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The Purpose for the support groups


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.

Sometimes there will be speakers and topics as requested by the group, this will hopefully make it as relevant to your fostering as you like.

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

There is a £20 cost for the manual that you need to attend this course, someone from the Public health team will be in touch to check the best way to request payment/ or to request a cost code for SGC employee’s.

On this 1 day workshop-style course, individuals will gain an insightful understanding of mental health and wellbeing. Packed with practical advice, you will be able to spot signs of declining mental health, and by using our practical action plan A.C.T.© – be able to appropriately offer someone help both in an emergency and as a longer-term solution. This course is suitable for anyone that works with children or adults.

This training is for people who will be using the Signs of Safety approach in their day-to-day work with children, young people and their families or carers. It is also relevant for people who will be supervising others who are using the approach. The two day Signs of Safety Introduction training is provided by accredited external trainers and places are limited. Key Integrated Children's Services staff to attend are those who chair key meetings and who undertake statutory assessments gathering information from other agencies and where the outcome has a considerable impact on the life of a child/family.
Course Duration: Two days
Course Aims: This training provides practitioners and managers with the skills and knowledge to be able to start to use the Signs of Safety approach in their practice.

Please note: All attendees must have already attended Signs of Safety Awareness session or Signs of Safety 2 day training to be able to attend this course

Please note that you must be able to attend both sessions in order to complete this training.

This course is deemed Mandatory by the Adult and Childrens Senior Leadership Team. The Learning and Development will be contacting the line managers of South Gloucestershire Council staff to ensure that your work time will be protected (i.e. that you will be deemed ‘unavailable’ to work that day and free of all distractions).

If you are unable to complete both sessions within the course you will be asked to complete both sessions at a future date – it will not be possible to attend your second session on another cohort.

This training programme is for staff who work with adults, children, young people and families based within statutory and voluntary/independent sector organisations across South Gloucestershire.

The aim of the programme is to promote effective multi-agency working between professionals and organisations aligned to national/local legislation, policy, guidance and best practice. A key focus will therefore be person/child-centred practice that promotes positive outcomes for those who lives are affected by domestic abuse.

The first half-day session will be delivered virtually via MS Teams. This will provide an opportunity to refresh and develop your knowledge base including in relation to the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and key learning from Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, Safeguarding Adult Reviews and Domestic Homicide Reviews. The importance of trauma informed practice underpinned by professional curiosity will be explored.
Throughout the session delegates will be encouraged to generously share their practice experience with colleagues, learn from others and move beyond knowledge, understanding and theory to application in their practice.

Delegates must attend day 1 and undertake an individual research/reflective task before attending day 2 of this training.

The second session will be delivered in-person, with a primary focus on exploring, developing and embedding best practice within the landscape of effectively multi-agency/disciplinary working. A broad range of topics will be included, e.g. intersectionality, child-centred practice within a whole family approach, effective risk assessment/monitoring and safety planning, professional self-care.

Throughout the session delegates will be encouraged to generously share their practice experience with colleagues, learn from others and move beyond knowledge, understanding and theory to application in their practice.

The individual learning task, along with active participation in both sessions are integral to the completion of the programme.

If you are from an external organisation and fail to attend one of the sessions you will still be charged for both sessions.

The session will aim to build a better understanding of what self-harm is, why people turn towards self-harm behaviours and what signs and indicators there are for self-harm behaviours.

The course will also help you to develop understanding around helping to support someone who is self-harming and best practice response.

The key aim is to build confidence, reduce stigma and create a better response to individuals who self-harm.

The trainer has requested that attendees have their cameras on during the session to ensure attendance and help with engagement.

The session will be interactive – with lots of opportunities for discussion.

• What is mental health?
• What are the specific challenges for children and young people?
• What are the inequalities relating to mental health for children and young people?
• Mental Health v's Mental ill Health
• Models of Mental Health
• What impacts Mental Health?

The Purpose for the support groups

*Topic TBC*

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).

The course programme follows a set syllabus and includes topics such as:

 - Apply an ergonomics systems approach to safer handling

- To understand the need for evidence based practice

- Be able to select and evaluate a range of current handling manoeuvres

- Be able to select and evaluate a range of mechanical and small handling aids that are presently available

- Will recognise unacceptable/controversial handling techniques

- To feel competent and confident to assist others to problem solve manual handling scenarios.

- assessment of single handed care using equipment. 

Mandatory training course for OTs to comply with Health & Safety at Work Act legislation and meet RCOT code of ethics
 

This 45-minute bitesize session has been designed to support practitioners in learning more about Private Fostering and their obligations.

This session is recommended for all practitioners working with children and young people across all agencies to understand their responsibilities and who to contact in South Gloucestershire to seek help and guidance.