A Solution Focused Approach to Preventing Disaffection & Exclusion

1/2/3 day training course for Teachers, SENCOs, Learning Mentors, Learning Assistants & Education Welfare staff. See further down the page for more details.

Introducing new programme for 2006 - Pupil Parent Support Worker (PPSW) training:

Following the Victoria Climbie enquiry and Lord Laming’s emphasis on Multi-agency working, many schools have identified a gap in their ability to provide family work with families of the local school community.

Those schools who have had the benefit of engaging parents via family work have reported a clear shift in the improvement of attendance, behaviour and reduction in exclusion and also a better home and school liaison.

The training offers a structure which allows for positive and collaborative liaison with parent/pupil/teacher.

The training prepares staff for the Pupil Parent Support Worker role (Recommendation 3.8.5) suggested by Sir Alan Steer and the Practitioners’ Group on School Behaviour and Discipline in their Report: Learning Behaviour, which was submitted to the DfES in October 2005.

The course includes:

• Low-level disruption issues
• Engaging the most resistant pupil and family
• Using the Approach over the telephone with attendance/punctuality issues
• Collaborative Language with parents and pupils
• Developing a whole-school approach for Pastoral Care
• Motivating the Unmotivated Pupil and Family
• Crisis Intervention to prevent exclusion

The Consultancy also provides a complete in-house training and support package for support workers within the school, where the school would build capacity to be able to provide additional family support work

The Solution Focused Approach is now part of the DfES National Strategy


Training the Behaviour Improvement Programme Team in Reading

Talking about tomorrow and talking about change in small-step goals is always more attractive to young people than highlighting where they went wrong yesterday.

Used as part of Pastoral Care; Classroom management and at Reviews - the approach is instrumental in breaking negative patterns in order to concentrate on the start of new behaviour.

Education staff in East Lothian (pictured below) have found the approach useful in reducing their exclusion rates since their training(see Times Ed article on News/Articles page). The Consultancy have since trained wider teams in East Lothian including the provision of training to Probation Teachers at the start of their career.

This programme is implemented with education staff across both mainstream and special needs units and Education Welfare staff in their work with pupils and families.

The Solution Focused School & Solution Focused Education Welfare Team training programmes.

This training programme is appropriate for schools and EWO Teams who wish to implement a new structure and ethos . Offered over 7 or 12 day courses - the training includes liaison and consultation with the School/Team and advise on small-step changes that can provide a watershed in ethos. The Education Welfare Team at Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council are the first team in the UK to have undergone the 12 day course and launch their new service on 18th July 2006.

Training in the Solution Focused Approach in Education which covers aspects of the Programme are available on 1/2/3 day training slots.

Completion of training at East Lothian Inclusion Service

For details about further courses for Education staff and to discuss arranging an in-house course - please contact the Consultancy on Tel: 0208 542 9310 or email: education@brief-therapy-uk.com