Professional Training & Support

 

Professional Training

The Mid Tendring Education Partnership Family Support Team can support requests to provide a range of professional training programmes to include:

SMART THINKINGSmartThinking

 Mid Tendring Education Partnership delivers the Smart Thinking Programme ,which is a group intervention focused on developing interpersonal and social thinking skills.

Understanding the link between our own feelings, thoughts and behaviour is important, so that good judgements can be made. This inclusive programme is particularly beneficial for an individual pupil with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs.

Who is SMART THINKING for?

The programme can be used for whole class groups targeting all the children. It can also be used in small groups to support the progress of specific children experiencing

difficulties in the area of interpersonal and social thinking skills. With appropriate differentiation of the activities the programme can be used with children from Early Years to Secondary age.

Pupils who may particularly benefit from Smart Thinking include those who may:

  • be experiencing social and interpersonal difficulties with peers and/or adults;
  • have difficulties with anger management;
  • have low self-esteem;
  • have attendance difficulties/issues;
  • have attention/concentration difficulties;
  • have behaviour and/or emotional difficulties;
  • have had internal exclusions;
  • have been excluded from lunchtimes;
  • have had fixed-term exclusions;
  • have friendship difficulties.

For each SMART THINKING group or class there needs to be a minimum of six sessions

to enable the pupils sufficient time to practise and refine this thinking process. The main focus of each session is to develop the principles behind successful interpersonal social thinking skills. Stop, Think, Choose, Do – these actions lie at the heart of this process.

If you would be interested in SMART THINKING please contact the Family Support Team.

 

 

Pacs 

The PACS Project

PACS is an exciting 6 week early intervention programme that can be co-delivered by the Family Support Workers with identified school staff.

Who is PACS for?

PACS is aimed at vulnerable pupils in years 5, 6, 7 and 8 and designed to help children develop positive assertive strategies for dealing with situations that will arise as they make the transition into senior school and during the first two years at their new school. Working in small groups of a maximum of 12, pupils are challenged to look at the impact their behaviour has on others and to look at alternative ways they could respond to difficult situations.

How does the programme work?

The programme runs over a 6 week period.

Weeks 1 and 4 are led by the PACS trainer with support from the school’s learning mentor.

In weeks 2, 3 and 5 the school’s learning mentor meets with the group to reinforce the key messages from weeks 1 and 4.

Week 6 is an evaluation session where the young people review what they have learnt and are given certificates of attendance.

If you would be interested in PACS please contact the Family Support Team

 

Hands of respect

Discrimination Workshop

MTEP Family Workers have devised a bespoke Discrimination Workshop based on Disney to explore types of discrimination which can be delivered to individual classes or whole year groups.

Workshop Content

  • Ground Rules
  • Group Discussion on what is Discrimination & Prejudice
  • Group Exercise – Blue Eyes /Brown Eyes – discussion on how did this feel is it fair?
  • Disney Film Clip
  • Discussion on types of discrimination relating to the Disney Characters
  • Group Exercise – Discrimination Words and Phrases – Feedback
  • Group Exercise – Friendship Bingo
  • Group Exercise – Hand of Friendship

 

If you would be interested in the Discrimination Workshop please contact Liz Pickford

 

 

family

Developing the role of the MDA- Behaviour Management Training

The MTEP Family Support Workers can deliver a 6 week developing the role of the Mid Day Assistant Behaviour Management Training, which can be individually tailored to each school’s needs.

The training will look at:

  • Importance of Adult Behaviour in promoting good relationships
  • Developing Play with Children
  • What we Say & How we Say it
  • Developing Good Relationships
  • Respect, Praise, Encouragement & Rewards
  • Conflict, Coping with Confrontations, Mediating Conflict
  • Unwanted Behaviours
  • Strategies
  • Solving Problems Together
  • Resources for Rewards and Visual Reminders

If you would be interested in the MDA Training please contact Liz Pickford

familyPlay Leaders Training

What are Play Leaders

Playleaders are children themselves who support other children on the playground to

play games, resolve conflict peacefully, develop friendship skills. Playleaders need to be:

  • peers
  • good role models
  • volunteers.

In order to undertake their role well, they also need to be:

  • able to teach and play appropriate games
  • able to mediate and problem solve
  • trained and continuously supported by a named adult.

Aims of Play Leader Programme

Although the Playleader programme helps individual children to develop skills, it is also a whole school approach delivered over 6 sessions which aims to:

  • improve behaviour on the playground
  • provide a safe and supportive environment for all children to:
  • use and practice social skills
  • develop friendships
  • learn from peers and problem solve together
  • facilitate the learning of transferable skills through good peer role models
  • teach pupils appropriate playground games.

 

If you are interested in the Play leader Programme – please contact Liz Pickford

 

LSA Training

MTEP family Workers can provide training for LSA’s to enhance their knowledge and practise. Training takes place in school over a 3 week period. The sessions cover:

  • Behaviour Management Strategies
  • Effective De-escalation Strategies,
  • Misdirected goals of behaviour
  • Levels of intervention
  • Supporting children with SEN, Sensory Processing Disorder, Learning Difficulties & Social and Emotional wellbeing

 

If you are interested in the LSA training for your school, please contact Liz Pickford

 

Diversity image SEN – Parent Support Coffee Mornings

SEND Coffee Mornings are an informal opportunity, for parents of children with Special Educational Needs and or Disabilities to access support. The SEN Coffee Mornings allow for parents to meet other parents and discuss any concerns they have about their child’s SEND, Behaviour & Emotional Wellbeing in an informal friendly atmosphere over a cuppa and a biscuit. Coffee Mornings are usually held in school at the start of the day to fit in with drop off, and are facilitated by the MTEP Disability Family Worker, who can sign post to other agencies or complete a referral for support from MTEP as appropriate.

If you would be interested in having an SEN Coffee Morning established, please contact Liz Pickford.