Behaviour
Children in Scotland is holding workshops on:
* Promoting positive behaviour in the early years, in Edinburgh on 21 February and Stirling on 20 June. Since young children's behaviour develops as a result of how they experience life and how people behave towards them and each other, these workshops show how providing sound experiences in the early years setting can lead to children developing strategies to manage their own anger, and understanding how to resolve conflict without violence.
Contact Alison Rowan, Children in Scotland, Princes House, 5 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh EH2 4RG (0131 222 2405, e-mail arowan@childrenin scotland.org.uk, website www.childreninscotland.org.uk).
The Council for Awards in Children's Care and Education (CACHE) offers units in its Level 3 Certificate of Professional Development in Work with Children and Young People, including:
* Influences on the behaviour of children and young people aged nought to 15 years.
Contact CACHE, 8 Chequer Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 3XZ (01727 847636, fax 01727 867609, e-mail info@cache.org.uk,website www.cache.org.uk).
The Institute of Education/ Continuing Professional Development has courses on:
* Understanding and managing behaviour in the early years, on 30 January. This course is for all those working with Foundation Stage children, and will discuss strategies to deal with problem behaviour and how it relates to personal, social and emotional development.
* Developing skills in observing young children, on 10 June. This course for support staff working at the Foundation Stage will help develop observation and recording skills, and show how to evaluate observations and assessments.
Contact CPD/INSET Office, The Institute of Education, University of London, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H OAL (020 7612 6589, fax 020 7612 6600, e-mail CPD.INSET@ioe.ac.uk,website www.ioe.ac.uk).
The Montessori Centre International has seminars on:
* Attention Deficit Disorder, on 16 February. This will explore strategies for helping both practitioners and families and children.
* Early identification of dyslexia and dyspraxia, on 15 June.
Contact the Montessori Centre International, 18 Balderton Street, London W1K 6TG (020 7493 0165, fax 020 7629 7808, e-mail mci@montessori.ac.uk,website www.montessori.ac.uk).
The National Early Years Network has workshops on promoting citizenship including:
* Managing difficult behaviour.
* Involving children in decisions that affect them.
* Understanding and building children's self-esteem.
* Teaching young children to resolve conflicts without violence.
* Aiding children's spiritual and moral development.
Contact the National Early Years Network, 77 Holloway Road, London N7 8JZ (020 7607 9573, fax 020 7700 1105, e-mail neyn.org@virgin.net).
NIA Consultancy Services has on-site training workshops on:
* Promoting positive behaviour. This workshop will look at participants' reactions to children's behaviour and the language used around them, as well as at tactics.
* Working in partnership. The workshop will look at the importance of passing information on to relevant parties and how groups work in partnership.
Contact Yvette Wilson, NIA Consultancy Services, 12 Harris Street, Walthamstow, London E17 8EQ (020 8539 8834, e-mail yvette@niaconsultancy.com,website www.niaconsultancy.com).
Courses planned by NIPPA: The Early Years Organisation from January to June include:
* Managing challenging behaviour in children, in Omagh.
* Promoting adult/child interactions.
* Pre-school children with autism: Using a visually structured approach.
Contact NIPPA, 6c Wildflower Way, Apollo Road, Belfast BT12 6TA (028 9066 2825, fax 028 9038 1270, e-mail paulinec@nippa.org).
The Northern Ireland Childminding Association is holding a workshop on:
* Managing children's behaviour, in Newtownabbey on 27 March.
Contact the Northern Ireland Childminding Association, 16-18 Mill Street, Newtownards, Co Down BT23 4LU (028 9181 1015, fax 028 9182 0921, website www.nicma.org).
The Pre-School Learning Alliance runs courses and workshops on:
* Managing children's behaviour. This course will explore what is meant by challenging behaviour, its causes and the role of adults in developing a positive framework for children's behaviour.
* Behaviour. This workshop will enable those working with children to set realistic guidelines.
Contact the Pre-School Alliance 69 Kings Cross Road, London WC1X 9LL (020 7833 0991, fax 020 7837 4942, e-mail pla@pre-school.org.uk,website www.pre-school.org.uk).
The Riverside Early Years Training Centre is holding a day course on:
* A positive approach to behaviour management for the under-fives, on 29 January and 15 May. This course will give an insight into reasons behind children's behaviour and positive methods of managing it.
Contact the Riverside Early Years Training Centre, Minton Lane, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE29 6DQ (0191 200 5200, fax 0191 200 5300, website www.northtyneside.gov.uk/lifelong-learn/riverside).
Bullying
Children in Scotland has a day workshop on:
* Anti-bullying practice, in Aberdeen on 28 February and Glasgow on 30 April. Topics include definitions of bullying, identifying procedures for dealing with allegations and preventive measures.
Contact Children in Scotland, as above.
Kidscape, a national charity that teaches children and all those involved with children about child safety and how to deal with bullying, runs courses on:
* Anti-bullying. Topics include resolving and reducing incidents, changing behaviour, supporting and empowering victims, and peer support.
It also runs courses on:
* Child protection.
* Behaviour management.
* Stress management.
* Ofsted preparation.
* School management.
Contact Claude Nights, Training co-ordinator, Kidscape, 2 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH (020 7730 3300, fax 020 7730 7081, e-mail training@kidscape.org.uk,website www.kidscape.org.uk).
Childminding
CACHE runs this course with the National Childminding Association:
* CACHE Level 3 certificate in childminding practice. It covers the range of skills needed by all registered childminders, in three units - Introducing, Developing and Extending childminding practice.
Contact CACHE, as above, or the National Childminding Association, 8 Masons Hill, Bromley, Kent BR2 9EY (020 8464 6164, fax 020 8290 6834, website www.ncma.org.uk).
The Northern Ireland Childminding Association is running a course on:
* Introduction to childminding, in Newtownards each month from January to June.
Contact the Northern Ireland Childminding Association, as above.
The Riverside Early Years Training Centre has a course on:
* Introducing childminding practice. This is a 12-hour course is for newly-registered childminders and people considering childminding as a career. It is being run in Whitley Bay on Wednesdays between 9 January and 20 February, and then in Killingworth between 10 April and 15 May.
Contact the Riverside Centre, as above.
Child protection
Children in Scotland has workshops on:
* Dealing with conflict, anger and aggression, in Stirling on 12 March, Glasgow on 21 May and Edinburgh on 11 June. This course will explore strategies for communicating with young people experiencing conflict, anger and aggression. It will also cover negotiation and de-escalating difficult situations, promoting positive behaviour, and look at how they can support themselves and others when in stressful situations.
* An introduction to child protection, in Edinburgh on 15 May. This day workshop will look at legislation and national guidance to determine good child protection practice.
Contact Children in Scotland, as above.
CACHE offers professional development units within its various courses on:
* Supporting and contributing to the protection of children from abuse.
* Supporting families in distress.
* Protecting children.
* Child protection.
Contact CACHE, as above.
Montessori Centre International has a seminar on:
* Issues around child abuse, including child protection and the Children's Act 1989.
Contact the Montessori Centre International, 18 Balderton Street, London W1K 6TG (020 7493 0165, fax 020 7629 7808, e-mail mci@montessori.ac.uk,website www.montessori.ac.uk).
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) runs a number of courses including:
* Working with the strengths of black families.
* Prejudicial blocks to good practice.
* Domestic violence. This course aims to raise awareness of domestic violence and its impact on children. It explores how legal remedies can be used more effectively and examines inter-agency issues.
* Working with parents of children with learning disabilities. This course aims to develop an increased understanding of the range of challenging behaviours and their possible causes and to formulate an individual action plan to take back to the workplace.
* Multi-agency assessments. This course for practitioners, supervisors and managers will introduce and explore a multi-agency model for the assessment and provision of services to children and families.
As part of its training materials, the NSPCC also offers Protecting Children, a guide to recognising and responding to child abuse.
Contact the NSPCC, as above.
The NSPCC has extended its range of consultancy services to statutory and voluntary agencies, and to private and business sectors. These consultancy services are divided into two distinct areas:
* The Safeguarding Children in the Community initiative. Within this the NSPCC has been working to develop policies, guidelines and training for many sporting and voluntary organisations. This work has included consultancy to daycare and early years organisations. Its aim is to meet the growing demand from organisations providing a service or activity for young people.
* National Consultancy Services. Within this the NSPCC provides a comprehensive consultancy service to other statutory agencies, national government departments and large charities.
For more information about Safeguarding Children in the Community contact: Helen Edwards, National development officer (0116 2347230, fax 0116 2340464, e-mail hedwards@ nspcc.org.uk) or Jenny Myers, National development officer (0116 2347231, fax 0116 2340464, e-mail jmyers@ nspcc.org.uk).
For more information about National Consultancy Services, contact Tom Narducci, National consultancy services manager (0116 2347232, fax 0116 2340464 e-mail tnarducci@nspcc.org.uk).
* NSPCC Educare Child Protection Awareness Programmes: In association with de Brus Marketing Services, the NSPCC has three interactive learning programmes designed to teach those in contact with children through their work or leisure activities to gain the confidence to act upon concerns about children and play a role in preventing abuse. Its aims include teaching people to recognise that a child needs help and confidence to get the first vital step to get assistance. Modules include a child protection awareness programme, keeping children safe, and keeping children safe in sport.
* The NSPCC can also provide learning materials.
Contact Tom Narducci as above (or call the De Brus Marketing Programme hotline on 01926 436219).
NIA Consultancy Services runs an on-site training workshop on:
* Child protection.
Contact NIA Consultancy Services, as above.
The Northern Ireland Childminding Association is holding a course on:
* Child protection, in Ballynahinch on 1 May.
Contact the Northern Ireland Childminding Association, as above.
The Riverside Early Years Training Centre runs courses on:
* Child protection. This is a free induction course, on three Monday evenings or two Saturday mornings, for anyone working with children and families, in particular in group care. The course provides a definition of child abuse, its signs and indicators. Participants should gain an understanding of the legal framework and their role in procedures and investigations.
* Multiple abuse in early years.
Contact the Riverside Centre, as above.
Training Leaders in Childcare has a course on:
* Developing and implementing a professional abuse policy. This course aims to raise awareness in nursery managers and supervisors, and address those who are emotionally involved. It includes promoting and implementing good practice in protecting children and also protecting staff from allegations of abuse.
Contact Julia Hart, Training Leaders in Childcare, Head office, 27 Sheep Street, Rugby, Warwickshire CV21 3BX (01788 542082 or 07740 611917).
Children and young people
The Montessori Centre International is holding seminars on:
* Spirituality, on 19 January. This will examine the nature of a child's own spirituality, the spiritual preparation of the teacher and practical activities for the classroom to promote a harmonious atmosphere.
* Helping children cope with life, on 6 April. This will focus on the importance of early emotional development and support of the child as the foundation for the future life of the individual.
Contact the Montessori Centre International, as above.
The Riverside Early Years Training Centre is holding a day course on:
* An introduction to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in relation to early years practice, on 7 February.
Contact the Riverside Centre, as above.
University of Surrey Roehampton's continuing professional development department runs the following :
* MA in Early Childhood Studies. This degree course takes between one-and-a-half and four years, with programme entry in either February or September. It is devoted to the study of young children, their development, lives, families and contexts in which they grow up.
Contact the Continuing Professional Development Office, Faculty of Education, University of Surrey Roehampton, Froebel College, Roehampton Lane, London SW15 5PJ (020 8392 3232, fax 020 8392 3148, e-mail enquiries@roehampton.ac.uk,website www.roehampton.ac.uk).
First Aid
The Child Accident Prevention Trust believes child accidental injury prevention needs to be addressed to the physical environment, behaviour and attitudes, which is not always solved just by buying the right equipment or resources. Its sessions examine these and other aspects of keeping children safe, raising awareness of children's accidents; providing pointers to children's accident potential; and suggesting good practice. Training sessions are particularly relevant for Sure Start teams, and Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships.
The sessions include:
* Setting policy and strategies at management level.
* Setting good practice for running after-school clubs, playschemes, playgroups and nurseries.
* Risk assessment for after-school clubs, playschemes, playgroups and nurseries.
* Accident prevention within health and safety practice for under-eights registration officers.
Contact Helen Richardson, Child Accident Prevention Trust, Clerks Court, 18-20 Farringdon Lane, London EC1R 3HA (020 7689 4744, fax 020 7608 3674, e-mail helen@capt.org.uk,website www.capt.org.uk).
The City of Bristol College runs a course on:
* Paediatric First Aid, which focuses on the First Aid skills and knowledge needed to help and comfort children involved in accidents. The course is certified by a nationally-recognised awarding body.
Contact Corporate Training, City of Bristol College, Brunel Centre, Ashley Down, Bristol BS7 9BU (0117 904 5020, e-mail corp.train@cityofbristol.ac.uk).
NIPPA: The Early Years Organisation runs:
* First Aid for childcare workers, throughout Northern Ireland.
Contact NIPPA, as above.
The Pre-School Learning Alliance and the National Childminding Association (NCMA) have developed a 12-hour First Aid course with the Red Cross and St John Ambulance on:
* First Aid for those working with children under five. This course is certified by the Red Cross and renewable every three years. Both the Pre-School Learning Alliance and the NCMA also accredit independent First Aid Trainers.
Contact the Pre-School Learning Alliance or National Childminding Association, as above.
The Riverside Early Years Training Centre runs a free course:
* First Aid for those working with babies and children (NCFE). The course can act as an introduction to a fully certified First Aid course.
Contact the Riverside Centre, as above.
St John Ambulance's varied First Aid courses include:
* EUR lifesaver for babies and children, which covers all aspects of emergency First Aid and resuscitation techniques.
* EUR emergency aid in schools, a short course of basic First Aid for teachers and school ancillary staff.
* EUR emergency aid for nursery nurses and childminders.
Contact your local St John Ambulance listed in the telephone directory or the national headquarters at 27 St John's Lane, London EC1M 4BU(020 7324 4000, website www.sja.org.uk).
Exclusion
The Working Group Against Racism in Children's Resources (WGARCR) runs day courses to enable people working with children to act as advocates on behalf of children and their families in resisting exclusions and ensuring children are properly facilitated in mainstream schools.
Contact WGARCR, Lady Margaret Hall Settlement, 460 Wandsworth Road, London SW8 3LX (020 7627 4594, website http://freespace.
virgin.net/wgarc.r).
Food hygiene
City of Bristol College runs a number of courses, including:
* Food hygiene basic certificate.
* Food hygiene intermediate certificate.
* Food hygiene advanced diploma.
Contact the City of Bristol College, as above.
The Riverside Early Years Training Centre runs:
* Basic food hygiene courses, on various dates.
Contact the Riverside Centre, as above.
Inclusion
Men in Childcare Scotland is a working group formed by One-Parent Families Scotland and Children in Scotland in 1996. It provides information, organises training events and promotes networking among male workers and those interested in issues of men and childcare. Its objectives are to increase awareness that childcare is a job for both men and women, and publicise opportunities for men to train to work in this area; promote good practice in the recruitment and support of men working in childcare, support existing male workers by maintaining a network of contacts; counter negative attitudes about male workers among staff, management committees and parents; encourage local authorities and other employers to recruit male workers at the basic level in childcare work; and develop positive guidelines about men working with young children.
Contact Ian Maxwell, One-Parent Families Scotland, 13 Gayfield Square, Edinburgh EH1 3NX (0131 556 3899, fax 0131 557 9650, e-mail ianmaxwell@opfs. org.uk, website www.opfs.org.uk).
Introducing childcare
The Riverside Early Years Training Centre is offering courses for students considering working in childcare, education and playwork, including babysitting guidance:
* Making Choices, a signposting for students considering working in childcare, education and playwork. This is a 12-hour course comprising of six two-hour sessions in January and February.
* NCFE Working with children (babysitting). This 24-hour study course plus 12 hours' experience provides an introduction to working with children from babysitting through to career choices. It runs from January to April.
* Babysitting introductory certificate in childcare (NCFE). There are 20 free places on this certified 24-hour study course plus 12 hours' experience, which runs from January to April in Tyneside locations.
Contact the Riverside Centre, as above.
Mental health
The School of Infant Mental Health offers integrated educational and training programmes for professionals working with children under five. These short courses will run twice a week in London or over intensive weeks on 15 to 20 April and 15 to 20 July:
* Mother-infant bond and attachment.
* Effects of parenting on brain growth in infants.
* Life's first feelings * Violence and babies: Reducing risks.
* The premature baby.
* Early autism/autistic behaviour: How to help.
* Attention Deficit Disorder: Early diagnosis and remedial action.
* Dyslexia: Early pointers of learning difficulties and language disorders.
* Sensory defensiveness.
* Touchpoints programme: Understanding development and regressive behaviour as a possible precursor to rapid growth.
* Knowing and managing the child's temperament.
* Special needs 1: Discovering baby's strengths, developmental capacities and challenges.
* Special needs 2: Encouraging emotional and intellectual growth.
* Special needs 3: Working with family and nursery.
* Early loss and attachment in fostering and adoption.
The school also offers group discussions and consultations in London for nursery school teachers to help with coping and management of 'challenging' children in the typical nursery setting. Topics include:
* Managing Attention Deficit Disorder-like behaviours and other behavioural and social problems, on 17 January.
* How to integrate children with special needs and developmental difficulties, on 31 January.
* Dealing with 'difficult' parents and how to run a support group for parents of children with special needs, on 7 March.
* Psychological First Aid after trauma; How to support the 'odd' child who doesn't fit in, on 21 March.
Contact the School of Infant Mental Health, 27 Frognal, London NW3 6AR (020 7467 8453, fax 020 7433 3112, e-mail SIMH2000@aol.com,website www.infantmentalhealth.com).
Montessori
Harlequin Montessori Nursery is running:
* A Montessori parents/carers course, including how a nursery session is organised and run and how the environment is achieved.
* Taster courses, on one Saturday or two evenings.
Contact Mary Ishmael, Harlequin Montessori Nursery, Billericay, Essex CM12 9LH (01277 633223).
Out-of-school clubs and playwork
CACHE runs:
* The CACHE Level 2 certificate in playwork, a nationally recognised qualification based on the Take Ten for Play model.
* NVQs in playwork.
Contact CACHE, as above.
The Riverside Early Years Training Centre is running a course on:
* Developing creative themes for out-of-school clubs, on 23 January. This day course is for sessional workers who would like to expand into out-of-school work.
The Centre also has a 60-hour course:
* Certificate in Playwork CACHE level, on Friday mornings from 25 January to 5 July.
Contact the Riverside Centre, as above.
Sprito, in partnership with the Early Years National Training Organisation, is holding a seminar on:
* The future for playwork and early years training qualifications in Scotland.
Contact Joan Beattie at Sprito, 55 Regent Street, Edinburgh EH6 2AF (0131 553 6884, e-mail joan@spritoscotland.org.uk,website www.sprito.org.uk).
Pre-school practice
The Playgroup Network has worked with CACHE and the Northern Council for Further Education to create courses to meet the needs of those working in early years, especially in playgroup work. Programmes are delivered by local support organisations. They include introductory courses providing underpinning knowledge for NVQ Levels 2 and 3 in early years care and education such as CACHE diploma in pre-school practice, NCFE certificate in playgroup practice, and NCFE advanced certificate in playgroup practice.
Courses are also available on:
* Preparing for an Ofsted inspection.
* Early learning goals.
* Special needs.
* Equal opportunities.
* Playgroup administration.
* Committee work.
* Health and safety and first aid.
* Displays.
* Creative play.
* Working with toddlers.
* Parenting skills.
Contact the Playgroup Network, PO Box 84, Middlesbrough TS7 OXT (0191 230 5520).
The Pre-school Learning Alliance has a series of workshops and courses with CACHE, including:
* CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Pre-school Practice. This is a framework qualification at Level 2 for pre-school and playgroup assistants.
* CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Pre-School Practice. This is a framework qualification at Level 2 for pre-school and playgroup assistants.
* CACHE Introduction to Pre-School Practice. This is the first unit in the qualification route for pre-school and playgroup assistants.
* Getting started in a pre-school setting. This is an induction course for people new to working in pre-schools.
* Behind-the-scenes workshops dealing with organisational and business issues relating to parent and toddler groups and early years settings. This course covers a range of subjects including health and safety, behaviour, who takes responsibility, money matters, meetings, and appointing staff.
Contact the Pre-School Learning Alliance, as above.
Violence
Following the death of toddler James Bulger at the hands of two boys in 1993, the Gulbenkian Foundation produced a report on why children become violent. It found that while research cannot identify causes of violence beyond doubt, a number of risk factors interact to increase the chances of an individual becoming violent - the most powerful of these lying in childhood and within the family. They include violent and humiliating forms of discipline, attitudes in the home and world outside which seem to approve of violence, and poverty.
While the best predictor of violence in adulthood is violent behaviour in childhood, it is never inevitable that a child will become violent. Evidence shows that, given support by parents and others, even high-risk children can be prevented from becoming violent. The Forum on Children and Violence was founded following the Gulbenkian Foundation report. It aims to promote an understanding of why children become violent and ways to prevent violence, co-ordinated action to prevent violence in child rearing, care and education, and to promote non-violence in all aspects of children's lives. The Forum works with schools to build violence prevention into all aspects of school life, including behaviour policies, anti-bullying policies and special needs policies.
Contact Will McMahon, Co-ordinator, The Forum on Children and Violence, National Children's Bureau, 8 Wakley Street, London EC1V 7QE (020 7843 6309, fax 020 7843 6087, e-mail wmcmahon@ncb.org.uk,website www.ncb.org.uk).
