Training & Support
Overview
Investing heavily in staff training and development requires careful and thoughtful planning.
Our training programme exceeds the national minimum standards, as we provide staff with opportunities to develop their knowledge, skills and practice, whilst supporting further specialist and vocational learning.The overall programme is on going and flexible, retaining mandatory sector-relevant learning and refreshers, in addition to specialised practice-led training in order to meet the changing demands of the worker’s roles.
Therapeutic Crisis Intervention(TCI) sits at the top of our priorities and underpins our ethos and way of working within the organisation. It is an essential course for staff and provides crucial learning to ensure the safety and security of the vulnerable young people we work with. It does this whilst empowering staff with vast knowledge and tools they need to intervene in the most appropriate ways and enable young people to learn from crisis.
This comprehensive course incorporates behaviour management, intervention approaches and knowledge of the Crisis Cycle and Stress Model of Crisis. Developed in the US by Cornell University, TCI is regarded in the sector as an excellent model for providing support to young people and promoting positive behaviour. We have trained a number of our own staff to deliver this course internally and to provide additional support to staff teams where required, as well as to design and deliver refresher training to all staff twice a year.
Induction and Core Training
We have established a comprehensive induction programme for care staff new to the organisation; a four week classroom programme incorporating meeting registered managers and house visits, followed by a period of shadowing, work-based coaching, research, observations and reflective practice.
In order to pass the induction process, staff must complete six written tests and evidence that they can meet the Childrens Workforce Development Council (CWDC)/Care Council for Wales (CCfW) induction standards.
Course forming part of the induction and the core training programme include:-
TCI
Communication, Teamwork and Lone Working
Stress Management
Report Writing and Record Keeping
Child Protection
Legislation and Child Care Law
Every Child Matters
Inappropriate Sexualised Behaviour
First Aid
Child Development
Attachment Theory
Education
Introduction to clinical services
Fire, Health & Safety, Manual Handling
Food Safety in Catering
Equality of Opportunity, Diversity
Medication
Children’s Homes Regulations/National Minimum Standards
Policies and Procedures
Specialised Training
Given the complexities of the young people we care for, we offer a wide variety of further specialised training...
This is delivered by external as well as internal specialists, including many of our own staff who now provide training courses to colleagues. As well as being competent in specialist areas, our own staff are put through teacher/trainer courses before delivering in-house courses. These include Train the Trainer courses, City and Guilds 7307, and the newly established PTLLS (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector).
Examples of specialised courses include:
Autism
Self Harm
Inappropriate Sexualised Behaviour
Appropriate Adult
Drugs Awareness
Mental Health
Suicide
Sexual Awareness
Life Story Work
Children’s Rights
Healthy Care
Working with Young People Post Abuse
Where the additional needs of young people require further specialised staff training, this is organised on a needs-led basis.
As members of the Charterhouse Group and Community of Communities, we use the Therapeutic Standards for Children and Young People as benchmarks in our work with young people. In addition to the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention training, we are further developing learning opportunities by linking the theory of therapeutic work with its practice in the workplace. (See below).
Qualifications
Specific learning and development opportunities for all levels of the organisation are planned throughout the year...
A range of courses are offered to staff in the company, from inductee level to manager and director level. These may include high level specialist training through internal and external providers, as well as vocational training as part of the regulatory requirements.
The National Minimum Standards expectation for residential care workers is that 80% or above should have NVQ level 3 in Health and Social Care (Caring for Children and Young People). A target set for April 2010 which we easily met and continue to exceed. Many of our staff qualify beyond the NVQ level 3 by completing Foundation Modern Apprenticeships, incorporating key skills and a technical certificate to enhance their knowledge.
Career progression routes for residential care workers would be to a deputy management role, followed by a registered manager role. At deputy manager level, we aim to equip our staff with the skills and qualifications to make the transition to a registered manager position with ease through a bespoke development programme. This helps to raise the quality of work in our homes and provide excellent services for the young people we care for, whilst developing our staff in preparation for them to confidently take on management opportunities as they arise. NVQ level 4 in Care and Management is the usual route for deputy managers to follow and we also use Modern Skills Diplomas to promote additional learning.
Whilst we mainly use external NVQ providers to take staff through the NVQ route, we do encourage our own staff to become assessors, especially at management and deputy manager level. This enables us to more fully support our staff as they undertake NVQ qualifications and provide work-based learning opportunities and observations to use as evidence throughout these awards.
Foundation Degree
Whilst regulatory requirements centre on National Vocational Qualifications, we are keen to provide staff with the opportunity to gain higher level qualifications through a foundation degree course in Therapeutic Practice...
This course enables staff to study at a higher level and is a progression from the vocational qualifications required. Each group has several years' experience of working with young people and can undertake the first year of the course by the Accredition of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL). This involves the completion of three detailed modules drawing on their training and experience to demonstrate and evidence the learning outcomes.
The modules cross reference with the Therapeutic Standards for Children and Young People (Community of Communities) and therefore demonstrate that practice and learning are linked, evidence based and validated. If you require further information about any of the above training, please contact us on 01952-504715.