic/Integrative Therapy allows for flexibility, ensuring that the therapy approach is continually adjusted to meet your evolving needs. Your therapy sessions will be dynamic and adaptable, providing you with the most effective support throughout your healing journey. Holistic Healing: This approach considers your physical, emotional, and mental well-being as interconnected aspects of your overall health. As a result, the therapy will address multiple dimensions of your life to promote holistic healing and growth. Combined Techniques: Our therapists may integrate techniques from various modalities, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Therapy, and more. This combination allows for a comprehensive and well-rounded therapeutic experience. Targeted Intervention: Eclectic/Integrative Therapy allows us to target specific issues and challenges effectively. Whether it’s addressing anxiety, relationship difficulties, or self-esteem issues, the therapy is adapted to suit your unique needs. Emphasis on Client Empowerment: The Eclectic/Integrative Therapy Package empowers you to take an active role in your healing process. You’ll be encouraged to collaborate with your therapist, setting goals and actively participating in decision-making. Flexible Duration: Unlike strict adherence to one therapeutic model, the duration of the Eclectic/Integrative Therapy Package is tailored to your progress and needs. Your therapist will regularly reassess your growth and make adjustments to the treatment plan accordingly. At Miss Date Doctor, we believe that healing is a deeply personal journey. The Eclectic/Integrative Therapy Package honours your individuality, empowering you to take charge of your healing process. Our therapists are committed to providing you with the support and guidance needed for a transformative and meaningful therapeutic experience. Experience the power of personalized healing with the Eclectic/Integrative Therapy Package. Embrace the diversity of therapeutic techniques and unlock your potential for growth, self-awareness, and lasting positive change. Take the first step towards a holistic transformation today. 3 X 1 hour sessions https://relationshipsmdd.com/product/eclectic-integrative-therapy-package/
Introducing the Art Therapy and Expressive Therapies Package: Unleash Your Creativity, Heal, and Flourish Are you seeking a unique and powerful way to express your emotions, process experiences, and find healing? Miss Date Doctor’s Art Therapy and Expressive Therapies Package offers you a creative and transformative journey to explore your inner world, tap into your creativity, and promote emotional well-being. Art therapy and expressive therapies provide a non-verbal and imaginative outlet for processing emotions and experiences. Through various creative mediums, you’ll discover new insights, release emotional tension, and cultivate a deeper connection with yourself. Here’s how the Art Therapy and Expressive Therapies Package can benefit you: Creative Expression: Engage in various expressive art forms, such as drawing, painting, sculpting, and collage-making. These creative expressions allow you to communicate thoughts and feelings that might be challenging to put into words. Emotional Release: Through art, you can release emotions that may have been suppressed or difficult to express verbally. The creative process can be cathartic, enabling you to process complex feelings and experiences. Self-Exploration: Art therapy encourages self-reflection and introspection. As you create art, you’ll gain insights into your thoughts, emotions, and subconscious mind, fostering greater self-awareness. Empowerment and Agency: Art therapy emphasizes the process rather than the end result, empowering you to embrace imperfection and experiment without judgment. This approach can extend to other aspects of life, promoting a sense of agency and resilience. Stress Reduction: Engaging in creative activities can reduce stress and promote relaxation. The meditative aspects of art therapy can provide a welcome escape from daily pressures and anxieties. Healing Trauma: For individuals who have experienced trauma, art therapy can be a gentle and effective way to explore and heal from emotional wounds. The creative process can foster a sense of safety and control in processing traumatic memories. Enhancing Communication: For those who find it challenging to express themselves verbally, art therapy offers an alternative means of communication. It can improve verbal expression and interpersonal skills. Building Confidence: Creating art allows you to tap into your inherent creativity, fostering a sense of accomplishment and boosting self-confidence. As you witness the fruits of your artistic expression, you’ll gain greater confidence in your abilities. Participating in art therapy and expressive therapies at Miss Date Doctor is a journey of self-discovery and growth. Our skilled therapists will guide you in exploring various artistic mediums and techniques, tailoring the experience to suit your unique needs and preferences. Experience the transformative power of creativity, heal from emotional wounds, and flourish in the Art Therapy and Expressive Therapies Package. Embrace art as a powerful tool for self-expression and personal growth. Unleash your creativity and find healing in the beautiful world of art therapy. 3 X 1 hour sessions https://relationshipsmdd.com/product/art-therapy-and-expressive-therapies-package/
This is a practical ‘non medical’ day for front line practitioners working with children and young people with serious attachment issues arising from loss, trauma and abuse. We look at what Psychology may help us in our understanding of children who have faced issues with love and attachment. Splitting, handling projected feelings, constancy and permanence are explored. Online Course now available via Teachable Platform – Understanding Attachment Learn at your own pace… lots of text and video support Course Category Meeting emotional needs Behaviour and Relationships Inclusion Teaching and Learning Description This is a practical ‘non medical’ day for front line practitioners working with children and young people with serious attachment issues arising from loss, trauma and abuse. Drawing from the international research and literature and our own experience over many years as educational psychologists of the challenges of children with major social and emotional needs, we will explore together what the best practice can and could look like. We explore the language of attachment and outline very practical classroom strategies. We look at what Psychology may help us in our understanding of children who have faced issues with love and attachment. We explore the feelings of being on a desolate island of relational poverty or to imagine swimming with sharks. We explore the themes of violence, anxiety and experience of being a victim as young people grow older. We look at telling lies and explore how we can respectfully understand this. We reveal the new and innovative compass of vulnerability – the cognitive errors to which some are much more vulnerable. We look at triggers, self regulation and unpack a range of strategies. Transference and counter transference are examined along with splitting, handling projected feelings, constancy and permanence. We explore what young people with these difficulties really need from us. We also spend time looking at the emotional impact on practitioners working with children with such needs and what helps at an personal and team level. We can all do something – we do not have to wait for expert therapists to arrive! Testimonials Very moving presentation I will always try and think behind the behaviour now It had a huge impact on all levels We all seem to need it Belonging and feelings are so important Very user friendly Excellent! Learning Objectives Increased confidence regarding developing inclusive practice for children with serious attachment needs in mainstream schools Simple understandable explanation of attachment understood Access to a wider range of practical strategies to impact on social and behavioural needs Deeper understanding of core values surrounding inclusion of emotionally disabled children Opportunity to reflect on professional attitudes and behaviour towards parents and pupils with complex emotional needs New skills, scripts and processes to make inclusion successful Who Is It For ? Practitioners working in schools and other settings with children and young people of all ages Key workers Teaching Assistants with support roles Heads and deputies SENCOs Advanced skills teachers Primary and secondary classroom teachers Parents Local authority support services Course Content The course explores the questions : How can we start to develop an understanding of children with attachment needs? What is the true impact of loss, trauma and abuse? What else can we do to go about including high profile children or young people with challenging emotional needs? What useful psychological constructs can we use to guide us? This course also explores practical strategies and language for key adults rebuilding relationships with individual pupils. This is a participative day that aims to be explorative and practical. Opportunities to develop empathy with the children of concern will be created.
Often your recruitment and induction processes determine whether you retain your staff and volunteers. A poor induction often leads to a lack of productivity and motivation. This half day course is designed to help participants ensure that new staff receive a comprehensive and welcoming induction so that they can settle into their job or role quickly and with confidence. The course can be run as a one-off session or can be incorporated into a series of sessions on managing staff.
This one-day workshop focuses on building a professional presentation from scratch, giving you essential hints and tips on how to utilise the key features of PowerPoint, including speaker notes, inserting charts, diagrams and pictures, and utilising slide transitions and animation. You will also learn about PowerPoint templates and themes to ensure your presentations have the best impact. This course will help participants: Using Slide Master Create a presentation using a template Insert slides and change the layout Manage slides and control formats Enhance slides using animation, pictures, charts and graphics Work with tables, rows, cells and columns Create and control paragraph lists Insert titles and labels Effectively use slide show controls and presenter view Print slides, handouts and notes 1 Introduction to PowerPoint Navigating the features Creating a simple presentation Inserting new slides and changing layouts Creating speaker notes 2 Using Layouts in Slide Master Editing templates in slide master Adding a design theme Adding transitions, pictures and logos Using Slide Show View 3 Drawing shapes and SmartArt Using Drawing Tool Formats Creating shapes Aligning shapes and stacking order Creating a cycle graphic Creating an organisation chart 4 Animation Visually enhancing slides with animation Using text and object animation Adding animation to lists Making animation work for you 5 Presenting Confidently running a presentation Using presenter view Using the slide show controls
Person Centred Planning: the act of listening to each other creates relationship and strengthening trust and inclusion within the team. If well facilitated In creating a shared vision, groups of people build a sense of commitment together. They develop images of the future they want to create together, along with the values that will be important in getting there and the goals they want to see achieved along the way. Course Category Person Centred Planning Team Building and Leadership Description How to facilitate Person Centred Planning? How is it different from any other kind of meeting or planning? Person Centred working is great – but how exactly is it facilitated? How does it differ from ‘chairing a meeting” What skills and processes enable the group to work together effectively and avoid going off at tangents or dissolving into an unfocussed ‘discussion’ Person Centred Planning: the act of listening to each other creates relationship and strengthening trust and inclusion within the team. If well facilitated In creating a shared vision, groups of people build a sense of commitment together. They develop images of the future they want to create together, along with the values that will be important in getting there and the goals they want to see achieved along the way. Making inclusive action plans using full participation and graphic facilitation Drawing on the planning tools MAPS and PATH (Pearpoint, Forest and OBrien 1997) and other facilitation sources we use both process and graphic facilitation to enable the group to build their picture of what they would love to see happening within their organisation/community in the future and we encourage this to be a positive naming, not just a list of the things they want to avoid. In this training we make this facilitation explicit and attempt to model, teach and enable practice of key skills and processes. Jack Pearpoint, Marsha Forest and John O’Brien developed these innovative PCP approaches in North America and they are being used successfully in many parts of the UK. The planning can focus on an individual, group or organisation and provides a powerful problem solving opportunity, which is flexible and robust enough for many occasions. Tell the story, find the dream, touch the nightmare, and explore who you are, what are the gifts and strengths of the person or group, what are the needs of those present and what is the action plan for the future? Testimonials Learning Objectives Participants understand group and graphic facilitation processes for Person Centred Planning Participants have skills and confidence to facilitate PATH/MAP processes Participants learn graphic as well as process facilitation skills. Strengthens practitioners inclusive practice Provides additional tools for those involved in inclusive work in schools and the wider community Further develop problem solving and planning skills Who Is It For ? Person Centred Planning Facilitators Multi Agency Teams Social workers CAMHS teams Year Managers Primary and secondary staff teams Early Years and School based Practitioners Heads and Deputies SENCOs Advanced Skills Teachers Primary and secondary teachers Local Authority Support Services Voluntary Organisations Course Content The course answers the questions: Need to find new ways to facilitate Planning? How to facilitate Person Centred Planning? How is it different to any other kind of meeting or planning? Person Centred working is great – but how exactly is it facilitated? What are the skills and processes that will make the group work really well and a wonderful graphic to be created? Bored with annual reviews, transition plans and review meetings? Want to find a way of making meetings and planning feel more real and engaging? Need an approach, which engages a young person respectfully together with his or her family and friends? Want the ultimate visual record of the process of a meeting, which will help everyone, keep track? Want to problem solve and plan for the future of a small or large group, service or organisation up to the size of an LA? Inclusive Solutions offer an introductory day to facilitating person centred planning or a 3 – 10 session course which is practical as well as values based. Participants will receive direct individualised coaching and training. We will cover: Group and Graphic Facilitation processes Use of music and dramatic participation methodology The person being at the centre Family members and friends being full partners Planning reflecting the person’s capacities, what is important to the person and specifying the support they require to make a full contribution to their community Planning building a shared commitment to action that will uphold the person’s rights Planning leading to continual listening, learning and action and helping the person get what they want out of life. Essential Lifestyle Planning, PATH MAPS Personal Futures Planning