Supporting Adults Supporting Children

Services

Services are provided for individuals, groups and whole teams to enable the best possible learning and life experiences for children and young people, as well as for the adults who work and live with them.

Services

Workshops, Groups and Consultancy

Workshops, training and presentations

These are provided for professionals and parents; both in person and online. These can be a single event or a series of sessions. This will depend on your priorities as an organisation and team and we’ll agree bespoke training to address these areas. Examples of topics are provided below.

Group Work

Gill facilitates groups for professionals and parents; both in person and online. This group work takes place over a number of sessions and enables rich learning and development for all. We explore topics together, with space for Gill’s specialist input and mutual sharing and support. Much learning comes from talking together about our experiences and insights.

Examples of facilitated groups for professionals include a team of colleagues within one school focussing on understanding challenging behaviour, a gathering of Inclusion Leads across a local authority and a group of Foster Carers.

Workshops and ongoing groups for parents are provided; to focus and learn together on an issues of shared interest and concern.

Circles of Adults is a facilitated process enabling groups to explore issues together and find creative solutions.

Organisational Consultancy

Gill is a highly experienced Organisational Consultant; working within children’s services, schools and third sector organisations. A Systems process approach is taken to explore and develop the leadership team’s vision, strategic and operational plans, for the benefit of the whole community.

Areas of focus include Quality Reviews of service delivery, developing team communication and effectiveness, intentionally building relationships and community and supporting the wellbeing of colleagues throughout the organisation.

Topics for workshops and groups include:

Behaviour as communication: understanding children’s challenging behaviour.

Supporting children’s social and emotional development.

Developing Inclusive policy and practice.

Building relationships, teams and community.

TESTIMONIAL

“I have known Gill professionally for many years and can highly recommend her delivery as a trainer. Gill’s approach is professional, well organised and engaging. An example of this is providing successful training for foster carers. Feedback from the participating foster carers included “excellent trainer” and “this training made me think about the child’s emotions in transitions.”

Viv McCrossen, Independent Chair, Fostering and Adoption Panel

SERVICES

Coaching and Supervision

Coaching and supervision sessions are provided for professionals. These are usually online meetings. This professional support is offered to school leaders, inclusion leads, support service colleagues, foster carers, social workers, psychologists and third sector leaders.

Gill brings her depth of experience, understanding and skills as a psychologist and coach, to enable reflection, development and positive change.

Your priorities are our focus; for your professional and personal development, to increase your effectiveness and fulfilment at work and your wellbeing. These opportunities to step back, reflect, explore and find new ways of seeing and acting, with a skilled companion, are vital for us all to thrive.

Sometimes the focus may be on meeting the needs of a particular child or group of children. Together, we consider the potential meaning behind their words and behaviour and explore the child’s perspective. This supports the effective meeting of their needs, through a relational and practical approach.

We usually meet for an hour on a weekly or biweekly schedule, for an agreed initial block of sessions. We then review and decide a further number of sessions or complete our work together for the time being. Occasionally a single consultation about a specific issue will fulfil needs.

Specialist support sessions are provided for parents, to enable further understanding and approaches, for the benefit of the child and the wellbeing of the whole family. It is vital that parents are supported to effectively meet their child’s emotional, social and learning needs.

Gill provides specialist coaching and support for foster carers and adoptive parents in developing a Therapeutic Parenting approach.

REFLECTION

We are living through extraordinary times. Our current challenges can have a significant impact on both children and adults. Many of us are experiencing a range of difficult emotions; such as anxiety, sadness, grief and confusion. We can expect that it will take time to make sense of all we have experienced and to gradually recover and positively move forwards. This is a demanding time for children and young people; with changes in their education, to their usual ways of being at home and in the community, with possible family stresses and uncertainty. It is vital that the adults in their lives, including teachers and parents, also receive the emotional and practical support they need. We all need support at this time.

CONTACT Gill

TESTIMONIAL

“Many thanks, Gill, for all the insight and wisdom you have given us in being able to support and understand Peter. We have really enjoyed working with you and benefitted immensely from your guidance and expertise. You have been supportive, helpful and listened so well to all our ramblings. We will continue to use all the ideas and thoughts that you shared with us and won’t forget the amazing start we had with you on our fostering journey.”

Sarah and Tim, Foster Carers

Services

Children and Young People

Individual support for a child or young person

Gill provides therapeutic support sessions and coaching for children and young people. The focus and process of this support is carefully planned to meet their unique needs and strengths.

Areas for focus include:

Dealing with loss and change.
Developing emotional and social awareness, resources and skills.
Improving communication and friendships.
Increasing enjoyment and skills as a self-motivated learner.
Issues within family and/or school.

The pandemic, with associated changes in routines, school attendance and social connections, has significantly impacted on the mental health and wellbeing of our children and young people. Children who have previously experienced loss and traumas in their lives are particularly vulnerable to memories and emotions being triggered and this can show in their behaviour and learning. Children with special needs may be especially impacted. It is vital that each child and young person receives the support they need to recover and flourish.

Group work for children and young people

Gill leads groups for children and young people across the age range, within schools and other settings, including for children in care. Groups may focus on areas such as below:

Growing through loss and change

Many children and young people have experienced significant loss and change in their lives. These losses include bereavement, parental separation, relationships changes and breakdowns. The pandemic has included significant change and loss, in routines at home and school and social connections. This has had a significant impact on the mental health of children and young people, with impact on their relationships and learning. A group is a safe, supportive place to explore and express feelings and thoughts together and move through the stages needed to adjust and be able to move forward in life.

Children and young people are helped with their difficult feelings and enabled to develop and grow from their experiences of loss and change.

Circles of Friends

This is a peer support approach to enable the inclusion of all children within the class and school environment. The group gathers weekly to provide emotional and social support to each other and to develop mutually supportive friendships.

Developing social and emotional skills

Group work may have a particular focus on this area of development. This will include learning more about recognising and expressing emotions and supporting each other in that process. This leads to improved communication, friendships and relationships with adults at home and school.

Creative approaches may be incorporated within group work and individual sessions; including art, poetry and nature.

TESTIMONIAL

“I can recommend Gill to you without hesitation. Gill is passionate about education in general and the education of potentially marginalised students in particular. She is creative, strategic, empathic, positive and develops good working relationships with children and young people, families, colleagues, staff from schools and other agencies. She was always well regarded by senior staff.”

John Bradley, Formerly Head of Inclusion Services, Nottinghamshire County Council

Services

Child Centered Planning

Educational psychology support and advice is provided for schools, nurseries and families, to enable children with a range of additional support needs to be fully included within their school community. Planning includes a focus on building relationships and creatively using all resources. The quality of relationships is key to successful inclusion.

The child or young person is at the heart of this planning, ensuring a fully child-centred, respectful approach. This is within a social model of difference.

Gill provides facilitation for creating a Circle of Friends, to support the inclusion of a child or young person in the school and community. Further Tools for Inclusion provided are PATH; Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope and MAPS; Making Action Plans.

Specialist support for child-centered planning can be particularly helpful at key transition times such as beginning school, changing classes and moving from the primary to secondary phase.

Consultations, assessments and reviews are carried out in collaboration with parents, teachers, inclusion coordinators, support service staff, social care and health professionals. Together, we focus on the best approach to meet a child’s unique needs within the classroom, school and community.

Gill has considerable experience in contributing to multi-agency assessments and planning; including to create an Education, Health and Care plan for a child or young person.