Training events provide you with an opportunity to develop essential links with the Virtual School team and with other designated teachers (DTs), as we work together to increase the progress Telford and Wrekin children in care achieve in school.
If you don't have any children in care at your school it is still important that you stay up to date with the processes and expectations should a children in care join your school.
In addition, Ofsted is looking closely at the relationship individual schools have with the Virtual School team, information gained at network meetings has proven very useful to many schools during inspections. Education outcomes for children in care are a priority for Ofsted in the West Midlands region. Ofsted will be looking closely at how schools prioritise work with children in care when making inspection judgements.
Attachment and Trauma Informed Practice for Schools
This training session is for all staff in a school community, whether they be teachers, learning support assistants, school meals supervisors, or taxi drivers. The training provides an overview of the impact of trauma and the key principles and strategies that work to support young people who may have experienced trauma.
This course aims to:
- enable delegates to understand the key tenets of relational and attachment and trauma informed practice
- explore the importance of strong relationships for young people who may have experienced trauma and how to strengthen these
- understand the impact of trauma and how this may affect presenting behaviours.
- enable delegates to understand behaviour as a communication of need.
- demonstrate how to produce bespoke plans that support young people at each stage of emotional regulation.
- enable delegates to explore strategies to help young people regulate.
- help delegates understand what is meant by a restorative approach and how this can be used to support young people.
Learning objectives
After completing this training delegates will be able to:
- reflect on, develop and improve you own knowledge, understanding and practice in working with young people who may have experienced trauma
- describe the key tenets of attachment and trauma informed practice
- describe strategies that can be used to meet the needs of young people who may have experienced trauma.
The course is also accompanied by free toolkit which can be used to support the school’s development of attachment and trauma informed practice.
Duration: 1.5 hours
Cost: Free to all T&W LA Schools & Academies; £300 for Non Telford & Wrekin Schools
To book training please email virtualschool@telford.gov.uk for enquiries.
Bespoke Training
Telford & Wrekin Virtual School also offer bespoke training which can be tailored to your school. Our current suite of courses includes ‘Supporting Learners with ADHD’, ‘Understanding Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)’, ‘Emotionally Based School Avoidance’, ‘Attunement and Co-Regulation’, ‘Developing Wellbeing and Support Plans’ and ‘Using a Circle of Adults Process to Support Learners’. These sessions are charged at a rate of £300 for up to three hours (half day) and can also be delivered as a twilight session. We are continuing to add to our courses, so if you have a training need in mind, please contact us at virtualschool@telford.gov.uk and we will be happy to work with you to develop a training package or signpost you to existing training.
TIAAS awards (Telford & Wrekin Schools)
We are pleased to announce that 52% of Telford & Wrekin Schools have achieved the Bronze accreditation or above in recognition of their work to support Trauma and Attachment Awareness in their settings. We will review accreditation each term, so if you are a school leader and would like to submit any evidence of your practice and training, please share with us directly by emailing virtualschool@telford.gov.uk or by completing the audit in the members area of ARC.
The criteria for the accreditation follows the guidance set out by the TIAAS regional group.
The criteria for the Bronze Level award is:
- a review of current attachment and trauma informed practice (i.e. via the audit)
- completion of whole staff training (offered for free by Telford and Wrekin Virtual School) or with another approved provider.
- identification of a lead practitioner (i.e. Designated Teacher)
- evidence that staff are aware of the effect of trauma and attachment (i.e. through training).
The criteria for the Silver Level award is:
- complete and share audit of attachment and trauma informed practice, either via the ARC website, or via another means and share directly with Telford & Wrekin Virtual School
- produce an action plan as a result of this and share this with us
- a Relational Behaviour policy used or in development
- emotion coaching used regularly throughout the setting
- co-regulation and attunement evidenced in practice
- there are physical spaces within school that can be used to support regulation
- there are Staff Supervision systems in development or in use
- evidence of sharing of Trauma Informed Practice with families and the wider community.
The criteria for the Gold Level award is:
- Relational behaviour Policy produced and shared with T&W Virtual School and consistently implemented.
- Evidence of collaboration and connectivity with other settings and agencies.
- Completion and evidence of audit shows high level of trauma informed practice.
- Evidence of consistent work with parents and carers to include them in intervention plans with their children.
- Evidence of consistent work with parents / carers to coach them in attachment and trauma informed approaches.
- The setting hosts a local, regional or national event around TIAAS.
- Evidence of collaboration and connectivity with other settings and agencies.
- The physical environment has been reviewed and there are tangible changes that ensure the environment supports emotional regulation and safety (eg: zoning of playgrounds, dedicated regulation stations.
- Data on vulnerable groups shared with Virtual School and demonstrates evidence of impact (i.e. on academic outcomes, attendance, suspension rates)
- Trauma Informed approaches are a consistent part of the SEF and clear actions to further embed are highlighted (a concerted effort to avoid a feeling of mission accomplished)
- Trauma informed strategies are well embedded and can be clearly evidenced as to their consistency and impact (i.e. staff surveys, pupil voice)
- A commitment to co-regulation and seeing every interaction as an opportunity for intervention (Karen Treisman).
- Staff supervision system is embedded and regularly used.
- Case studies of action research shared with Virtual School.
Please contact us if you have any further questions or would like to book training with us to support your schools’ attachment and trauma aware practice at virtualschool@telford.gov.uk.
Designated Teacher and Nominated Governor Virtual School Annual Conference
Date: Friday 7 June 2024.
Time: 8.30am - 4pm.
Venue: Telford Mercure Hotel.
Course Content
The conference will provide you with an opportunity to develop links with the Virtual School, Health and Social Care colleagues and with other Designated Teachers, Designated Safeguarding Leads and Nominated Governors, as we work together to increase the progress Telford & Wrekin children in care and all children with a Social Worker make in school and beyond. Even if you currently have no children in care or children with a Social Worker at your school, it is important that you remain up to date with processes and expectations. In addition, Ofsted is looking quite closely at the relationship schools have with the Virtual School, and information gained at network meetings has proven very useful to many schools during inspection. Educational outcomes for children in care and children in need are a key priority for Ofsted in the West Midlands Region and inspectors have told us that they will be looking closely at how a school prioritises work with children in care and vulnerable learners when making inspection judgements.
Key Outcomes
Attendance will help to ensure schools comply with statutory duties for Children in Care, previously Looked after Children and Children with a Social Worker.
The conference will provide:
- opportunities to network
- share best practice
- keep up to date with the latest research and developments
Download the CPD booking form to book your place, once you have completed the form, please email it to cpdschoolimprovement@telford.gov.uk.
Designated Teacher (DTs) Termly Network meetings and Nominated Governor Network meetings
The network meetings are open to all DTs, whether from a primary or secondary, mainstream or special school, or from a PRU. DTs are also welcome to sign up their governor for CiC and post-LAC to attend the Nominated Governor Network meetings.
The network meetings provide ongoing support with the PEP, further updates on statutory duties and a forum for professional discussions and sharing of effective practice with regards to improving outcomes for CiC.
Dates
Dates of our sessions have been booked for academic year 2023-2024
- Combined Designated Teacher's Network and Nominated Governor Network for compulsory school age
Wednesday 6 March 2024 - 4pm - 5.30pm via Microsoft Teams. - Designated Teacher Network meeting for post 16
Wednesday 28 February 2024 at 4pm - 5.30pm via Microsoft Teams.
To book a place on one of these sessions please complete the School Improvement CPD Booking form using the relevant training code and return to CPDSchool.Improvement@telford.gov.uk.
Early Years Designated Safeguarding Leads / Coordinators - termly update
The termly meetings will provide an update on:
- local and national data
- information related to outcomes from Ofsted inspections
- relevant legislation
- DfE and other national developments, strategies and issues, assessment and models
- CPD opportunities
- Early Years Education Adviser - Virtual School team for children in care.
Dates:
- 21 March 2024 - 4pm - 5.30pm
- 13 June 2024 - 4pm - 5.30pm.
The venue for the above dates is to be confirmed.
Visit the School Performance webpage to book your place on our sessions
Other training opportunities
The Psychology and Pupil Support Service are able to offer a variety of attachment training options to schools and settings in Telford and Wrekin. In the first instance please contact the Virtual School team to discuss training needs:
Email: virtualschool@telford.gov.uk
Online Personal Education Plan (PEP) refresher / new to role training
As a Virtual School we offer the following CPD for new and existing Designated Teachers that will cover the following areas:
- accessing and completing the online PEP - step by step presentation
- support with the writing of SMART target
- Pupil Premium Grant (PPG) spend and guidance
- the PEP quality assurance form and non negotiables
- SDQ (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) completed annually every spring term
- Arts and Culture entitlement - new requirement from September 2021
The sessions and training are for all school staff / Designated Practitioners in Early Years settings that lead and complete the online PEPs for your children in care as well as Designated Teachers.
The next available dates for academic year 2023 - 2024 are:
- Monday 22 April 2024 - 4pm - 5.30pm
- Tuesday 23 April 2024 - 9.30am - 11am
If you would like to book onto any of the sessions listed above please email kerriann.hughes@telford.gov.uk.
(Please note: the sessions will be held remotely using Microsoft Teams unless otherwise stated).
St Giles Trust
St Giles is a charity using expertise and real-life past experiences to empower people who are not getting the help they need.
People held back by poverty, exploited, abused, dealing with addiction or mental health problems, caught up in crime or a combination of these issues and others.
We show people there is a way to build a better future - for themselves and those they care about and help them create this through support, advice and training.
School Performance CPD offer - 2023 - 2024
The School Performance Team is a dedicated, experienced and highly qualified team of professionals, offering a range of support to schools - both across the curriculum and through all ages and phases, from the EYFS to Key Stage 5. Building on existing expertise in schools, they offer a comprehensive programme of continuing professional development (CPD) courses throughout the year to help teachers develop a culture of high quality teaching and learning in schools, and respond to the specific needs of schools to the local, regional and national agenda.
To find out more and to book onto a CPD training session, please visit the School Performance page.
Welcome to Beacon House
Beacon House is a specialist, innovative and creative therapeutic service for young people, families and adults.
With a special interest in working with individuals of all ages who have experienced trauma and loss, we are passionate about offering safe and effective therapies in a way that enables people to re-build their lives following stress and adversity.
Beacon House is passionate about developing freely available resources so that knowledge about the repair of trauma and adversity is in the hands of those who need it. Please feel free to use our resources in your home or work setting.
Last updated: 01/02/2024 16:09
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