Training

Good News! Funding for TaMHS courses has become available through the Virtual School; using grant funding they have received from DFE as part of their expanded duty beyond Children in Care to include a strategic leadership role for all children and young people who have had or currently have a social worker. 

TaMHS is regarded as a trusted partner for providing good quality training to education settings through a range of courses which supports the narrowing of the attainment gap for this cohort of children and young people.

Therefore, all TaMHS courses that are provided by Northamptonshire’s North and West educational psychology services are free for participants for the current academic year. Priority places will go to state-funded Northamptonshire schools. Please note any charges already paid will be refunded.

Training courses

The TaMHS training courses for the 2022 to 2023 academic year are available to book from 1 September 2022. Please click on the courses below for more information and access to the Eventbrite booking site. 

If you would like a copy of TaMHS training brochure to keep, please email us at the address listed at the bottom of the page.

A cognitive behavioural approaches programme to promote resilience and coping skills in children and young people

​DateTimeVenue​Cost​

​2 and 23 November 2022

​9:30am to 12:30pm

​Delivered virtually

​Free

Please note, the date for the first session has been changed since we first published this training. We will alert all current delegates via email - if you cannot make the new date please cancel your place via Eventbrite. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

About the course:

We know that research into promoting and developing resilience shows that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) helps children and young people cope better with challenges in their lives. The Northamptonshire Educational Psychology Service (EPS) have therefore written a programme for Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 students, underpinned by cognitive behavioural approaches, which aims to:

  • Teach life skills for coping with challenging situations
  • Normalise states of emotional distress, and develop self-regulation and self-soothing skills
  • Build positive social networks and role models, and teach constructive peer relationship skills, thus reducing bullying
  • Improve attitudes to learning and academic performance

This programme can be delivered at the universal level or to small groups. All staff who attend this training will receive a PDF of session plans including resources that can be used in each session, which will enable them to deliver the programme. They will also be signposted to other resources that will further support the implementation of the programme.

This course is aimed at teachers, teaching assistants and pastoral support staff who work with all children and young people, and those with social, emotional and mental health needs. Please note that this training runs over 2 days. Delegates must attend training on both dates. Please book your place for both days.

Aims:
This online training aims to enable school staff to:
  • Facilitate this programme within their educational settings
  • Understand the theoretical underpinnings of the programme including the cognitive behavioural therapy model and the relationship between risk and preventative factors and resilience
  • Identify the skills needed to run the programme within their setting
​DateTime​Location​​Cost
​7 December 2022​9:30am to 12:30pm​Delivered virtually​Free
About the course:

Adolescence is a time of major transition from childhood to adulthood, and a time of striking changes in the brain, with huge reorganisation and restructuring alongside development of more advanced functions. In fact, the brain doesn’t function or look like an adult brain until the early twenties. Advances in brain imaging using MRI scans now tell us that adolescence features a second ‘wave’ of brain growth and provides an opportunity to re-wire the brain dependent on learning. Along with huge changes in hormone levels and brain chemistry, adolescent brain research has much to tell us about how young adults learn, socialise and behave, and the best ways to keep them motivated and keep them safe.

This course is aimed at any professionals who work with adolescents and want to learn more about how they can support them. 

Aims:

This half-day training seeks to provide participants with: 

  • A foundation in human brain development and brain function
  • A greater understanding of how adolescent brains change and develop
  • Awareness of adolescent skills, abilities and vulnerabilities due to brain changes
  • Knowledge around risk taking and reward, thinking about how to keep adolescents safe
  • Practical ideas about what we can do to support adolescent brain development and how to engage and motivate young people in learning
 Book Adolescent Brains
Book on Adolescent Brains training
DateTime​
​Location
​Cost
​10 October 2022​10am to 12noon​Delivered virtually​Free
About the course:

Anxiety is a natural feeling we all experience from time to time which can be useful when we face new or stressful situations. It can be our body’s way of preparing us to face a challenge by releasing a hormone called adrenaline which causes an alert and ready to react response sometimes known as ‘fight or flight’

All children and young people can get anxious and this is a normal as they grow up to develop their survival skills. However sometimes Anxiety can occur too often and at the wrong time and this may affect a child’s everyday life, development and relationships. Recent research suggests that as many as 1 in 6 young people will experience an anxiety condition at some point in their lives, this means that up to 5 people in a class may be living with higher levels of anxiety, whether that be OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), social anxiety and shyness, exam stress, worry or panic attacks.

This course is aimed at professionals working with children and young people in a range of settings.

Aims:

This half-day training aims to enable school staff to: 

  • Understand that anxiety can be adaptive and part of the normal development of children and young people.
  • Know that anxiety has cognitive, physiological and behavioural components.
  • Be aware of ways to support children experiencing higher levels of anxiety and where further help and resources can be accessed.
Book on Anxiety training
Book on Anxiety training
​DateTime​Location​​Cost
​6 October 2022​9:30am to 12:30pm​Delivered virtually​Free
About the Course:

Emotional Regulation is an essential process for all children, helping them to be in a brain state for learning. The pressures of 21st Century living have increased the prevalence of anxiety in children, which is transferred to their lived experience in school, where we may experience their behaviour as angry outbursts or ‘inappropriate responses.’ As educators and carers of children we can understand what is happening in their brains and bodies and model a range of techniques that children can use in order to improve their emotional regulation. 

Emotional Regulation Toolkits can be used in the home, across the whole school, with whole classes, with small groups and with individual children.

Aims:
This online training aims to enable participants to become aware of: 
  • The importance of co-regulating emotions with children, as in a healthy attachment.
  • The relationship between the brain, feelings and the body.
  • The importance of labelling feelings and recognising when children don’t feel safe.
  • Techniques to help regulate feelings with children using the 7 points of Relax Kids.
  • Ways of helping those children who have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences.
  • Mindfulness and other techniques to use with children.
  • What might go into the box?
Book on Emotional Regulation Toolkit training
DateTime​Location​​Cost
​5 October 2022​9:30am to 12noon​Delivered virtually​Free

About the course:

This session serves to help schools prepare for the unwelcome but possible occurrence of a critical or tragic event happening at school or within the school community and adversely affecting the school. Unfortunately, incidents such as a child, student, staff death or other sudden tragic events affecting the school community traumatically, can happen when we least expect it. In our experience of supporting schools, the benefits of being prepared to ensure the best possible response to supporting the school community have been found to greatly enhance positive outcomes.

This course is suitable for anyone within the school community who already has, or is considering having a role in taking a lead in an incident or supporting staff and / or students following an incident.

Aims:

This half-day training session will introduce participants to:

  • Guidance materials which consider the need for addressing necessary organisational structures, communication issues, and need for psychological support for those experiencing distress
  • The focus of interventions that help the school to cope with the impact of a critical incident
  • Strategies and approaches which help to bring the school back to normal routines and functioning as quickly as possible
Book on Critical Incident training
DateTime​Location​Cost​
​15 November 20221:15pm to 3:30pm​​Delivered virtually​Free

About the course:

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child acknowledges the family as the fundamental unit of society. It stresses the role of parents as the primary care-givers with responsibility for the up-bringing of their children and obliges governments to support parents in fulfilling their essential role. 

Why is it important to understand Emotional Well-being in younger children? It is a common misperception that infants and toddlers are too young to remember or be impacted by domestic violence, but the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study tells us that what happens early in life matters.

Research in neuroscience (brain and nervous system) tells us that infants and toddlers are most vulnerable, because trauma that occurs during this stage impacts a child’s well-being. Studies show that far from watching passively, children experience the abuse with all of their senses entire system, including those systems that help infants build capacity for self regulation. A quarter (25%) of children in high-risk domestic abuse households are under 3 years old.

On average, high-risk abuse has been going on for 2.6 years, meaning these children are living with abuse for most of their life 2. Research has shown that infants as younger as one year old can experience trauma symptoms as a result of witnessing domestic violence (Bogat, G.A., 2005). Children’s age and developmental stage is a vital factor often not taken into account by mainstream services, particularly with children under three.

For teachers and support staff working with children in Early Years, Reception or Year 1, this course is aimed at developing understanding of factors for healthy emotional development in younger children and strategies for enhancing this. 

Aims:

  • Develop an understanding of what healthy emotional development looks like in younger children
  • Develop an understanding of factors that can help and hinder healthy emotional development in younger children
  • Develop an understanding that adult emotional availability is pivotal to younger children’s emotional health
  • Develop an understanding of disrupted care and likely effect on younger children: may become anxious; may complain of tummy-aches or start to wet their bed; may include eating problems, sleep disturbances, lack of normal responsiveness to others, difficulty going to sleep, have temper tantrums and start to behave as if they are much younger than they are. They may also find it difficult to separate when they start nursery or school.
  • Have practical guidance on how early years settings, child minders and schools can create nurturing environments that support emotional well-being (e.g. nurturing relationships, kindness, fun, safe spaces, key adults, Educational Psychology Service).
  • Increase their knowledge of effective techniques for enhancing emotional well-being e.g. EPS EY SEMH project; The Solihull Approach; Emotion Coaching – using CONNECT model for younger children; ELSA.
  • Highlight how working in partnership with families strengthens emotional well-being
​DateTime​Location​Cost​
​7 February 2023​9:30am to 12noon​Delivered virtually​Free

About the course:

Executive Functions (EF) help us to complete a task, filter distractions, resist inappropriate or non-productive impulses, and sustain attention during a particular activity. We use them to set goals and plan ways to meet them, assess our progress along the way, and adjust the plan if necessary, whilst managing emotions, such as frustration. These skills are important for all of us to be able to respond to the demands of everyday life, and are hugely important for learning.

This course is aimed at teachers, teaching assistants and pastoral support staff who work with all children and young people, and those with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Aims:
  • To develop an understanding of what executive functions are and why they are important
  • To understand what difficulties in executive functioning look like
  • To find out about activities and strategies you can use in school to support children’s executive functions and as a result their readiness to learn
Book on Executive Functioning training
​DateTime​​LocationCost​
16 March 2023​9:30am to 12noon​Delivered virtually​Free

About the course:

Action for Happiness - a movement for positive social change, with the goal of happiness for everyone- have reviewed the latest research from psychology and related fields considering what influences our levels of happiness. Everyone's path to happiness is different, but the evidence suggests that there are some commonalities in what can help us to experience greater levels of happiness. 

Action for Happiness have brought together this research to develop the ‘Ten Keys for Happier Living’ all of which consistently have a positive impact on people's happiness and well-being. 

Aims:

This training aims to: 

  • Provide an overview of the ‘Ten Keys for Happier Living’ based on the ‘Great Dream’ model by Action for Happiness
  • Provide information about the Keys to Happier Living Toolkit for primary schools (Key Stage 2)
Book on Keys to Happier Living Training
​Date​TimeLocation​Cost​
​24 January 2023​9:30am to 12noon​Delivered virtually​Free

About the course:

LEGO® Based Therapy is a highly structured evidence based intervention, aimed at developing the social communication skills of children aged 5-14 from a variety of backgrounds. The intervention draws on the predictability and interest of LEGO®, allowing for an adult to facilitate problem solving and social communication learning. In LEGO® Based Therapy, social skills are learnt and practiced from peers within an environment which mimics real life, overcoming a key limitation on many social interventions.

The training in Northamptonshire was developed and is delivered by our Educational Psychologists who have substantial research and practical expertise within the intervention. It has been designed to focus on how this clinical intervention can be successfully implemented in a school environment and be accessible to school staff.

This training is underpinned by an evidence based approach ensuring a better chance of witnessing the benefits which include: 
  • Shared attention
  • Collaboration
  • Listening
  • Social communication
  • Shared enjoyment

This course is aimed at teachers, teaching assistants and pastoral support staff who work with all children and young people, and those with social, emotional and mental health needs

Aims:

  • An understanding of the underlining theories and principles
  • Training on peer-led adult facilitation
  • Practical applications and setting up in school
  • Identification and monitoring progress
  • Intervention fidelity
  • Unique resources created for successfully implementing in school
Book on LEGO® based therapy training

​Date

Time​Location​​Cost
​19 April 2023​9:30am to 12noon​Delivered virtually​Free
About the course:

Every child has the right to be involved in decisions made about them as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and numerous other sources of law and guidance. Involving the child in decisions about them as well as the process of changing their own behaviours enhances their sense of autonomy, competence and belonging; increases their motivation and contributes to positive emotional wellbeing. Using psychological theory and techniques including Personal Construct Psychology and Solution Focused Approaches, this session will help practitioners to understand and gain the child’s perspective of a particular situation, thus enabling them to share their views. 

This course is aimed at teachers, teaching assistants and pastoral support staff who work with all children and young people, and those with social, emotional and mental health needs.

Aims:
  • An understanding of the benefits of gaining a rich picture of the child’s perspective
  • Awareness of the key principles for consulting with children and young people
  • Practical guidance on talking with children and young people
  • Knowledge of effective techniques for eliciting children and young people’s views
All of which will enable children and young people’s voices to be heard, so that they are at the centre of any decisions.
Book on Listening to Children training
​Date​TimeLocation​​Cost
​23 May 2023​1pm to 3pm​Delivered virtually​Free

About the course:

Change is a normal part of everyday life and can provide opportunities for personal growth and development of sense of self-efficacy and resilience. Whilst it can be a time of great excitement and opportunity, for some children and young people school transitions can be really difficult. As a result, they can have a negative impact on wellbeing and academic achievement.

Northamptonshire Educational Psychology Service have developed a four session programme to support this transfer which is specifically designed to be delivered by year 6 class teachers. This programme recommends a range of activities with pupils including group discussion, written work and practical tasks. Through the programme, pupils are encouraged to reflect on their strengths and achievements and to capture their important memories of primary school.

The sense of loss they may experience in leaving their friends, staff and the familiarity of their previous school is normalised alongside their worries and the sense of excitement they may feel about starting a new school. The implications and effects of COVID 19 are also highlighted and recognised. Coping strategies are explored and pupils are encouraged to find out facts about their new secondary school and to identify a network of support to reduce their potential anxieties. The webinar explains the rationale and research behind the programme, psychoeducational information and lesson content.

Staff who attend the session will receive all resources required to deliver the programme. This course is aimed at teachers, teaching assistants and pastoral support staff who work with all children and young people, and those with social, emotional and mental health needs.

Aims:

  • An understanding of potential difficulties that come with transitions.
  • An understanding of the research into transitions and rationale behind the transition programme.
  • Knowledge and skills to deliver the programme to support pupils with a more successful transition.

Book on Promoting positive transitions Year 6 training

​DateTime​​LocationCost​
​6 June 2023​1pm to 3pm​Delivered virtually​Free

About the course:

Change is a normal part of everyday life and can provide opportunities for personal growth and development of sense of self-efficacy and resilience. Whilst it can be a time of great excitement and opportunity, for some children and young people, school transitions can be really difficult. As a result, they can have a negative impact on their wellbeing and academic achievement. Research has shown it can take the duration of year 7 to settle into their new school and adjust to their environment and routine. Bridging the gap between primary and secondary schools and providing a continuation of support into secondary is key.

Northamptonshire Educational Psychology Services have developed a four-session programme to support this transfer which is specifically designed to be delivered by year 7 class teachers to help their students settle into secondary school. This programme recommends a range of activities with pupils including group discussion, written work, and practical tasks. This programme can help tutors build rapport with their students whilst developing class peer relations. Students are encouraged to reflect on their strengths, achievements, and primary school memories.

The sense of loss they may experience in leaving their friends, staff and the familiarity of their previous school is normalised alongside their worries and excitement of starting their new school. The implications and effects of COVID 19 are also highlighted and recognised.

Pupils are encouraged to find out facts about their new school, identify a network of support and create a toolbox of coping strategies. The webinar explains the rationale and research behind the programme, psychoeducational information, and lesson content.

Staff who attend the session will receive all resources required to deliver the programme. This course is aimed at teachers, teaching assistants and pastoral support staff who work with all children and young people, and those with social, emotional and mental health needs.

Aims:

The 2-hour webinar aims to provide staff with:

  • An understanding of potential difficulties that come with transitions
  • An understanding of the research into transitions and rationale behind the transition programme.
  • Knowledge and skills to deliver the programme to support pupils with a more successful transition
Book on Promoting positive transitions year 7 training
​DateTime​​Location​Cost
​1 March 2023​9:30am to 12noon​Delivered virtually​Free

About the course:

This half day workshop is an initial exploration into promoting wellbeing for ourselves at work.  We will start by reflecting upon the factors that impact upon public service professionals and the interplay between these and our personal wellbeing.  In the second part we will take a look at several approaches to promoting our own wellbeing and use a reflective tool to analyse our personal situation.  During the morning there will be time to share your thoughts, plan ahead and learn some relaxation techniques.

This workshop is a pre-cursor to the tailor-made development programme the EPS can design for staff teams and organisations who are addressing staff wellbeing as part of their service development plan. It is suitable for both individuals or small groups and will be an enjoyable session in a safe space with professionals from similar working environments.

This course is aimed at professionals working in education, health and social care.

Aims:

This half-day training aims to enable staff to:

  • Recognise the potential impact of our work on staff well-being
  • Reflect on stress, anxiety and compassion fatigue
  • Learn about factors that promote positive mental health and emotional well-being
  • Explore some resources that support staff both as individuals and as a whole team
  • Consider how your organisation could further promote staff well-being in the future
Book on Promoting staff wellbeing training
​DateTime​Location​​Cost
​9 May 2023​1pm to 3pm​Delivered virtually​Free
About the course:

Restorative Approaches (RA) are all about building relationships and underpinned by values of empathy, respect, honesty, acceptance, responsibilities and mutual accountability (Hull, 2012). Practicing RA in school is inspired by the philosophy and practices of restorative justice, which values and focusses on repairing the harm done to relationships and people over and above the need for blame and punishment. It is not a one-off intervention but an ethos.

A whole school restorative approach is seen as one which embeds the restorative values and principles within teaching, learning, interacting and working together on a daily basis. RA can make schools safer, happier places for staff and pupils through creating a culture of inclusion, improving relationships and a greater sense of belonging. They enhance emotional literacy and enable a forward thinking, problem solving, community focused, peaceful process for resolving conflict.

This course is aimed at teachers, teaching assistants and pastoral support staff who work with all children and young people, and those with social, emotional and mental health needs.

Aims:

This 2-hour session will give participants an awareness of:

  • What are Restorative Approaches?
  • The benefits of implementing Restorative Approaches in school
  • How your school can embed Restorative Approaches?
Book on Restorative Approaches training
DateTime​Location​​Cost
​17 November and 2 December 2022​9:30am to 4pm​The Learning Hub, One Angel Square, Angel Street, Northampton, NN1 1ED​Free
​10 and 24 May 2023​9:30am to 4pm​Building to be confirmed, Bowling Green Road, Kettering, NN15 7QW

​Free

About the course:

The Solihull Approach is a nationally recognised and locally endorsed theoretical approach to working with children and their families that enhances team working within and across services. It focuses attention on promoting the emotional well-being and mental health in infants, children, adolescents and families. The Solihull Approach draws on theories of psychotherapy, child development, including attachment and behaviourism, and brings them together in a practical way. As part of the course participants will view video footage and discuss baby and adolescent brain development.

The model integrates the concepts of Containment; Reciprocity and Behaviour Management into a reflective model that informs practice. It supports practitioners in their work with children and families and helps parents and carers to understand their child. It provides a framework for thinking about children's behaviour that develops practice and consistent approaches across agencies and within services.

This course is aimed at professionals across the children’s workforce. Please indicate at the time of booking whether you prefer to have access to a School Age or The First Five Years resource folder on each of the training days. You will be able to purchase a resource folder direct from the Solihull Approach organisation following completion of the course. In order to maximise the development of the approach in your setting, a member of your senior management team should be (or have been) one of the staff attending this training.

The course is certificated by the Solihull Approach organisation in conjunction with the service and enables access to other Solihull Approach courses. Participants are required to attend both days of the two day training. Please book your place for both days.

Aims:

This 2-day training should enable participants to:

  • Understand the theories underpinning the Solihull Approach
  • Have a broader understanding of how emotional needs affect families and workers
  • Understand what containment and reciprocity mean
  • Understand how containment and reciprocity can be applied practically in understanding and helping people
  • Have even greater confidence in your own skills
Book on Solihull Approach foundation training - November 2022 Book on Solihull Approach foundation training - May 2023
DateTime​​Location​Cost
​21 February 2023​9:30am to 12noon​Delivered virtually​Free

About the course:

The aims of this course are to give delegates a brief insight into attachment theory, in conjunction with implications for learning. The primary aim of attachment behaviour is to feel safe, so let’s help children and young people in care to feel safe! We will be exploring a variety of practical strategies to help support children and young people in care across the age range (pre-school to secondary and post 16) that you can put into practice straight away. These will include anxiety reduction, the “5 Golden Rules” for Shame Busting, developing a relationship through task, Shared Attention, Matching Affect and PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy). Suitable resources will also be suggested, together with the overarching message that due to the neuroplasticity of the brain, as well as providing a safe haven at school for children and young people in care, there is indeed hope for improved life chances. You can make a difference!

This course is aimed at teachers, teaching assistants and pastoral support staff who work with all children and young people, and those with social, emotional and mental health needs.

Aims:

This workshop will enable professionals who work with children and young people in any key stage to:
  • Explore attachment theory and what this means for our Children in Care
  • Understand how a lack of secure attachment may contribute towards feeling unsafe and what behaviours you may see in the classroom/setting
  • Consider ways to support children and young people in care within the school environment in order to help them feel safe, thereby enhancing their life chances. (Difficulties experienced are likely to become more complex with age and especially if some areas of need are not met).
  • Have hope that they can make a difference
Book on Top tips for School staff for children in care training
Coming soon! 

Northamptonshire EPs are in the process of developing new training on Developmental Trauma. Schools and other professionals will soon be able to book onto this training. Please check the TaMHS website for updates. Fliers about this training will also be emailed to schools in due course.



Recommended externally sourced training

Foundation training

‘Drawing and talking’ is an experiential rather than theory based training programme designed for anyone working with children, young people or adults who may be suffering from trauma or poor mental health. Participants learn how to put this simple technique into practice including how to get started, how to run a session and how to deal with common problems which can arise. The training also aims to enable participants to:

  • Understand the importance of giving pupils time and space to draw and talk in the presence of a supportive and attentive adult
  • Know how to use the process to help children who are struggling to process difficult emotions and possibly displaying worrying behaviour
  • Know where further help and resources can be accessed
  • Experience on the training day how to deliver a session online

Upon completion of your online training day, you will have everything you need to implement drawing and talking within your school setting, online and offline.

Advanced training

This training enables adults to gain a greater understanding of the therapeutic nature of the work involved and to be able to apply it in a variety of situations, including groups and sand play. Questions can be asked about current work you are doing 1:1 with children, building and affirming the skills already learnt in foundation training.

The advanced training also aims to enable participants to:

  • Review the process of Drawing and Talking (Foundation Level)
  • Learn how to use Drawing and Talking with small groups of children
  • Evaluate the progress of pupils using this process
  • Access support/advice in running group interventions

Upon completion of your online training day, you will have everything you need to implement drawing and talking within your school setting, online and offline.

Professionals must have completed the foundation training in order to access the advanced training.

Further Information

More information can be found at the Drawing and Talking website.

Due to the impact of Covid-19, Northamptonshire Educational Psychology Service will not be offering any in-person local ‘Zippy’s Friends’, ‘Apple’s Friends’ or ‘Passport’ training this year. If you would like to access this training online, then please visit the Partnership for Children website, as they will be offering dates in November and December.

Zippy's Friends, Apples Friends and Passport are evidence-based international programmes for teaching primary school children social and coping skills. Developed by 'Partnership for Children', they are engaging mental health promotion programmes which are suitable for children of all abilities.

Zippy's Friends

Zippy’s Friends teaches children aged 5 to 7 years old (years 1 or 2) how to cope with everyday difficulties, to identify and talk about their feelings and to explore ways of dealing with them through using role-play, drawing and discussion activities and games, and stories featuring characters of a similar age: Tig, Leela, Sandy, Jill and Tommy – as well as Zippy, a stick-insect.

The programme covers themes: feelings, communication, friendship, solving problems, changes, and moving forward. It also encourages children to help other people with their problems. The programme is based on extensive research and has been evaluated in many countries. It has also been endorsed by the World Health Organisation and national governments.

Apple's Friends 

Apple’s Friends builds on what has been taught in Zippy’s Friends and is suitable for children aged 7 to 9 years (years 3 or 4).

The programme covers themes similar to those in Zippy’s Friends. The activities in Apple’s Friends give children the chance to practise and develop effective coping and social skills. Once again, there are role-play, drawing and discussion activities and games, and stories featuring the same characters; but this time with Apple the hamster. However, in Apple’s Friends sessions, children have to contribute more of their own ideas – particularly when it comes to the stories. These are unfinished, and the class decides how each story ends.

Passport 

Passport is for 9 to 11 year olds (years 5 or 6).The programme is based on the same theory as Zippy’s Friends and Apple’s Friends – the Concept of Coping – but looks quite different. It consists of 17 sessions and covers the following themes: emotions, relationships, difficult situations, change and loss and fairness, justice and what is right.

Engaging comic strip stories follow the adventures of Olya and Milo as they discover a secret world of fantastical creatures in the company of their friend, Elly the dragon. Children develop their own positive strategies to deal with problems through engaging activities: reading the comic strips, discussion, role-play and games. They use the colourful game board to find as many solutions as possible. There are also Home Activities to reinforce learning at home with the family.

Further information

More information can be found at Partnership for Children website.

​Protective Behaviours (PBs) provides a framework for personal safety, self-esteem, resilience and confidence building. PBs is for anyone who lives and/or works with children, young people, or adults. 

While the Northamptonshire TaMHS Programme provides an in county one day Introductory course, Protective Behaviours Foundation is a  two day course which covers this approach in greater depth, including the five elements of the PB process and provides opportunities to experience the seven strategies in action. Attending a two day course provides individuals with an opportunity to develop their knowledge of Protective Behaviours and build confidence in applying it, while also helping to identify areas for future development.

More Information can be found on the Protective Behaviours Website.

​A nationally recognised and locally endorsed theoretical approach to working practically with children of school age and their parents or carers.

The Solihull Approach focuses attention on promoting the emotional wellbeing and mental health in infants, children, adolescents and families. It draws on psychodynamic theories, child development, including attachment and behaviourism, and brings them together in a practical way. The model integrates the concepts of Containment; Reciprocity & Behaviour Management.

Solihull Foundation Training 

The ‘Solihull Approach’ enables people to recognise how behaviour is a sign of the extent to which both children and adults feel understood and able to deal with their emotions at that time. For example, when feeling overwhelmed and not understood, many people are likely to behave in ways that get noticed. Use of the approach enhances relationships between staff and children; and staff and parents: as well as between colleagues.

Solihull Parent Group Facilitator Training

Solihull Approach Parenting Group is designed for families with children age 0 to 18 years. Groups, for parents and carers, are usually run in the following age ranges: approx. 0 to 4 years; 5 to 11 years; 12 to 18 years.

The aim of the group is to promote understanding of children’s behaviour within the context of their developmental age and issues; to increase confidence and self-esteem in both parent and child; to develop a framework for thinking about parent/child relationships, which can be developed into a life-long skill.  It gives parents and carers strategies for repair when things go wrong; promotes reciprocity in parent/child relationships, alongside reflective, sensitive and effective parenting.

More information can be found at The Solihull Approach website.

Contact us

Please email us if you need any further assistance or information:

tamhs.ncc@northnorthants.gov.uk