Search for Learning and Development Services and Pathways

The Virtual School value the time they spend with carers, and to enable this to be an even more successful partnership between school and home, would like to have more sessions available for meeting you during the course of the year. Each session will have a focus, but as ever, if there are topics we haven’t identified that you would find more helpful, please let Catherine Charlton know, by emailing: catherine.charlton@southglos.gov.uk

This session will focus on EHCP's ( Education Health Care Plans)

Message from Steve Claypoole following the last session

I found this a really positive meeting and am already enjoying this way of working. The group are really strong and were incredibly supportive to the adoptive parent who attended for the first time.
I think with a mixture of focused sessions combined general discussions this will be really positive over the school year for all.

What is it? This is a new dedicated Induction, Training and Support Group for Connected Carers, Including Special Guardians Why are we running it? We recognise that your situation is very different to that of main stream foster carers. The new role that you find yourself in now, is often not a pathway you may have planned on taking. Unlike foster carers, you are thrown in at the deep end without having had a course to prepare you for what lies ahead, and how ‘The System’ works. This course aims to do that as well as recognise the particular difficulties that you as ‘Kinship Carers’, whatever your role, face. How will it run? There will be six sessions, each lasting approximately 2-2.5 hours, which will take place over the course of a year. It is hoped that you will attend all six, but as new carers arrive, they can join the programme at any stage. The sessions will be led in the main by Social workers from our team. There will be light refreshment of tea and coffee provided at each session, but it would be rather nice if we could take it in turns to bring and share some food. The first session will be catered for, but we will discuss how this works for future sessions at the end of our first meeting. This session will focus on the transition of your role.

Total Respect is a national training course, designed with the help of young people in care, about being in care. It aims to help adults understand the needs and experiences of children and young people in care, how we can listen to children and young people, act on their wishes and feelings, and what we need to do to make sure this is effective. Total Respect is unique in that care-experienced young people co-deliver the training. It is, therefore, an excellent opportunity for staff and counsellors to learn from young people themselves whilst developing their skills and knowledge to actively promote childrenðs rights and participation.

In this 1 day training, aimed at all supporters and allies of people who self-harm, you will be provided with the opportunity to: - Understand what self-harm is, and consider why someone might use this strategy as a way of coping with their experiences. - Explore some myths and the impact of stigma for people who self-harm - Hear about what people who hurt themselves have said about self-harm, and what they have found helpful in professional and personal responses - Explore some of the shared challenges faced by supporters of people who self-harm from a wide variety of settings - Gain knowledge and information in order to build confidence when supporting someone who self-harms, including harm minimisation and safer self-harm approaches - Consider your own wellbeing and emotional health needs in a supportive environment. The standard charge for this course is £40. Please refer to our Course Charges on the Home page for information on discounts and exemptions

I am delighted to have members of our public health team joining us for this session. They will give an overview of the service they provide and this will be followed by a question and answer session. This will be an excellent opportunity for you to find out about the services that are available for our young people to access.


Are you seeking advice from others who may have “walked in your shoes?” Do you have fostering experience that could benefit other carers? Or are you new to fostering and not sure what to expect? Come along to the X Change, share your ideas and learn from others within a supportive atmosphere. A “peer mentoring” approach will be used, so that carers coming with a particular issue, and those offering advice can all feel heard. Carers with knowledge of a particular topic will be asked to take part, outside speakers can also be invited. All sessions will run from 10am to 1pm, the last hour will an opportunity to bring and share lunch and continue your discussions. Foster Carers across both areas are invited to come together to share knowledge, and experience. This is an open group, but please let us know if you are planning to come.

Children naturally go through loss and change but for some, especially those bereaved, it can be very difficult.

When children come into care or are adopted, it is only natural that they will feel a sense of loss, and if the separation from the birth family is looking to be over a longer period of time, it is likely that they will feel a sense of bereavement too. Having an understanding of this can help you to better cope with the difficult emotions that our young people are trying to deal with as well as give you strategies for how to communicate with your child or young person.

This overview of loss links to children of different age groups and provides suggestions for working with children and families.

This course is the third module in the Direct Assessment and Intervention Skills training programme which provides the opportunity to understand child development theory and practice, the effect of trauma, grief and loss on children and young people, their parents and those affected by the vicarious nature of trauma. The programme will provide opportunities to share experiences, learn from colleagues and engage with credible strategies to promote protection, safeguarding and wellbeing for children and their families and carers. Each workshop will include theory, child development, assessment approaches and life case discussions. The standard charge for this course is £70 per day. Please refer to our Course Charges on the Home page for information on discounts and exemptions.

This course aims to enable participants to develop their understanding of abuse allegations and complaints made against foster carers, and of the procedures used to manage such allegations and complaints.

Registration starts at 9:00, the course will start at 9:30

This 1-day course is for people working in an environment that involves disclosures of sexual violence/ sexual abuse. It Covers: - Barriers to disclosure -Current Sexual Violence Legislation -Discussions About Safeguarding -Information about trauma, flashbacks, and grounding techniques -The support needs of survivors of rape and sexual violence - Services that are available for survivors of rape and sexual violence. The standard charge for this course is £80 per day. Please refer to our Course Charges on the Home page for information on discounts and exemptions.

The Virtual School value the time they spend with carers, and to enable this to be an even more successful partnership between school and home, would like to have more sessions available for meeting you during the course of the year. Each session will have a focus, but as ever, if there are topics we haven’t identified that you would find more helpful, please let Catherine Charlton know, by emailing: catherine.charlton@southglos.gov.uk