News and Updates in Solution Focused Therapy - Solution Focused Brief Therapy UK

Recent News

Dr Danny Penman, author of Mindfulness, joins us

Dr Danny Penman joins us at our London course on 25th September - bookings now open

It's What's Right With You That Will Fix What's Wrong With You

Award-winning journalist, author of Mindfulness, the best-selling author Dr Danny Penman will join us at our London event, running a one hour workshop and signing copies of his best selling book.

Details: One day training for staff working to help people achieve change and recovery

Venue: TBC London

Date: 25th September 2012

Cost: £180 including lunch

Limited spaces available

For further details contact us on Tel 0208 947 8093 or email: info@brief-therapy-uk.com

Sean Foley joins the Consultancy

We are delighted to announce that Sean Foley joins the team this month. Sean brings a wealth of unique expertise to our work with parents and professionals on Aspergers Syndrome.

Diagnosed at aged 12, Sean, now 23 , is a popular speaker, introducing "humour and hope" for all involved, Sean's witty and informative presentation is a joy to listen to and an education for all "My main goal is that by telling my own story and how I got where I am today from where I was previously, parents and professionals can gain a better understanding of Aspergers from the view of someone living with it every day. The outcomes for delegates is a greater knowledge on how to work with it - not against it and how it can be harness as a positive aspect of life rather than a negative one".

We all look forward to learning a great deal from Sean and are thrilled that he has agreed to join us. As Dr Tony Attwood, the world's leading expert on Aspergers maintains: "I think the main advances have come not from the research literature but from conversations and discussions with those who have Aspergers Syndrome, by reading not the scientific textbooks but their autobiographies. My greatest knowledge of Asperger Syndrome has come from those who have it."

Interview with Dr Danny Penman

This week saw Eileen Murphy interviewing Dr Danny Penman about his bestseller Mindfulness - Finding Peace in a Frantic World - see the interview here

Troubled Families agenda

Since the central government announcement on the new agenda for Troubled Familes, we have been talking to several local authorities about our Prevention & Intervention Programme staff training and project development resource, to prepare teams to work on the front-line in a radical way with families who need the most help and input.

This resource has provided local authorities with a drastic reduction in budget while attracting Social Care Awards.

Contact: Eileen Murphy, Tel 07779 242 289 for further information

Our Solution Focused Chronicle goes live!

October saw the launch of Solution Focused Chronicle - our new online newspaper. We will cover all the news from neuroscience, education and health. We are working our way towards gathering the news from the wider Solution Focused field in order to update our visitors with the latest blogs, research and news in the Solution Focused Brief Therapy field.

NICE guidelines on Solution Focused Brief Therapy

A list of research on the NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) on Solution Focused Brief Therapy

The Michael John Murphy Bursary

Now in its 4th year, the 2011 Recipient of a one day training course implemented by Eileen Murphy, donated under the Michael John Murphy Bursary Scheme, is St Vincents Housing Learning & Guidance - a housing project for single homeless substance misuers seeking to make life changes.

Set up in 1999, the Project is a bridge for adults to use to take them to more purposeful and socially positive lifestyles.

St Vincents works in partnership with Serenity House, a local day treatment programme. Staff at the Treatment Cente and St Vincents work together for the good of their mutual clients.

Interview with The Rt. Hon Alan Johnson MP

A new feature added to our website is the "People who have changed their destination" page, featuring interviews by Eileen Murphy with people who despite deprived or difficult beginnings have changed their direction in life and achieved their potential when it may have been initially presumed by others that they would not have been able to.

The first person Eileen asked to launch the page is The Rt. Hon Alan Johnson MP - Eileen's interview with him took place at the House of Commons last month.

Eileen Murphy at the Community Care Conference, London

Eileen Murphy has been asked to provide a workshop at the Delivering Positive Outcomes through Early Intervention in Child Protection Conference organised by Community Care Conferences on 28th June 2011 at the Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury.

Affecting Early Years programme included on NPIA Best Practice list

February 2011: The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) included our Affecting Early Years Programme - an element of the Early Intervention Programme collaboration with West Midlands Police - on their Best Practice website this month. This allows Police Forces from across the UK to have access.

Two days at Sheffield United Football Club

Catch 22 staff at the historic Sheffield United ground

We were delighted to be invited to train the staff of Catch 22 staff in the Director's Suite at Sheffield Football Ground this week in our Solution Focused Approach to Working with Families training programme. We drew straws to identify who would do the training and Eileen won. As Eileen is the only person we know who prefers the historical and community importance of Football to actually watching the game - we duly sulked for the allowed period. Catch 22 are a nationwide organisation, working with adults, young people and families to achieve better outcomes.

New Programme Launch - Early Intervention Consultancy & Training

The Consultancy launch their new programmes in January 2011: Effective Early Intervention Framework for Local Authorities and a 7 day Effective Early Intervention Training Programme

Working with Hard to Reach & Resistant Clients

Last year's public course is now available as an inhouse course: Solution Focused Approach - Working with Hard to Reach & Resistant Clients.

Historically, the term "Hard to Reach" and "Resistant Client" has had different meanings for different agencies. According to research by Dr.Nicola Brackertz, Research Fellow, Asia Pacific Centre for Social Investment & Philanthropy: "The problem with using the term ‘hard to reach’ is that implies a homogeneity within distinct groups, which does not necessarily exist. Thereby ‘it defines the problem as one within the group itself, not within your approach to them" (Smith 2006).

Many groups actively avoid statutory and related services either because they feel we have nothing to offer or they feel what we have to offer brings them "above the radar" and therefore often results in an active choice to avoid us no matter how in need of that service they might be.

This course is about revisiting and revamping our thinking and our approach when we wish to reach "Hard to Reach and Resistant groups" in order that they are able to achieve better outcomes for themselves and their families.

This course is about revisiting and revamping our thinking and our approach when we wish to reach "Hard to Reach and Resistant groups" in order that they are able to achieve better outcomes for themselves and their families. For further details on this course, please contact us direct on Tel 0208 542 9310 or email info@brief-therapy-uk.com

Parentchannel TV

Eileen Murphy was pleased to be asked to offer a contribution to www.Parentchannel.TV on Resolving Disagreements. Eileen is a commited supporter of this free advice resource for families about a range of issues that families face daily.

Dudley Police - Young Citizen's award

Peer Mentors from Priory Primary School in Dudley, who have received Young Citizen Awards from Dudley Police

During a recent tour of schools that play a part in the Early Intervention Programme project implemented by Dudley Police, Eileen Murphy met the Peer Mentors of Priory Primary School who were clearly proud of the role they play within the school and who were all awarded Citizen Awards by Dudley Police.

Pictured above with Sgt Natalie Hobster, Inspector Chris Dowen, Head Teacher Mike Millman, Eileen also met with Deputy Head, Elizabeth Riley and JoAnn Watkins, Assistant Head who is Lead Behaviour Professional at Priory School.

JoAnn explained the role of the Peer Mentors "Initially, in Assembly we asked for Year 5 Volunteers who could be trained by staff and the Learning Mentors. Each child who volunteered is "interviewed" by the Learning Mentors and are given a series of scenarios which they may come across in the playground and they write a small piece to say what qualities they feel they have to offer as a Peer Mentor. The Learning Mentors, Jackie Morgan, Jenny Smith and our Key Worker Belinda Ball then work closely with the children to train them in the procedures to follow and how to deal with situations. The Peer Mentors receive support from Learning Mentors and the Lunch Staff to ensure they feel supported. They wear a bright tabbard to be instantly recognisable to the other children and they hover around the "Buddy Corner" where children who haven't got friends go. This cycle then begins all over again in the Summer term".

On her return, Eileen raved about JoAnn's energy and commitment to the scheme and said that walking around the school with her and observing her positive interactions with pupils was a joy but that the one thing that stood out was the sense of "kindness" she exuded which Eileen called "infectious and is the most influential aspect of school life for children".

Pennine Care Acute Mental Health commission specialist programme

Pennine Care Mental Health commissioned six rolling programmes of the Consultancy's Working towards Recovery training course. Over 150 Acute Ward staff and Outreach Crisis teams from Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust have now been trained in this specialist programme. Evaluations from the course can be seen on the Mental Health page and on the Evaluations Map.

Second of the six groups from NHS Pennine Care at the close of the Working towards Recovery course

NACRO conference

Eileen Murphy presented at the NACRO conference in Nottingham to contribute to the launch of the the Early Intervention Programme, Pioneered by Inspector Dowen of West Midlands Police. The Consultancy provides the AEY (Affecting Early Years) training programme with officers involved in the project.

Inspector Chris Dowen, Eileen Murphy, Sgt.Natalie Hobster and Kay Mason, Deputy Head of Wren's Nest School, Dudley

East Riding Launch P & I Team

East Riding of Yorkshire Council are the nineteenth local authority to implement our Prevention & Intervention Programme with their front line staff including the Crisis Team, the Family Group Conferencing Team, the Family Intervention Practitioner and members of the Residential Team of The Croft Residential Unit. Pictured above with Eileen Murphy (far left) and Graham Batty (far right), Project & Practice Development Officer at the Launch of the new service on 25th March.

Prevention & Intervention Programme

Dudley Officers target Youth Crime

Inspector Dowen (far left) pictured above with Eileen Murphy with the AEY trained Officers.

The Consultancy are delighted to update on the partnership work we are doing with an Early Intervention Programme founded by Inspector Chris Dowen, West Midlands Constabularly in May 2007 - a new and innovative scheme aimed at reducing youth crime in the area.

This programme has been developed over the last two and a half years with local schools, housing managers and community renewal officers and the Consultancy were commissioned to train 20 Officers in our AEY (Affecting Early Years) Programme to prepare them for their work on this scheme.

The scheme is split into 4 elements

• Early identification of offenders through Schools and other partners

• Training and Development of Police employees in our AEY (Affecting Early Years) Programme

• Positive activities for young people including
o Sport and physical activity
o Art & Drama
o Activities involving older communities to understand each other more

• Targeting those who have committed crimes and are on bail or any court order

In the last two and a half years the scheme, along with other initiatives, has led to the following reductions in crime across the Dudley Sector area, which covers, Wrens Nest, Priory, Milking Bank, Russells Hall, Scotts Green, Dudley Town Centre, Castlegate, Kates Hill and Sledmere areas.

1009 less crimes
198 less Serious Acquisitive Crimes (Robberies, Burglaries and Vehicle Crime)
201 less Criminal Damage crimes

(Crime figures April 2008 to December 2009)
West Midlands Police Officers during training
This new programme equip officers with a positive, strengths based approach in their work to divert young people who are at risk of offending or who are causing high level disruption.

Insp Dowen reported: “The aim of the Early Intervention programme is to start identifying and working with young people when they first come to our attention, which could be through reports from partners/members of the public, encountering them on the street or through them being arrested to name but a few. We trained 20 of our staff in a different way of working the “Affecting Early Years” which teaches them to work with young people to identify ways that they can keep themselves out of trouble. To date we have had a number of successes through the work we have done with the local schools, housing managers and neighbourhood renewal managers which has resulted in a large reduction in crime across our area”.

New Father's Programme launched by the Consultancy

The Consultancy launch our new programme for Fathers in September 2009 - accessible as an inhouse course for staff working with Fathers:

How to engage fathers using Solution Focused Motivational Interviewing

Parental involvement in a child’s schooling for a child between 7 and 16 is more powerful force than family background, size of family and parental education
Feinstein,L & Symons, J (1999) ATTAINMENT IN Secondary School, Oxford Economic Papers,51

In particular, a father’s interest in a child’s schooling is strongly linked to educational outcomes for the child.
Hobcraft (1998) Childhood Experience and the risk of social exclusion in adulthood. CASE Briefing Nov. 1998

The programme focuses on Fathers as parents and how to:

•Support Fathers to be actively involved in their children’s day-day life
•Support fathers to re-engage their links and contact with their children
•Support fathers to build effective relationship with their children
•Support fathers to effectively co-parent their children with their ex partner amicably
•Engage fathers in their children’s learning practical ideas

Rochdale P & I Team receive their certificates following P&I Training

Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council, Specialist Children In Care Team and colleagues from the Childrens Centre receive their Certificates from Director of Children & Families, Steve Garner, following their training in the Consultancy's 12 day training programme the Prevention & Intervention Programme. Rochdale MBC is the latest of eighteen local authorities to use the approach as part of their front line resource for strengthening families and safeguarding children.

This new initiative, supported by the Children’s Workforce Development Council, is committed to improving care planning and outcomes for young people living in three residential children’s homes. The team will also work intensively with young people aged 11+ at risk of entry into care and their families as well as those being rehabilitated with their families following a period spent in care.

Steve deShazer Placement implemented for Public Courses

Steve deShazer Placement implemented for Public Courses

We are pleased to announce that we have implemented a Donated Placement scheme at all our public courses in memory of Steve deShazer, co-founder, along with Insoo Kim Berg, of the Solution Focused Brief Therapy Model.

With the agreement of the board members at the Solution Focused Brief Therapy Association in USA, this scheme will be offered at all of our Public Courses beginning with our October and November courses this year.

This is in addition to our personal Michael John Murphy Bursary. Please apply by email info@brief-therapy-uk.com and an application form will be sent to you electronically. Our public courses for 2009 will be announced as they are arranged.

Mentoring as part of government strategy

A strategy for local authorities, schools, community groups and police was launched on 3rd June 2008 as the Government aims to work in partnership with communities to challenge prevent young people becoming involved in violence.

Eileen Murphy Consultants & Associates were commissioned by BUILD, a Community Development Project in Leicester as part of this remit.

The BUILD Mentors following their training with Eileen Murphy in Leicester.

Reducing Teenage Pregnancies in Southwark

staff receive their Completion Certificates from Chief Executive, Annie Sheppard, following the Helping Young People Achieve their Potential training

The London Borough of Southwark, until recently, had the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe - they are reducing this number by 15% according to recent statistics. This improvement is to due to the concentrated efforts of Southwark council and NHS primary care trust staff, not least the Southwark Sex & Relationship Education Team (SSRE).

To build on this, Eileen Murphy Consultants & Associates were commissioned to work with the SSRE Team staff along with education staff from across Southwark on our specialist programme Helping Young People Achieve their Potential. This eight day course covered one to one work and groupwork with young people in order to break negative patterns of low self image; under achievement within education and to help young people set themselves goals and targets that were in keeping with who they are as individuals in order to help them reach their potential.

The attendees of this course included staff from St Saviours and St Olaves Primary School, Harris East Dulwich School, Notre Dame School, St Thomas the Apostle College and Harris Bermondsey School. This eight-day course helped staff become fully immersed in this approach and on the final day, participants responded on how they would use this training in their work

“This is fresh, something new for me and an effective way to move forward with any young person, no matter how difficult their situation.”

“This training does not add to your workload but only allows you to think differently about how to approach a situation with a young person. I hope to use this with some of my students who I feel will benefit from this.”

“Trying to implement change requires this strategy – it should be mandatory for all workers.”

Supported Volunteering for Young People

Our Peer Mentoring project was being implemented with PALS and Voluntary Services, St. Martin's Hospital, Littlebourne Road, Canterbury, Kent.  Supported Volunteering for Young People, developed at St Martin's Hospital, aims to support and encourage young people (aged over 16 years) who have experienced social exclusion through mental ill health.

The project finds vocational or 'just for fun' volunteering placements in the community depending on the client's specific skills and interests. Volunteering can be a daunting prospect, and clients may require a little extra support whilst at their placement, so the project recruits volunteer mentors, from all backgrounds and of any age, to provide essential one-to-one guidance.

Each volunteer mentor attends our Solution Focused Mentoring Programme. Catherine Herbert, the Co-ordinator of the Project at Martin's Hospital gives feedback to date "The support provided by the volunteer mentors is invaluable and integral to the success of this project, and mentors have seen increased levels of confidence, communication and independent thinking in their mentees. Recent project evaluation provided by the East Kent base, attests that "our clients have made new friends and contacts, improved their work prospects, increased their sense of worth in a community context, and perhaps most importantly, have felt 'listened to' and supported by their mentors. In return, clients have given hundreds of hours of voluntary work to their local community, businesses and organisations, many of which have been able to provide services that would not have been economically viable without voluntary workers".

Sandwell Family Solutions

Sandwell Family Solutions Team undertake the Prevention & Intervention Training programme.
The Team, led by Terry Braithwaite, receiving their completion certificates from Eileen Murphy at the close of training in May 2007

Michael John Murphy Bursary

This 2010 receipient of the Michael John Murphy Bursary is Emmaus Oxford

HRH Duchess of Cornwall with Emmaus Oxford

Steve James, the Project Manager, pictured above at the opening of the project, explains the remit of Emmaus: "We provide accommodation to people who are at risk or are homeless - we provide clients with a reason to their day, a reason to have hope for the future, to get skills they need to move on in their lives and to help others at the same time. We do this by attempting to create a home environment, and giving everyone a role to play within the community, whether that be the cooking, cleaning or working at the furniture recycling store".

For further details of how to apply for the Bursary for 2011 - please click the link to find out more.
Michael John Murphy Bursary

Hertswood Arts College implement our Business Mentoring Programme

Teachers and SENCO staff at the Hertswood Arts College in Herts during training in our Solution Focused Business Mentor course March 2006. Local Business leaders were trained earlier in the day in this pilot programme following the recent success of our Young Mentor Programme implemented with pupils in 2005

London Borough of Merton Prevention and Intervention

The Managers and staff at London Borough of Merton Family Support Team and Phoenix Project hold an Information Day arranged to explain their work to colleagues following the Prevention & Intervention Training programme in 2005

Oxfordshire Council launch their Prevention & Intervention Team

Following the intensive training programme with a Team specifically recruited to lead the Service, Oxfordshire Council launched their P & I Service.

Oxfordshire Local Authority implement our Prevention & Intervention Programme as part of their Children & Services Plan to reduce the numbers of children and young people coming into the care system under Section 20.

The Oxford Prevention & Intervention Practitioners receiving their completion certificates from
Director of Social Services, Charles Waddicor

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

Director of Social Services, Linda Warren, launches the first Solution Focused Residential Centre

Following the implementation of our Prevention & Intervention Programme training with Family Support staff at Dudley, the Authority commissioned our Solution Focused Residential Unit Programme for Parkes Street Residential Centre.

The ethos of our Solution Focused Residential Unit training is that young people respond better to raised expectations than warnings and sanctions. On the basis that mistrust is easier to betray than trust, young people are taught in real ways about justice, responsibility and respect for others.

Linda Warren, Director of Social Services, cuts the ribbon at Parkes Street Solution Focused Residential Centre, left to right - Eileen Murphy, Lorna McCrook, Manager of the Centre and Linda Warren.

Linda Warren, Lorna McCrook and the Parkes Street Team

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council implement the Prevention & Intervention training programme

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council implement our Prevention & Intervention training programme with their designated team. .





Top Left: Linda Warren, Director of Dudley Social Services, opens the Launch Day
Top Right: The Prevention and Intervention team at Dudley recieve their Completion Certificates from Pauline Sharratt - Assistant Director - Children & Famillies, Jane Prashar - Head of Services, Childrens Resources and John Donnelly - Service Manager, Family Support Services and Eileen Murphy.
Bottom Left: Clare Payne facilitating an experiential exercise from the P&I Anger Management Groupwork Programme with delegates.
Bottom Right: Emma Cole, faciliating an experiential exercise from the P&I Parenting the Teenager Groupwork Programme with delegates.

Tamil Welfare Group UK

Charanjit Kang from the Parenting Education & Support Forum, Staff and Members of the Tamil Welfare Group UK and Eileen Murphy at the close of training

The South London Tamil Welfare Group has a long history of community work going back more than 20 years. Tamils who settle in the UK, especially those who arrived after 1995 had experienced difficulties with parenting and they needed a different approach. They were cultural and communication conflicts between parents and children, relationship breakdowns, lack of awareness and knowledge of UK Law. Parents lacked confidence and their parenting styles were out of context in the UK. (Raji Chandirassegarane, SLTWG)

Eileen Murphy Consultants were identified by the Tamil Welfare Group UK which is their proposed new title as their partners in the development of their plan to provide Parenting Programmes to the Tamil Community.

The Consultancy provided training to the staff and Committee members of the Group over a period of 6 sessions in preparation for a specific team within the Group to implement the Consultancy's Parenting the 21st Century Child and Parenting the Teenager Groupwork Programmes direct with parents.

The training included:

- Parenting in the UK
- The Solution Focused Approach to working in partnership with parents
- Experiential exercises in the consultancy's parenting programmes
- The visuals of the Examine, Repair Move On Approach (Murphy '93)
- Child Law in the UK
- Facilitator Skills

The aim of the Tamil Welfare Group UK is to provide Parenting in the UK programmes to the Tamil Community and also to further develop the services they can offer Social Services and the Voluntary Sector in their liaison with the Tamil Community.

The Group aim to provide Parenting Groups in the wider community as their development plans are implemented and Eileen Murphy Consultants will remain involved to offer their support.

The photo above was taken at the last day of training which was carried out in London throughout June and July 2004.

Sadly, Saverimuthu Stanislaus MBE, Chair of the South London Tamil Welfare Group, died in February 2006. Mr Stanislaus was a kind and courteous man with whom it was a great pleasure to work with and learn from and his laughter and wisdom stays with all who met him.

South Yorkshire Mentoring

Eileen Murphy (second, right) was the keynote speaker at the South Yorkshire Mentoring Network Project conference in Rotherham.

The project provides support and training to organisations involved in developing and improving mentoring schemes or programmes. Representatives and partners from voluntary and charity sectors, as well as local training providers, schools, colleges and businesses attended the event organised by career management and development company, Lifetime.

Pictured are guest speakers Richard Wafe, Lifetime. Val Jowell, Business & Education South Yorkshire. John Nicholls, Quality Consultant for the National Mentoring Network. Eileen Murphy, Eileen Murphy Consultants. Kate Atkinson, Excellent in Mentoring Project Co-ordinator based at Lifetime.
www.symentoring.org

Times Education Supplement article

Following our Solution Focused Training - Working to Prevent Disaffection & Exclusion programme with the East Lothian Inclusion Service, Scotland last year and again this year - the reduction in the exclusion rate compared to the rising number around the rest of Scotland resulted in the following article in the Times Education Supplement.

The Guardian Education Article

We were asked to provide an answer under the Ask the Expert slot for the Education Guardian about what to do with a pupil who has become isolated from the school culture. Our response was to hold a "What's Working?" meeting: see article by clicking the link below.
Pupil Exclusion

BBC Radio Interview on Parenting Matters

Eileen Murphy recently contributed to a debate about modern Parenting Skills on BBC Radio 5-Live. during the interview with John Pinnear (see visual below) she expressed a call for Parenting to be added to the National Curriculum. At one point, when voicing her support for legislation that would make the smacking of children illegal - a caller referred to her as a "60s Liberal". Eileen reminded the caller that she was but a child in the 60s and that she just had an old lady's voice!

Mentoring

The Solution Focused Mentor Programme covered by Community Care Magazine in September 2003

Our Solution Focused Mentor Programme was implemented by Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council in July - August 2003 as part of the Borough's Summer Reloaded programme - we trained 18 year old students to work directly with children and young people who attended the activities. We also provided weekly support and supervision sessions for them throughout the six week scheme.

Our training with the students was delivered in the same vein as professional training, just as it was with the peer Mentors for the Liverpool SPLASH project last year and the response is always that the students behave as professionals

Sally Gunnell and her colleagues, Walsall Councillor and Mentors at the close of the programme

To partner the programme we implemented a Parenting Programme direct with the parents of the children attending the programme

Secure Unit Programme

Our Solution Focused Secure Unit programme has attracted a great deal of interest from around the country. If you would like details do please contact us direct. An evaluation was carried out in February 2003 on the impact that the Solution Focused Secure Unit training has had on the staff and residents at Gladstone Secure Unit in Liverpool following its implementation of our staff training and development programme with all the staff involved. If you are interested in seeing the evaluation report, please contact us by telephone 0208 542 9310 or email us at: info@brief-therapy-uk.com and we will send you a copy by email or in the post. Click the link below to access the article from the Council People magazine Solution Focused Secure Unit article