leaders, says childcare charity chief Fiona Vacher. Hannah Crown
reports.
Fiona Vacher is executive director of Jersey Child Care Trust, a charity providing continuing professional development training to childcare practitioners across Jersey. She applied for funding to run the Resilience Advantage Programme for 18 nursery managers on the island.
She says, 'The word "pressure" comes up a lot when people work with children. Some of the nurseries here have 130 children.
Managers are often put in a difficult positions - dealing with parents or safeguarding issues. After the course people were saying they felt more able to deal with whatever was thrown at them.'
The Resilience Advantage Programme was devised by Emma Ogilvie, a trained counsellor who sits on the Jersey government's mental health review, and her businessman husband David. Mrs Ogilvie describes the course as a mixture of psychology, neuroscience, leadership and management theory. It consists of seven 90-minute modules across seven weeks and uses group work and self-reflection.
Those on the programme are sent homework connected to each module via email to practise each week. Managers are also given their own personal workbook explaining the 20 skills they learn over the course of the training, and a weekly planner so that they can note issues they have to overcome each week. They then use the models provided and set a date to achieve a resolution.
Ms Vacher says the skills taught include talking about what is within a person's control and can be changed and areas of concern, which includes things that are outside your area of control and thus there is no point worrying about.
She says, 'You come out with 20 skills at the end. The course tries to change how people think: it's about having a box of tools to be able to deal with whatever challenges come your way. The course was also good for developing leadership skills and bringing your team with you. It was tailored for childcare as you would look at each skill in the context of your setting.'
