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The Purpose for the support groups

Mavis Mukambirwa will be giving a presentation during this session on 'Working with disabled children, challenges and self-care'.

We realise that fostering can be really difficult at times. Perhaps the only people who really understand it are other foster carers and so therefore we want to give you a place to meet up.

There will be biscuits and/or cake, coffee, tea, and an opportunity for an informal chat at all of the meetings.

Although these will be informal meetings, each session will have a brief agenda, attendance list, and agreed group rules. This is to help those who don’t know anyone and feel awkward about coming along to a new meeting, to feel that they won’t be left alone on the side-lines.

These sessions should be recorded on your Personal Development Plan (PDP).

Venue: Kingswood Centre, Room 28 

Please note you have to do this training programme in order.

For SGC staff only:
Additional learning resources here: Mental Capacity and Deprivation of Liberty (Sway resource)
Request to shadow a MCA assessment here: Peer Shadowing Network Yammer Group

South Gloucestershire Council has launched a new interactive training programme that gives Health and Social Care Workers the skills, knowledge, confidence and practice to apply and comply with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The programme is made up of interactive learning workshops. The new skills and knowledge gained from the workshops are then applied in the workplace.

The programme is designed for Care Provider managers, Social Worker and Occupational Therapy staff and managers, nurses and all other professionals working in health and social care.


The standard charge for this course is £49. Please refer to our Course Charges on the Home page for information on discounts and exemptions.

This will be delivered via Zoom and hosted by Suzanne Pearson. 

Please join the meeting prior to the 9.30 start, so you have time to check that the technology is working.

A community based course to increase awareness and challenge stigma about mental health that participants can draw upon in their day-to-day lives and work.

The views of people with ‘lived’ experience of emotional or mental health issues are central to informing the course content as well as up to date research evidence. 

The course is suitable for anyone including staff and volunteers from a variety of settings working with Adults, and/or Children and Families, who wish to learn more about mental health. It consists of a mixture of factual presentation, small group work and large group discussion within agreed ground rules of confidentiality and respecting each other’s points of view. There are extensive handouts available

The trainer Suzanne Pearson is a Registered Mental Health Nurse and CBT therapist with experience of working in the NHS and voluntary sector. She is a qualified adult trainer with extensive experience of delivering high quality mental health training to a range of participants and organisations. She is a Mental Health First Aid instructor (Standard and Youth courses) and an Applied Suicide Intervention Skills (ASIST) trainer.

COSTS: £49

This 3-day practical, practice focused workshop will introduce attendees to key systemic practice ideas, skills and techniques which we can all use in our day-to-day work with children and families. Each day will provide attendees with some systemic theory with practical examples of how these ideas can then be used with children, young adults and families.

This course will be an opportunity to meet practitioners from different parts of the service, learning together and trying and experimenting with new ideas and approaches.

Day 1 – What goes on in families?
Day 2 – How we work with families?
Day 3 – Working with risks and networks

Who is this course for? This course is open to all staff who work either with or supervise practitioners who work directly with children, young adults or families. No previous experience of systemic practice ideas or theories is required – but you are of course most welcome if you have accessed systemic training in the past.

This course sits alongside and compliments the STAR programme and is a key component of our practice model.

Gender and sexuality are two of the most powerful organising principles in our society and as such require exploring and understanding in an empowering and informative way. This training is developed by Freedom, OTR’s LGBTQ+ youth service. Freedom celebrated its 25th year of existence in 2020 and is the longest-running LGBTQ+ youth group in the UK.