Course Category Team Building and Leadership Visioning and Problem Solving Strategic Work Online Course now available via Teachable Platform – Chairing Meetings Learn at your own pace… lots of text and video support Description Meetings can be dreadful and bad chairing makes them worse. On this day we look at transformational person centred approaches to approaching the chairing of meetings. We provide deeper insights into the psychological processes that make this role challenging. ‘Best Saves’ for those really difficult moments when chairing meetings are creatively explored. We provide a practical, skill based and creative approach best delivered over 2 days. Testimonials “One of the most valuable things I have come across in the whole year” Learning Objectives To identify characteristics of meetings that matter- what excellent chairing looks like To strengthen person centred dimensions to chairing meetings To clarify the meetings we never want to be part of To create a visual graphic and words that uniquely illuminate what great meetings and chairing looks like To explore the various hats that group members and chairs can wear For participants to improve their chairing skills by receiving feedback To explore how to bring creativity into stuck meetings To Explore psychodynamic processes of resistance, projection, splitting and transference- as well as how to process these dynamics Who Is It For? Anyone who has to chair meetings Course Content Setting a Good tone/Exploring the ‘whole elephant’ – story so far of experience in chairing meetings – good and bad meetings – graphiced timeline and highs and lows of story so far Meetings I do not want – negative chairing…. Thinking Hats and Values – linked to role of chair – where are hats when things are going well and where are they when things are not? Our shared vision for great meetings and excellent chairing? Personal planning for future chairing – what do I need to get better at – what should I manage? Specific skill teaching – re when things go wrong – eg tears, personal attacks, talking in side conversations, silent members, lack of contribution, anger and so on…‘best saves’ explored with group – using live role play – with one chair Solution Circle demonstration – chairing skills/problem solving modelled – approach when teams stuck… Emotional elements of chairing – ‘its not personal’ – splitting, projection, transference explored and ‘handling projections’ activity Vision and Road Blocks – small groups chaired and minuted – creative problem solving – Blocks to vision of great meetings creatively removed or worked around
This is our lead workshop/training day on behaviour and relationship work in Primary and Secondary schools and Academies, as well as Early Years, FE and adult settings and is both a values primer and a practical guide to successful innovative strategies for improving behaviour and strengthening relationships for challenging children and people of all ages. Course Category Behaviour and Relationships Meeting emotional needs Early Years Inclusion Description This is our lead workshop/training day on behaviour and relationship work in schools and other settings and is both a values primer and a practical guide to successful innovative strategies for improving behaviour and strengthening relationships for challenging children and young people of all ages. Not just another day on ‘Behaviour Management’ – our ‘Fresh Approaches to Behaviour and Relationships’ day goes well beyond a rewards and sanctions approach to ‘behaviour’. We will be focused on those young people for whom rewards and punishments do not always work and who confuse the adults who work with them. We aim to take a relationships based approach and to give those attending an opportunity to think more deeply about why young people do the things they do and what our part as adults is in creating, sustaining and changing these behaviours. The day gives those present opportunities to reflect on their attitudes and practice in relation to children’s behaviour and relationship building. If your usual approaches to managing behaviour aren’t working with particular individuals then take a tour through this range of cutting edge strategies for bringing about positive behaviour change, and for meeting challenging emotional needs. Testimonials ‘Thank you so much for the excellent training day you delivered last week. I found the whole experience quite uplifting and inspirational.’ ‘Thought provoking and empowering. Probably the best training day we’ve had in school’ ‘There was already evidence on the first day of school for pupils that staff were adopting a different approach. Thank you so much for helping us to make a difference.’ ‘Today has to have been one of the very best INSET days I have personally been to – full of practical tips and techniques to use in the classroom; and also proof that this approach does work in practice. It really was inspirational and an excellent start to the term.’ ‘Very motivating and exciting course.’ ‘Another fantastic Colin and Derek training session’ ‘Enjoyed this course very much. Derek and Colin worked very hard and I understood it. Thank you.’ Learning Objectives Reinforce and affirm good practice Re-energise, stimulate and challenge thinking about inclusion of challenging young people and children Increased understanding about behaviour and emotions Increased confidence in managing challenging pupils in childcare settings mainstream schools Access to a wider range of practical strategies to impact on behaviour problems Opportunity to reflect on professional attitudes and behaviour towards families and children and young people Learn new skills and processes to make inclusion successful Who Is It For ? Primary and secondary staff teams All Childcare Providers – Out of School club staff/Childminders/Youth Workers Early years and school based practitioners Heads and deputies SENCOs Advanced skills teachers Primary and secondary teachers Year Managers Parents Local authority support services Course Content The course answers the questions: Are there any new ways to include our most challenging young people? Should we focus on behaviour or relationships? How do we go about including high profile children or young people? Can we find an alternative to exclusion? What would a relationship policy look like? The following are some of the key themes and tools we are likely to explore during the day Getting the welcome right for the most challenging Encouraging – getting the best from the most challenging- Circle of Courage – belonging-achievement-generosity – independence Active listening – Listening to the person underneath the behaviour Compass of Shame – which directions do children and young people head when they feel shame? And what helps children work through these feelings in more healthy ways? Involving other children and young people in solutions and interventions – Circles of friends: peer support, counselling and mediation Team Problem Solving – Solution Circles: a 30 minute group problem solving process to get Teams ‘unstuck’ and to generate positive first action steps Circle of Adults: a process that ‘listens deeper’ to generate reflective problem solving creating lasting behaviour change and effective behaviour intervention plans. A particularly valuable process for those looking to enhance their leadership and facilitation skills Restorative justice and restitution: principles and practice of this approach to repairing harm and restoring relationships without reliance on punishment Understanding the effects of Separation, Loss, Trauma and Neglect on children’s learning and relationships in school and what adults can do to reach and support these children
Need a PATH? A person-centred plan? This is a planning process not a training day. Let us facilitate your planning and refocus your story whilst strengthening you and your group, team, family, staff or organisation. This tool uses both process and graphic facilitation to help any group develop a shared vision and then to make a start on working out what they will need to do together to move towards that vision. Is your team or family stuck? Want to move on, but haunted by the past and cannot get any useful dialogue started about the future? Facing a challenging transition into a new school or setting? Leaving school? 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 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. Using the planning tool 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. Outcomes To create a shared vision To name shared goals To enrol others To strengthen the group To explore connections and needs To specify an Action Plan To create a visual graphic record of the whole event Process Content PATH is a creative planning tool that utilises graphic facilitation to collect information and develop positive future plans. PATH goes directly to the future and implements backwards planning to create a step by step path to a desirable future. (Inclusion Press, 2000). These tools were developed by Jack Pearpoint, Marsha Forest and John O’Brien to help marginalised people be included in society and to enable people to develop a shared vision for the future. PATH can be used with individuals and their circle of support, families teams and organisations. Both MAP and PATH are facilitated by two trained facilitators – one process facilitator who guides people through the stages and ensures that the person is at the centre and one graphic facilitator who develops a graphic record of the conversations taking place in the room. Follow the link below to read a detailed thesis by Dr Margo Bristow on the use of PATH by educational Psychologists in the UK. AN EXPLORATION OF THE USE OF PATH (A PERSON-CENTRED PLANNING TOOL) BY EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGISTS WITH VULNERABLE AND CHALLENGING PUPILS The findings indicate that PATH impacted positively and pupils attributed increased confidence and motivation to achieve their goals to their PATH. Parents and young people felt they had contributed to the process as equal partners, feeling their voices were heard. Improved pupil- parent relationships and parent-school relationships were reported and the importance of having skilled facilitators was highlighted. Although participants were generally positive about the process, many felt daunted beforehand, possibly due to a lack of preparation. Pre-PATHplanning and post-PATH review were highlighted as areas requiring further consideration by PATH organisers. Recommendations to shape and improve the delivery of PATH are outlined together with future research directions.
Circles of adults is a process that ‘listens deeper’ to generate reflective problem solving that can create lasting behaviour change and effective behaviour intervention plans. This is a particularly valuable process for those looking to enhance their leadership and facilitation skills or to build such processes into their school or team approach to complex pupils. ‘The question is not should they be here anymore. Now it’s how can we figure out how best to include them?’ In this practical workshop session we will explore ways of problem solving around complex situations. The session will be practical and will aim to allow the sharing of experiences and good practice as well promoting innovative approaches to problem solving around systemic, organisational as well as individual inclusion issues. Behaviour problems, relationship challenges and personnel dilemmas can all be worked on with these team oriented problem solving processes. We will introduce participants to a powerful and effective approach. The ‘Circles of Adults’ approach addresses the need for a problem solving process that is able to take an in-depth look at meeting the emotional needs that commonly underlie challenging behaviour in schools. The approach is co-facilitated and is designed to enable the participation of teacher teams to reach a deeper understanding of a young person and to evolve a set of hypotheses and emerging strategies that better accommodate to unmet emotional and learning needs. The approach takes at least 90 minutes and is intended for use with the most challenging young people, those at high risk of being permanently excluded from the regular school system. Learning Objectives Increased confidence regarding problem solving around inclusion in mainstream settings Access to a wider range of practical strategies and techniques to impact on communication, realtionship, learning and behaviour issues Learn new problem solving processes Course Content The course answers the questions : How to set up and run a Circle of Adults process How can we work out how to include this child best? How can we understand what lies beneath their behaviour? Is there a more structured way to run this meeting? Can we explore the emotional impact the person is having on us and still agree strategies? How can I get unstuck from this problem?
This workshop gives an opportunity to focus on the emotional needs of girls and how to meet these. We lift the lid on a less well explored inclusion issue, meeting the emotional needs of girls. Everyone knows a girl or woman. They may be pupil, daughter, sister, parent or partner. Course Category Meeting emotional needs Behaviour and Relationships Inclusion Early Years Description This workshop gives an opportunity to focus on the emotional needs of girls and how to meet these. We lift the lid on a less well explored inclusion issue, meeting the emotional needs of girls. Everyone knows a girl or woman. They may be pupil, daughter, sister, parent or partner. Girls will often withdraw, attack or even hurt themselves when under emotional stress and this is not always obvious in the way it is with boys. 1 in 4 women experience domestic violence and every week 2 women are killed by a current or ex partner. Whilst the world assumes girls have no problems processing their emotions, we lift the lid on this and question what is really happening for girls this century? Testimonials Learning Objectives Increased understanding of girls’ emotional needs Access to a wider range of practical strategies to impact on meeting emotional and behaviour problems Deeper understanding of core values surrounding inclusion Opportunity to reflect on professional attitudes and behaviour towards girls and their emotional challenges New skills and processes to make girls’ inclusion and achievement more successful Who Is It For ? Early years and school based practitioners 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 : Is there an invisible problem with girls? What can we do to meet the emotional needs of girls? What helps? What should our priority be with girls? This workshop will explore: Cultural and historical expectations of girls in our society Shared experiences of teaching and parenting girls Circle of Courage as a way of understanding emotional needs Fathers, mothers and daughters Solution Circle Problem Solving around girls’ needs What girls really need If you you want something similar, but not gender specific try: FRESH APPROACHES TO BEHAVIOUR AND RELATIONSHIPS or you may like: RESTORATIVE INTERVENTIONS
In this course we deepen participants understanding of systemic racism and the spectrum of privilege. It challenges the participants to examine their behaviours and take close looks at some of the views they have held since a very young age, e.g. this area is a “bad” area, because it has a high proportion of black/brown people living in it, or that young black men in tracksuits are “thugs”. We think about where these messages come from and how people are indoctrinated by the media. Course Category Inclusion Team Building Leadership Emotional needs Description In this course we deepen participants understanding of systemic racism and the spectrum of privilege. It challenges the participants to examine their behaviours and take close looks at some of the views they have held since a very young age, e.g. this area is a “bad” area, because it has a high proportion of black/brown people living in it, or that young black men in tracksuits are “thugs”. We think about where these messages come from and how people are indoctrinated by the media. We explore the reasons why white people are so defensive when it comes to talking about race. We discuss having racial biases and the implications of them, such as unconsciously insulting people around us in the workplace. When we become aware of how our behaviours can affect people, we then look for solutions. The course is designed for groups of professionals to come together as a team to try and take responsibility for the racism that goes on in their workplace – empowering the leadership to have difficult conversations with team members and create a paradigm shift across the entire organisation. Please come with an open mind, and you might be surprised at what you find out. We are striving for a world where racism is an open conversation and not a topic that we shy away from. Testimonials “That was a really insightful session and thought provoking. I would love to attend more sessions on racism. Thank you for the engaging questions and delivery” “Lots of things to reflect on!” Learning Objectives Participants will: Confront their own racism and unconscious biases Become aware of the ways they treat people differently based on race Think about practical changes they can make in their workplaces Who Is It For? Leadership teams seeking guidance and reflection Educators who want to get it right People who have had not had much contact with people outside their own race People who believe they are “not racist” Course Content Background – brief history of systemic racism Racism as a binary – the problem with thinking only “bad” people can be racist Trust – how do we feel around people we don’t trust? Difference – how do we act when we feel different? What do Good Manners look like around people of different cultures? What does Good Allyship look like in the workplace? Why don’t we talk about race? What does your race mean to you? Examining our privilege – activity Interracial friendship video Visioning – what does the ideal workplace look like? Setting Actions – what achievable actions can we set to bring us closer to our dream future?
This workshop gives an opportunity to focus on the emotional needs of boys and how to meet these. We lift the lid on an emerging urgent inclusion issue,namely meeting the emotional needs of boys. Everyone knows a boy. They may be pupil, son, brother, parent or partner. Boys when they become adults are over represented in the prison, and mental health system. Course Category Meeting emotional needs Description This workshop gives an opportunity to focus on the emotional needs of boys and how to meet these. We lift the lid on an emerging urgent inclusion issue,namely meeting the emotional needs of boys. Everyone knows a boy. They may be pupil, son, brother, parent or partner. Boys when they become adults are over represented in the prison, and mental health system. In one recent year 1300 young men committed suicide in the UK. In the UK the commonest cause of death among those aged 16-35 is suicide. Three men for every one woman kill themselves every year (Guardian, June 2006). 1 in 4 women experience domestic violence and 2 women a week are killed by a current or ex partner. Boys and men are a major concern. We need to find ways to allow them to unclench their hearts and learn to experience, process, communicate and manage their own emotional lives for their own and for the good of the wider community. Testimonials ‘Thanks for a super day, lots of good ideas for our citizens of the future. We need to offer them the best and what we would offer our own children’?? ‘Enjoyed the day very much. Brilliant ideas and lots of food for thought. Will use the solution circle. A great tool!’ ‘went well and the ethos/participation was commendably facilititated. well done’. ‘Wonderful day!’ ‘Still getting lots of positive messages this end.’ Learning Objectives Increased understanding of boys’ emotional needs Access to a wider range of practical strategies to impact on meeting emotional and behaviour problems Deeper understanding of core values surrounding inclusion of boys Opportunity to reflect on professional attitudes and behaviour towards boys and their emotional challenges New skills and processes to make boys’ inclusion and achievement more successful Who Is It For ? Early years and school based practitioners 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 : Is there a problem with boys? What can we do to meet the emotional needs of boys? What helps? What should our priority be with boys? This workshop will explore: Cultural and historical expectations of boys in our society Shared experiences of teaching and parenting boys Circle of Courage as away of understanding emotional needs Fathers, mothers and sons Drinking and drugs: filling the emotional void Depression and suicide Anger and violence Solution Circle Problem Solving around boys needs What boys really need
In this practical workshop session we will explore ways of including young people of all ages who experience anxiety some of whom may well be on the autism spectrum. The session will be values based and practical and will aim to allow the sharing of experiences and good practice as well as promoting innovative approaches to inclusion through the design of best practice. Course Category Autism and Communication Inclusion Parents and Carers Behaviour and Relationships Meeting emotional needs Description In this practical workshop session we will explore ways of including anxious children in mainstream schools and settings. The session will be values based and practical and will aim to allow the sharing of experiences and good practice as well as promoting innovative approaches to inclusion through the design of best practice. Family perspectives and experiences will also be explored. This is not a ‘medical model’ day on anxiety. Testimonials ‘Really gave me an idea of how people feel and helped me think how to plan to meet their needs.’ ‘Really useful insights’ Learning Objectives Increased confidence and understanding regarding including anxious children Access to a wider range of practical strategies to impact on anxiety Deeper understanding of core values surrounding inclusion New skills and processes to strengthen the inclusion of anxious children Insights and understanding of sensory sensitivities Understanding increased in area of movement differences Who Is It For? Personal Assistants Teachers Heads and deputies Guidance staff Learning support teams SENCOs Primary and secondary teachers Parents Brothers and sisters Local authority support services Community workers and carers Course Content The course answers the questions : What is anxiety? How do we go about including anxious children? Can we understand more deeply what is going on underneath concerning behaviours? Key themes include: Movement differences Supports and Accommodations for Sensory Sensitivities Developing Friendships and Peer Support Learning to Listen
In this practical workshop session we will explore ways of problem solving around complex situations. The session will be practical and will aim to allow the sharing of experiences and good practice as well promoting innovative approaches to problem solving around systemic, organisational as well as individual inclusion issues. Course Category Behaviour and Relationships Visioning and Problem Solving Description ‘The question is not should they be here anymore. Now it’s how can we figure out how best to include them?’ In this practical workshop session we will explore ways of problem solving around complex situations. The session will be practical and will aim to allow the sharing of experiences and good practice as well promoting innovative approaches to problem solving around systemic, organisational as well as individual inclusion issues. Behaviour problems, relationship challenges and personnel dilemmas can all be worked on with these team oriented problem solving processes. We will introduce participants to a range of powerful effective approaches for them to choose from back in their own workplaces. Testimonials A great day – going away buzzing with ideas Excellent! Inspirational! Informative! Learning Objectives Increased confidence regarding problem solving around inclusion in mainstream settings Access to a wider range of practical strategies and techniques to impact on communication, realtionship, learning and behaviour issues Learn new problem solving processes Who Is It For ? Early Years and School based Practitioners Heads and Deputies Guidance staff Learning Support teams SENCOs Primary and secondary teachers Parents Local Authority Support Services Community workers and carers Course Content The course answers the questions : How can we work out how to include this child best? Is there a more structured way to run this meeting? Can we explore the emotional impact the person is having on us and still agree strategies? How can I get unstuck from this problem? The day will cover: Solution Circles Solution Focused approaches Synectics – using analogies and out of the box creativity Circles of Adults Using Imagination to solve problems If you liked this course you may well like: CIRCLES OF ADULTS
This radical way of building empathy is inspired by the work of the ‘Roots of Empathy’ organisation in Canada. Roots of Empathy (ROE) is dedicated to building caring and peaceful societies through the development of empathy in children. It is a parenting education programme for elementary school students (between the ages of 3 to 14 years) based on monthly visits to the classroom by a parent and infant from the school neighbourhood. Course Category Behaviour and Relationships Autism and Communication Meeting emotional needs Description This radical way of building empathy is inspired by the work of the ‘Roots of Empathy’ organisation in Canada. As Mary Gordon founder of this way of working describes: ‘By regular visits to the classroom of local mums and their children build an empathic relationship with the baby.MARY GORDON Roots of Empathy (ROE) is dedicated to building caring and peaceful societies through the development of empathy in children. It is a parenting education program for elementary school students (between the ages of 3 to 14 years) based on monthly visits to the classroom by a parent and infant from the school neighbourhood. We teach teachers and educators to help children to observe, over the school year, how their baby forms an attachment to his or her parent. Children are encouraged to record how the infants develop. The children learn to spot their babies cues and unique temperament, while celebrating developmental milestones. Children are prepared for responsible and responsive parenting as they increase their knowledge about human development, learning, and infant safety. The baby project program brings about the development of empathy and emotional literacy: As children learn to take the perspective of others they are less likely to hurt through bullying, exclusion, aggression, and violence. Children learn how to challenge cruelty and injustice in their own classroom. Messages of social inclusion and activities that are consensus-building contribute to a culture of caring that changes the tone of the classroom. Involving fathers and men provides rich models of male nurturance Testimonials ‘13% increase in empathy scores for our year 1s’ ‘Years 2s empathy had increased by 35%’ ‘Now that I am older I can be happy for other people’ (6 year old) ‘Everyone is special – thats the truth – but when I was small I thought its not fair when someone got a present and I didn’t’ (7 year old) Dramatic improvements in children taking responsibility for actions and being less defiant over the year of the project. Learning Objectives Understanding of method and approach to building empathy with babies Full understanding of background to this approach Practical advice received as to how to set up baby project in classrooms across school Who Is It For ? Teachers School leaders Project Coordinators Social Care Course Content We will provide theoretical and evidence back ground to impact of this work. We will describe existing UK school based work. We will inspire staff in attendance to want to actively engage in this work There may even be a baby to hold!!