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Mockingbird has launched within the Fostering Service, here at South Glos. The Fostering Network are running ‘Introduction to Mockingbird’ sessions online.
All sessions are delivered by our experienced Mockingbird coaches and provide a great opportunity for attendees to learn all about Mockingbird and ask any questions they may have.
What does the session cover?
What is Mockingbird?
• The key fidelity of the model
• Key roles and responsibilities
• Impact of Mockingbird

Who can attend?
Introduction to Mockingbird sessions are available to services that are currently working with The Fostering Network to deliver Mockingbird and are open to both new and existing social workers and staff across children's services. Please feel free to extend the invitation to staff working in residential, adoption, SGOs as well as your managers, senior leaders, panel members and IROs etc. Essentially these sessions are open to any staff in your service who you feel will benefit from learning more about Mockingbird.

Please click here to view and download the course handouts

The course resources are available for digital download and storage and for use and reference during or after the event, whichever you prefer.

Also, please be aware that some of the resources contain sensitive content, that you may find upsetting. This training aims to educate and raise awareness, but it can evoke emotional responses, particularly for individuals with personal connections to child or adult bereavements, or the incidents themselves.

If you find the content overwhelming, we encourage you to prioritise your well-being. Take breaks, reflect on your boundaries, and seek support from trusted individuals or professionals as needed. For assistance during or after the training, please reach out to the trainer or your line manager in the first instance, contact Interchange the staff counselling service, or you can also access Thrive.

We are committed to creating an inclusive learning environment and promoting empathy and respect for all.

This course is delivered on behalf of the South Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children's Partnership.

Participants should be only those who have already completed the Introduction to Child Protection and Advanced-level of Child Protection training within statutory or setting-related timescales, and who now need to maintain this level of training.

Participants will be expected to have a good working knowledge of safeguarding with experience of statutory and local child protection responsibilities and procedures.

Effective child protection depends not only on reliable and accepted procedures for all staff involved with children, but also on their skills, knowledge and judgment and the ability to work together co-operatively.

Staff with lead roles in child protection require specialised training in order to carry out their work with abused children and families.

The learning outcomes for this training are designed to ensure that all participants receive updates in the latest child protection legislation, statutory guidance, local policies, procedures and professional requirements.

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 886 3261 4593
Passcode: 395710

The council promotes the use of a coaching style of management, which empowers staff to take responsibility for their own performance and work. The ability of managers to coach the performance and development of their staff is therefore considered a key skill.

The time invested in developing coaching skills can deliver some very positive outcomes, such as, delivering increased motivation, performance and removing barriers and blockers to progression. Coaching skills can change the way people think about your leadership and you can inspire confidence and self-belief in your team. You have an opportunity to motivate others in a positive and inspirational way. If you aren’t a manager, you can assist and support peers through this collaborative approach to tackling issues.

This interactive day will give you a greater understanding of how you can use this simple coaching tool to improve the performance of others. You’ll have a better understanding of what makes people tick and be able to use the techniques to build better relationships with others. Ultimately coaching empowers people to perform more effectively and through the tools and techniques you learn on this course you will also find that you become more effective too.

The standard charge for this course is £115 per day although for council employees this course is free to attend. Please refer to our Course Charges on the Home page for information on discounts and exemptions.

Our tutors are highly experienced, and deliver our programmes with passion, pride and excellence. If you have any questions about this course work please contact emma.ford@southglos.gov.uk.

Participating in sessions

Participants are asked to embrace and abide by the following commitments:

• Maintain your focus on group learning and professional development
• Actively support peers
• Create a safe environment to encourage contribution and learning
• Participate constructively in the sessions
• Listen to encourage and welcome all views
• Respect each other’s values
• Maintain confidentiality in all matters

We embrace diversity and want to ensure that our sessions are fully inclusive for all. Please let us know any requirements or needs you have in relation to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation or caring responsibilities that may be relevant to your participation in the session.

Claire Greenham, WAYPOINT Team Manager will be leading a short introduction to Non Violent Resistance (NVR). This introduction course will be a chance to hear about the NVR principles, how they can be used to strengthen relationships and bring about positive changes to displays of trauma. The course will also be an opportunity to discuss some of the misconceptions around NVR and think about how NVR fits with other approaches.

The session will start at 10am, we will have a break at 12pm for 30 minutes.  The session will go through from 12:30 until 2pm finish.

Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided.  Room F17

This is Part 1 of 2 sessions - The other date is 12/06/2025

Eligibility: This course is open to South Gloucestershire Council social care employees only and those in Housing and Commissioning who work directly with members of the public. Join SARI's new learning sessions to explore equality, inclusion, and cultural awareness, focusing on disability and LGBTQ+ equality. These sessions will feature information sharing, discussions, and insights from individuals with lived experiences. SARI will facilitate interactive conversations to help us reflect on our practices and develop recommendations to improve outcomes for our service and the people we support. These sessions are an opportunity to tackle systemic inequalities and engage in dynamic, safe discussions.

This training will boost your awareness and confidence in addressing the needs and challenges of disabled service users, colleagues, or personal acquaintances. You'll gain insights into the diversity of disabilities, including hidden ones, and learn how to amplify the voices of disabled people in important care and life decisions.

This course helps practitioners know how to apply the MCA statutory requirements, principles and legislation and case law in practice.
Be confident in assessing and recording a Mental Capacity Assessment and making Best Interest decisions and the role of the Independent Mental Health Advocate.

The WAYPOINT (Working Alongside Young People & Others In Networks Therapeutically) Team is part of the Fostering Service. WAYPOINT provide therapeutically informed support to children, families, foster carers, and professional networks. This support is additional to the support provided by your supervising social worker and children’s social workers.

The monthly WAYPOINT Drop-in sessions are facilitated by Dan Charnock, WAYPOINT Senior Social Worker and are open to all mainstream foster carers. The aim of the WAYPOINT Drop in is to provide a reflective and open space for foster carers to come along and discuss issues or concerns you may be facing. While each session includes a space to reflect on challenges, there is also a significant focus on sharing strategies and thinking about therapeutic approaches to difficult situations and celebrating successes.

You don’t have to be going through a difficult time to attend – peer support, learning and reflection is always valuable, and there is no pressure for anyone to share within the sessions. Topics for each session tend to arise on the day, ensuring the focus is relevant to the content brought to the drop in. However, there is also the option to agree a topic for a future session to enable a more in-depth focus. Discussion often includes topics such as attachment, trauma, and use of therapeutic approaches such as PACE and NVR, and ideas come not only from Dan but from within the group.

Please click here to view and download the course handouts

The course resources are available for digital download and storage and for use and reference during or after the event, whichever you prefer.

Also, please be aware that some of the resources contain sensitive content, that you may find upsetting. This training aims to educate and raise awareness, but it can evoke emotional responses, particularly for individuals with personal connections to child or adult bereavements, or the incidents themselves.

If you find the content overwhelming, we encourage you to prioritise your well-being. Take breaks, reflect on your boundaries, and seek support from trusted individuals or professionals as needed. For assistance during or after the training, please reach out to the trainer or your line manager in the first instance, contact Interchange the staff counselling service, or you can also access Thrive.

We are committed to creating an inclusive learning environment and promoting empathy and respect for all.

This course is delivered on behalf of the South Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children's Partnership.

Participants should be only those who have already completed the Introduction to Child Protection and Advanced-level of Child Protection training within statutory or setting-related timescales, and who now need to maintain this level of training.

Participants will be expected to have a good working knowledge of safeguarding with experience of statutory and local child protection responsibilities and procedures.

Effective child protection depends not only on reliable and accepted procedures for all staff involved with children, but also on their skills, knowledge and judgment and the ability to work together co-operatively.

Staff with lead roles in child protection require specialised training in order to carry out their work with abused children and families.

The learning outcomes for this training are designed to ensure that all participants receive updates in the latest child protection legislation, statutory guidance, local policies, procedures and professional requirements.

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).

Eligibility: This course is open to everyone from any organisation working with children in South Gloucestershire.
Commissioned by the Children's Partnership, this course is designed to support practitioners in working together to ensure the provision of help, support, and protection for children is effective and in line with statutory guidance and local procedures.

This brand new course considers a wide range of Risks Outside The Home (ROTH) encountered by children, and replaces the three exploitation courses we previously commissioned. On this course you will consider together different forms of child exploitation, and understand the legislation and learning from local and national child safeguarding practice reviews. You will work with professionals from a variety of organisations to consider case studies, peer mapping, disruption and think about practical tools you can use in your practice. You will leave this course knowing about the processes for ROTH in South Glos and which tools to use to support in the identification of ROTH.