Training
Gretchen’s approach to training is informed by her belief that:
- participants learn by doing on training courses. Whilst ensuring the information presented is up-to-date with current research, Government policy and her own clinical experience, the evaluation of her courses always includes appreciation of the interactive nature of the training. This is not ‘death by powerpoint’
- a bespoke service makes for effective courses. That is why Gretchen spends time before a course finding out about local circumstances and issues, as well as agency policy and procedure to make the presentation relevant to participants. This is not ‘off the shelf’ training.
- courses should be enjoyable, safe and respectful for the participants. This is why Gretchen’s training is mainly commissioned through personal recommendation from other satisfied customers.
A SELECTION OF RECENT AND CURRENT TRAINING COMMISSIONS
Understanding Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII): Formerly known as Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, this very perplexing form of child maltreatment is of particular clinical interest to Gretchen. Drawing on her years of assessing families where FII is a concern this course involves both theoretical frameworks and practical examples in helping practitioners to identify, assess and manage children who may be at risk. This course has been especially popular with multi-agency groups and has been commissioned by many local Safeguarding Children Partnerships across the UK.
Developing Professional Curiosity in Assessing Risk to Children: This course was developed to help probation officers foster a more enquiring mind when assessing the situation of offenders, which may include contact with vulnerable children on a number of different levels. It takes a systemic approach in focusing on the importance of context in giving meaning to behaviour and the subjectivity of the risk assessment process. Originally developed as the result of a recommendation from a Serious Case Review, this training is now part of the core training curriculum for new staff in the probation service.
Improving Practice in Social Work Supervision Skills: Experiential and theoretical approaches are used in this course to offer front line supervisors and managers in children’s services the opportunity to consider their effectiveness in both the reflective and managerial aspects of the supervision relationship. This four-day course has been commissioned by many local authorities and is now one of most well-supported training events in the West London Alliance staff development programme.
Safeguarding Awareness Training for Therapists and Counsellors: Generic safeguarding training does not always address the specific dilemmas faced by professionals who establish a therapeutic relationship with children and young people. By discussing such issues as deciding when the need to safeguard the child overrides therapeutic considerations, the implications of sharing information with outside agencies and the impact of the safeguarding process on both the therapist and the child, this course is tailor-made for those participants who face these concerns in their everyday practice. The Association of Child Psychotherapists have made this the mandatory safeguarding course for their members and it is also in demand by many other agencies who offer therapeutic help to troubled children and their families.
Identifying and Managing Intra-familial Child Sexual Abuse: Despite the rise in programmes and systems to protect young people from sexual exploitation, it remains the case that children and young people are far more likely to be sexually abused within their family by someone they know and trust than in any other setting. This course revisits the reasons why it is so difficult for children to speak about what is happening to them, the longer term implications of intra-familial sexual abuse on their development and how these situations should be managed by professionals. As we ‘re-discover’ the extent of sexual abuse inside the family, this course has been increasingly popular with social work practitioners and those from other child welfare agencies.
The Impact of Abuse and Neglect on the Development of Children and Young People- analysing causes, evidence and theoretical frameworks: As referrals to children’s services for neglect and emotional abuse continue to rise, this course examines the dynamics of abuse and neglect throughout all levels of society regardless of class. Participants have the opportunity to understand the impact of neglect on children as well as the difficulties involved in establishing thresholds for action and taking effective intervention. This course is frequently requested by local Safeguarding Children Partnerships and is especially aimed at multi-agency groups. It has been offered regularly by the City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Board and is often over-subscribed.