Contact us on 01902 550609 or inclusionsupportadmin@wolverhampton.gov.uk
This workshop introduces the Getting it Right Good Practice Guidance Resource and supports you in:
Anger is not a bad emotion; however, it is challenging when anger is expressed in potentially harmful ways. Learn more about how to respond to anger and how to support children and young people to understand it and express it in more helpful ways.
Restorative Approaches provides an underpinning ethos and philosophy for making, maintaining and repairing relationships and for fostering a sense of social responsibility and shared accountability. City of Wolverhampton Council is committed to implementing Restorative Practice in order to more effectively support children and families.
This session is focused on understanding teenage development and reflecting on this alongside attachment theory and trauma-informed practice. You will learn about how attachment difficulties may affect a young person, the teenage brain, styles of attachment and the impact of trauma. The session uses ‘real life’ cases to explore these issues and we will discuss things that you can do to support the teenagers who you work with.
There has been an increasing awareness of the impact of children and young people’s emotional well-being on their engagement in school and being able to reach their full potential. The use of counselling skills is one effective way to support emotional well-being. Central to counselling is the relationship between skilled helper and client, therefore school staff are in a great position to provide this support as they already have established relationships with the children/ young people. It is important for staff to have an understanding of counselling skills so that they can provide safe and helpful support.
This session focuses on emotion coaching, which is an evidence-based approach that enables children and young people to manage their own behaviour through helping them to understand the different emotions they experience, why they occur, and how to handle them.
Selective Mutism is an anxiety disorder whereby individuals speak freely in some situations, such as home, but persistently fail to speak in others where speech is typically expected, such as in school. With early identification and sensitive intervention, many children and young people successfully overcome Selective Mutism however, without this, difficulties can persist through school and into adulthood. This session will increase your understanding of Selective Mutism and provide practical strategies to support children and young people who are affected, so they can thrive and become confident communicators in school.
Research findings show that regular mindfulness meditation significantly reduces anxiety. Mindfulness involves paying more attention to the present moment, to your own thoughts and feelings, and to the world around you. We will share strategies that you can support children and young people to use.
This session aims to develop an understanding of attachment theory and the different types of attachment, highlighting how this impacts the brain and can affect classroom behavior. This session also provides practical strategies to support vulnerable children and young people with attachment difficulties to provide the secure base that they need.
Research suggests that LGBTQI+ young people are more at risk of being bullied, and experience a greater risk of school dropout, social isolation, mental health difficulties and suicide. 80% of transgender adults were aware they were transgender before they left primary school, suggesting a need for staff in both primary and secondary school settings to have awareness of gender identity and potential issues faced by individuals who identify as transgender. This session will provide an introduction into how schools can support the needs of LGBTQI+ children and young people.
Multi-element Support Plans are a tool that focuses on a number of factors and elements that can contribute to improved wellbeing and/or behaviour. They form part of the graduated response to identifying needs and implementing support for children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) need outlined in the Getting it Right Guidance. This session will support you to develop and write effective multi-element support plans using examples, case studies and allowing you to reflect on children and young people who you support.
Some children and young people find it extremely difficult to attend school due to emotional and mental health needs. This can lead to significant periods of time out of education and can impact very negatively on a wide range of outcomes for children and young people. This session will introduce the broad area of emotionally based school avoidance and help you to think about how you can support children and young people who you work with.
This session aims to develop an understanding of attachment theory and the different types of attachment, highlighting how this impacts the brain and child development. The session focuses on children from 0-5 years old and how to identify their needs, work with their families and provide support and the secure base that they need.
Circle of Friends is an approach to support a student who is in danger of feeling isolated or left out. The Circle of Friends approach works by developing a support network around the individual by asking the young person’s peers to provide support and engage in problem solving with the person in difficulty.
Course Overview:
This course is led by Dr Randeep Kaur (Educational Psychologist) and Robyn Bullingham (Trainee Educational Psychologist) and lasts approximately 50 minutes and there are a number of opportunities to pause the training to reflect on and discuss the content (if completing within a larger group). We recommend completing this training before the ‘Trauma-informed Practice’ training.
Course Overview:
“I am...” Digital transition stories are a powerful, effective and empowering strategy that can be used to support children and young people, families, parents/carers, and settings with transitions. Examples of transitions may include changes of setting or school, moving to another class or key stage or changes of adults who support the child or young person. The stories take a strengths-based child focused approach and create a rich and contextual insight into the child. The concept of ‘I am...” videos, was created by the University of Southampton in collaboration with ACoRNS and The Aviary Nursery.
The course is led by two of our Assistant Psychologists, Felicity Upton and Caroline Harley, and lasts approximately 35 minutes. There are opportunities to pause the training and reflect upon examples within your own setting. The session aims to support the ability to create “I am...” Digital transition stories.
Course Overview:
This course is led by Dr Randeep Kaur and Dr Chris Wood (Educational Psychologists) and lasts approximately 45minutes and there are a number of opportunities to pause the training to reflect on and discuss the content (if completing within a larger group). We recommend completing this training after the ‘Attachment in the Classroom’ training, but before the PACE training.
The PACE model is grounded in trauma-informed practice and is a method that guides adults in how to help children feel safe, secure and trust in them. It focuses on the strengths and positive attributes of the child. PACE stands for playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy. This is a free introductory training video developed by the Educational Psychology Service. If you would like this session to be delivered live to your staff or would like a follow-up Q&A session once this has been watched, please contact your link Educational Psychologist.
Psychological First Aid is a humane, simple and powerful way of helping someone in distress during and after a crisis event, such as the coronavirus pandemic. Psychological First aid involves paying attention to the person’s reactions, active listening and if relevant, practical assistance to help address immediate problems and basic needs. It gives a framework for supporting people in ways that respect their dignity, culture and abilities. This training video has been developed by the Educational Psychology Service and directly links the use of Psychological First Aid to support people who may have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, including a case-study for practical application of knowledge.
People with autism are more likely to experience mental health problems than the general population. However, the mental health of people with autism is often overlooked or ignored. That’s why it’s really important that the services people with autism use, are able to properly identify their social, emotional and mental health needs so people can get the right support at the right time. This session will increase your understanding of autism and emotional wellbeing/ mental health issues and increase your confidence in identifying and supporting the social, emotional and mental health needs of children and young people with autism.
Course Overview:
This course is led by Julie Metcalf, a Specialist Senior Educational Psychologist with a specialism in Autism. This session is a narrated PowerPoint presentation that you can work through at your own pace. It is likely to take you around 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Autism and Emotional Wellbeing Powerpoint
Following the meetings held by the Inclusion Service with most schools in Wolverhampton in Summer 2020 to discuss supporting vulnerable learners during the return to school, we put together an offer of 1-hour workshops addressing some of the key issues raised. Sessions were led by members of the Outreach Service, Educational Psychology Service and Inclusion Team. Recordings of these sessions are available here.
Workshop Focus |
Description |
Delivered by |
Duration |
MS Teams Link |
ADHD |
Adaptations you can make to support a child with ADHD on their return to school. |
Amanda Moran (Outreach) |
1 hour |
|
Anger |
Responding to Anger using De-escalation Strategies |
Emily Cobb (EP Service) |
1 hour |
|
Anxiety |
Managing anxiety in the classroom |
Eve Griffiths (Outreach) |
1 hour |
|
Autism (Primary focus) |
How can we successfully reintegrate a child with Autism into a primary classroom following the C-19 lock down? |
Angela Gallagher (Outreach) |
1 hour |
|
Bereavement |
Supporting children who have experienced a bereavement on their return to school. |
Eve Griffiths (Outreach) |
1 hour |
|
Cognition and Learning |
Adaptations you can make to support a child with MLD or SLD on their return to school. |
Isabel Blower (Outreach) |
1 hour |
|
Planning a successful Transition |
Returning a child with SEND to school post C-19 lock down. A suggested transition document will be shared. |
Eve Griffiths (Outreach) |
1 hour |
|
Restorative Conversations |
Using Restorative Conversations within Inclusion Meetings |
Elaine Perry (EP) and Daljit Dhamia (Inclusion Team) |
1 hour |
|
SEMH (Primary focus) |
Supporting primary aged children with SEMH needs on their return to school. |
Amanda Taylor and Sarah Jacks (Outreach) |
1 hour |
|
SEMH (Secondary focus) |
Supporting secondary aged children with SEMH needs on their return to school. |
Outreach |
1 hour |
|
Sensory and Physical needs |
Meeting sensory and physical needs during school transition. |
Kate Rogers (Outreach) |
1 hour |
People with autism are more likely to experience mental health problems than the general population. However, the mental health of people with autism is often overlooked or ignored. That’s why it’s really important that the services people with autism use, are able to properly identify their social, emotional and mental health needs so people can get the right support at the right time. This session will increase your understanding of autism and mental health issues and increase your confidence in identifying and supporting the social, emotional and mental health needs of children and young people with autism.
The aim of the training is to introduce participants to a Creative Way of supporting children and young people to express themselves, in a safe and confidential environment. This is demonstrated in a number of ways through Expression, Art and Visualisation and Therapeutic stories; and will help them to develop their therapeutic skills and understanding of the benefits of using these techniques with children and young people in order to:
This session aims to develop an understanding of attachment theory and the different types of attachment, highlighting how this impacts the brain and can affect classroom behaviour. This session also provides practical strategies to support vulnerable children and young people with attachment difficulties to provide the secure base that they need.
The Inclusion Support Service have developed guidance and resources for schools on identifying and supporting children and young people with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. We are offering free training to all schools. This course covers how to identify children with SEMH needs, creating learning environments to promote emotional wellbeing and positive behaviour, assessing and planning for SEMH needs, strategies that can be implemented to support SEMH needs. All delegates will receive a copy of the Getting it Right Good Practice Guidance Resource. This course is for school leaders SENCOs and pastoral leads and other agencies working with schools to support them in meeting the needs of children with SEMH needs.
Open for booking in Summer 2021, Please contact Noreen Khan: Nooreen.Khan@wolverhampton.gov.uk
There has been an increasing awareness of the impact of children and young people’s emotional well-being on their engagement in school and being able to reach their full potential. The use of counselling skills is one effective way to support emotional well-being. Central to counselling is the relationship between skilled helper and client, therefore school staff are in a great position to provide this support as they already have established relationships with the children/ young people. It is important for staff to have an understanding of counselling skills so that they can provide safe and helpful support.
Circle of Friends is an approach to support a student who is in danger of feeling isolated or left out. The Circle of Friends approach works by developing a support network around the individual by asking the young person’s peers to provide support and engage in problem solving with the person in difficulty.
GRASP is a 6 session programme that is designed to provide pupils with a range of skills and understanding, such as problem solving and assertive expression, which will enable them to make confident, positive decisions in social situations with peers.
This session will increase your knowledge of the journey of refugees and migrants who come to Wolverhampton, the impact of this journey and how we can support children and young people following this. The session is being run by Dr Heather Thomas from the Wolverhampton Refugee and Migrant Centre alongside the Educational Psychology Service.
Multi-element Support Plans are a tool that focuses on a number of factors and elements that can contribute to improved wellbeing and/or behaviour. They form part of the graduated response to identifying needs and implementing support for children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) need outlined in the Getting it Right Guidance. This session will support you to develop and write effective multi-element support plans using examples, case studies and allowing you to reflect on children and young people who you support.
Emotion coaching is a method of enabling children and young people to manage their own behaviour through helping them to understand the different emotions they experience, why they occur, and how to handle them.
This session aims to develop an understanding of attachment theory and the different types of attachment, highlighting how this impacts the brain and child development. The session focuses on children from 0-5 years old and how to identify their needs, work with their families and provide support and the secure base that they need.
Research suggests that LGBTQI+ young people are more at risk of being bullied, and experience a greater risk of school dropout, social isolation, mental health difficulties and suicide. 80% of transgender adults were aware they were transgender before they left primary school, suggesting a need for staff in both primary and secondary school settings to have awareness of gender identity and potential issues faced by individuals who identify as transgender. This session will provide an introduction into how schools can support the needs of LGBTQI+ children and young people.
A restorative conversation is a useful way of bringing people together following an incident to explore what has happened, discuss the impact of this and agree ways forward. They have been used to successfully resolve conflict, improve relationships and prevent fixed term exclusions.
Research findings show that regular mindfulness meditation significantly reduces anxiety. Mindfulness involves paying more attention to the present moment, to your own thoughts and feelings, and to the world around you. We will share strategies that you can use to support children and young people.
Emotionally-based school refusal (EBSR) is an umbrella term used to describe children and young people (CYP) who have severe difficulty attending school due to emotional factors. There is a broad range of research that has outlined the negative impact of EBSR on outcomes for C/YP. However, it has been found that intervening early and working with parents, schools and CYP themselves is associated with positive outcomes for CYP who have severe difficulty attending school.
Anger is not a bad emotion, however it is challenging when anger is expressed in potentially harmful ways. Learn more about how to respond to anger and how to support children and young people to understand it and express it in more helpful ways.
3 day course for teachers and TAs. Focus on practical classroom strategies for pupils with ASD. This course is delivered for free. Delegates must attend all 3 sessions. Book directly with Eve Griffiths by email at egriffiths@pennfields.com
Masters level qualification in Autism Leadership accredited by the University of Wolverhampton. Aimed at SENDCos and Senior Leaders. University charge £395 for their accreditation. All dates at Penn Fields School, 1pm-4:30pm. Delegates must attend all 6 sessions. Book directly with Eve Griffiths by email at egriffiths@pennfields.com
This is a Masters Level Accredited Leading Mental Health in Schools Award in collaboration with Wolverhampton University. It hopes to offer the opportunity for experienced setting staff to develop their knowledge, understanding of SEMH and develop skills and approaches, including whole-school approaches to support practice in their setting to promote emotional wellbeing and respond to mental health needs.
20 Masters Credits
To register your interest and to sign up please confirm your intention to attend our Introductory Workshop on 13th December 2019 at 3pm at our Alfred Squire Office.
3 hour monthly sessions, with an assessed piece of work to be submitted.
Venue: Alfred Squire Office, Woodhouse Fold, WV11 1XU (TBC dependent on numbers)
Cost: £360
