TRAINING

Adolescence can be a confusing time for young people and possibly very challenging for those caring for them.  We know that during this time there are significant changes in the brain development of an adolescent, which may give rise to some of the reasons why this period in a teenager’s life can be challenging. We also know that for teenagers in the care system, there can be additional pressures placed on them.  This training looks at why adolescence matters to the health and wellbeing of young people in care.

Practically every Carer has been confronted by a situation when their child and young person ‘loses it’ and has a ‘meltdown’. Whether this is in the home or in the middle of a busy supermarket this training will help explain why this might be happening, how to avoid it in the first place, and provide some practical techniques for coping with it when it does happen.

Confidentiality is central to the trust between doctors and patients and an essential part of good care. Without assurances about confidentiality, children and young people, as well their carers, may be reluctant to get medical attention or to give doctors the information they need to provide good care. Children and young people should be asked for their consent if they have the capacity to give it. This training looks at consent and confidentially are important in healthcare settings.

Getting it right for every child supports the wellbeing of our children and young people and their families or carers by offering the right help at the right time from the right people. It is important that Carers have the knowledge  to get it right for disabled children in their care and to understand their responsibilities so that they can support their child’s physical, mental, and emotional health.

Children and young people in care have a right to good health. Professionals working with them have a responsibility to promote and support this while recognising that it is the Carer who can make the biggest impact on the child’s experiences and environment. This training looks at managing the healthcare needs and rights of care experienced children and young people.

Our mental health impacts how we feel and think and can also affect how we behave. For children in care, mental health problems can be debilitating, negatively impacting on the quality of their lives and possibly impacting on their physical health too. However, it can be difficult to know if someone’s struggling. It might also feel awkward or challenging to offer help or know how to respond and support a loved one in your care. This training will look at ways of fostering positive mental health and emotional wellbeing for children in your care.

Sometimes children or young people may find dental, medical or hospital treatments challenging, uncomfortable or distressing. They may express their feelings in various ways including becoming anxious, crying, shouting or physically resisting staff. This is not only distressing for them, but also for Carers, and staff attempting to carry out treatment or consultations. Children and young people can be helped through painful or difficult procedures with support, including distraction and health-related play techniques.

For children and young people in care, their placement may often give rise to complicated feelings associated with loss and change such as shame, relief, or guilt.  How does loss and change impact on  the emotional health and wellbeing for children in care and how can Carers best support their child to manage feelings which flow from loss and change? This training gives insight into understanding loss, change, grief and trauma in relation to care experienced children and young people, whilst looking at the unique challenges facing Carers.

It is vital that Carers are given the knowledge and skills they need to help children and young people through the complexities of understanding trauma and/or abuse and supporting their recovery.  Our training has been developed to support Carers who look after children and adolescents who have been impacted by trauma. This trauma may include a range of stressful experiences which are typically chronic and interpersonal and which may affect many different areas of a child or adolescent’s life.