Behaviour
Brooklands College is holding courses in Weybridge, Surrey on:
* Working with children and young people with special needs, from 17 September. This 10-week course will focus on behavioural problems and language, physical and psychological impairment.
* Skills and strategies for parenting children, from 19 September. This 10-week course is for parents wanting to develop their behaviour management skills.
Children in Scotland is holding a workshop in Scotland on:
* Promoting positive behaviour in the early years. Young children's behaviour develops as a result of how they experience life and how people behave towards them and each other. 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.
The Council for Awards in Children's Care and Education (CACHE) offers units within the CACHE Level 3 Certificate of Professional Development in Work with Children and Young People, including:
* Influences on the behaviour of children and young people.
Direction Training and Management runs courses on:
* Managing challenging behaviour.
* Managing bullying effectively.
* Risk management.
* Child protection.
* The role of special educational needs co-ordinators.
The Institute of Education/Continuing Professional Development is holding a conference on:
* Extending and integrating early years provision, on 12 July. This conference will look at new initiatives in the sector including early excellence centres, Sure Start projects, Neighbourhood Nurseries, Foundation Stage units and beacon nursery schools.
The Institute is also running a course in London on:
* Understanding and managing behaviour in the early years, on 20 November. This course is for those working with Foundation Stage children. It will discuss strategies to deal with problem behaviour and how it relates to children's personal, social and emotional development.
The National Early Years Network runs workshops on promoting citizenship covering:
* 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.
The New Learning Centre runs workshops for parents and childcare professionals in London on:
* Resolving child/parent conflicts: How to talk so children will listen and listen so children will talk.
* Sibling squabbles: What to do when you have 'tried everything'.
* Dyslexia and dyspraxia: positive approaches.
* Enhancing co-operation, confidence and motivation.
* Positive alternatives to punishment: skills for increasing co-operation and self-reliance.
* Attention Deficit Disorder and hyperactivity: Helping children to thrive, not just survive.
* The bullies and the bullied: How teachers and parents can change the culture.
NIA Consultancy Services runs on-site training workshops on:
* Promoting positive behaviour: Participants' reactions to children's behaviour and the language used around them, as well as tactics.
* Working in partnership: The importance of passing information on to relevant parties.
NIPPA: The Early Years Organisation is offering the following training courses in Northern Ireland:
* Managing challenging behaviour in children.
* Promoting adult/child interactions.
* The pre-school child with autism: Developing a visually-structured approach.
* Working with children who have special needs.
These short courses can be delivered in-house to staff in childcare settings or to parents.
The Pre-School Learning Alliance runs courses and workshops in England on:
* Managing children's behaviour. This course explores what is meant by challenging behaviour, its causes and the role of adults in developing a positive framework.
* A behaviour workshop, to enable those working with children to set realistic guidelines.
* A special needs introductory course.
* Legislation into practice: An introduction to the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. The course will help staff in pre-school settings to assist the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) to implement them.
* Code of practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs. This course provides a full briefing on SEN legislation.
The Riverside Early Years Training Centre has a course in Tyneside on:
* A positive approach to behaviour management for the under-fives. This course will give an insight into reasons behind children's behaviour.
Tinies Childcare is running a course in London on:
* Autism awareness, on 20 July and 21 September. This six-hour course for parents and childcare professionals will raise awareness of the condition, and look at impairments, signs and symptoms, case studies and interventions.
Bullying
Children in Scotland runs a day workshop in Scotland on:
* Anti-bullying practice. Topics include definitions of bullying, how to assess the nature and extent of the problem, identifying procedures for dealing with allegations and preventive measures.
Kidscape is a national charity that teaches children and carers about child safety. Its courses include:
* Anti-bullying. Topics include reducing incidents, changing behaviour, supporting and empowering victims, peer support and mediation.
Other Kidscape courses cover child protection, stress management, Ofsted preparation and school management.
Childminding
Brooklands College runs the following courses:
* Extending childminding practice, for 20 weeks beginning on 17 September.
* Introducing childminding practice, for six weeks beginning on 19 September.
* Developing childminding practice, for 20 weeks beginning on 19 September.
CACHE runs the following course with the National Childminding Association:
* CACHE Level 3 certificate in childminding practice. It covers the broad range of skills needed by all registered childminders.
Godalming College runs:
* An introduction to childminding practice, a six-week evening course.
The Northern Ireland Childminding Association (NICMA) is running:
* Introduction to childminding, in mid-September in Ballymoney and Newtonabbey.
NICMA is also holding its AGM in Helen's Bay, Co Down, on 19 October.
The Riverside Early Years Training Centre is holding a 12-hour course on:
* Introducing childminding practice, for newly registered childminders and those considering childminding, from 4 September to 16 October, and in Whitley Bay from 30 0ctober to 11 December.
Child protection
Children in Scotland is holding a day workshop in Scotland on:
* An Introduction to child protection. This workshop looks at legislation to determine good child protection practice.
CACHE offers professional development units within its various courses on:
* Contributing to the protection of children from abuse.
* Supporting families in distress.
* Protecting children.
* Child protection.
Common Threads Consultancy runs a half-day course on:
* An introduction to child protection.
Montessori Centre International runs a seminar in London on:
* Issues surrounding child protection. It looks at the implications of the Children Act 1989, and explores common terms, court orders and how to handle disclosures.
The NSPCC runs courses on:
* Domestic violence. This course aims to raise awareness of domestic violence and its impact on children, 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.
* Multi-agency assessments. This course explores a multi-agency model for the assessment and provision of services to children and families.
The NSPCC offers 'Protecting Children: A Guide to Recognising and Responding to Child Abuse' as part of its training materials. It also has consultancy services:
* The Safeguarding Children in the Community initiative. The NSPCC's aim is to meet the growing demand from organisations providing a service or activity for young people. It has helped develop policies, guidelines and training for many sporting and voluntary organisations, including consultancy to daycare and early years organisations.
* NSPCC Educare Child Protection Awareness Programmes. The NSPCC, in association with de Brus Marketing Services, has three interactive learning programmes to teach those in contact with children through work or leisure activities to gain the confidence to act upon concerns about children and play a role in preventing abuse.
Contact the NSPCC National Training Office or the De Brus Marketing Programme hotline on 01926 436219.
NIA Consultancy Services runs an on-site training workshop on:
* Child protection.
The Riverside Early Years Training Centre is running a course in Tyneside on:
* Child protection, on 5 and
31 October. This is a free induction course for anyone working with children and families, particularly in group care. It 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, on 9 and 28 November.
Tinies Childcare offers a course in London on:
* Child protection, on 13 July and 14 September. The course covers an understanding of signs and symptoms, the legal position, accidental and non-accidental injury and policies and procedures.
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 emotionally involved. It includes promoting and implementing good practice in protecting children, and also protecting staff from allegations of abuse.
Children and young people
The Montessori Centre International holds seminars in London on:
* Spirituality.This seminar examines the nature of the 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. This seminar focuses on the importance of early emotional development.
The Riverside Early Years Training Centre is holding:
* An introduction to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in relation to early years practice, on 11 and 25 September.
Communication skills
Maternity and Nanny Training is running a day course on:
* Communication skills, at the University of Reading, for nannies, nursery nurses and maternity nannies and nurses. Participants will learn how to tackle workplace situations assertively, approach agencies with confidence, handle interviews effectively, understand employment law, listen to their employer and say no to unreasonable requests.
Crechendo Training runs a workshop in London on:
* Effective communication and assertiveness training. This course looks at different forms of communication and their importance in the effective care of young children.
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.
Food hygiene
City of Bristol College runs courses including:
* Food hygiene basic certificate.
* Food hygiene intermediate certificate.
* Food hygiene advanced diploma.
CJAssociates in High Wycombe has courses on:
* Food hygiene briefing. This is a basic two-hour course.
* Food hygiene awareness. A half-day course.
* Essential food hygiene. A day course for people who handle food as part of their duties.
Godalming College in Surrey has a day course on:
* Basic food hygiene, with a CIEH qualification and continuous enrolment throughout the year.
The Riverside Early Years Training Centre runs courses in Tyneside on:
* Basic food hygiene.
Men
Direction Training and Management in Devon runs:
* Awareness and development training to encourage and support any agency wishing to develop policies and overcome barriers to enable more men to be recruited for childcare.
Men in Childcare Scotland was 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 aims 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 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.
Introducing childcare
The Riverside Early Years Training Centre in Tyneside runs courses including:
* Making Choices, a 12-hour signposting course for students considering working in childcare, education and playwork.
* Working with children - Babysitting, between January and April. This introduction to working with children, from babysitting through to career choices consists of 24 hours of study and 12 hours of experience.
* Babysitting introductory certificate in childcare, from January to April in various locations. There are 20 free places on this certified course, consisting of 24 hours of study plus 12 hours of experience.
Mental health
The School of Infant Mental Health in London runs short courses and programmes for professionals working with children under five including:
* 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 and 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.
Montessori
Harlequin Montessori Nursery in Billericay, Essex runs:
* A Montessori parents and 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.
Out-of-school clubs and playwork Brooklands College runs the following distance learning courses from 17 September:
* NVQ playwork Level 2.
* NVQ playwork Level 3.
CACHE runs:
* The CACHE Level 2 certificate in playwork, a nationally-recognised qualification based on the Take Ten for Play model.
* The CACHE Level 3 diploma in playwork, based on the Take Ten More for Play.
* NVQs in playwork.
Common Threads Consultancy runs courses on:
* Playwork basics.
* Playwork NVQs.
It also runs in-house workshops and seminars.
The Kids' Clubs Network is the national organisation for out-of-school childcare. It offers advice and support to out-of-school clubs, parents, children, childcare providers, Government, local authorities, employers and Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships. The Network has years of consultancy and partnership work with a variety of organisations, from national Government to local authorities, business, development agencies and community organisations. Consultancy areas include:
* Review, planning and strategic support.
* Developing and establishing new childcare places.
* Communication.
* Funding, sustainability and business planning.
* Recruitment and training, and
* Practice development and support.
The Network also provides training and development support for Partnerships and development staff, including:
* Getting started workshops - one-day taster sessions for those interested in starting an out-of-school club.
* Start up development training - 10 sessions on setting up an out-of-school club, from accommodation and equipment to staffing and registration.
* Business planning.
The Network also runs recruitment and training for childcare and playworkers, including recruitment fairs, training reviews, and practical training delivery. Its consultancies include:
* Training reviews and needs analysis.
* Training development strategies.
* Playcare course materials leading to NVQs.
The Riverside Early Years Training Centre in Tyneside is running a 60-hour course:
* Developing creative themes for out-of-school clubs, on 24 September and 22 January 2003.
* Certificate in Play Work CACHE level.
The Scottish Out-of-School Care Network is holding:
* Childcare strategy seminars, on 10 September, 1 and 2 November and 3 December. The seminars for childcare development officers, childcare partnership officers aim to share good practice.
Pre-school practice
The Playgroup Network has worked with CACHE and the Northern Council for Further Education (NCFE) to create courses for 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 the CACHE Diploma in Pre-school Practice, NCFE Certificate in Playgroup Practice, and NCFE Advanced Certificate in Playgroup Practice.
Other courses are:
* Preparing for Ofsted inspection.
* Early Learning Goals.
* Special needs.
* Equal opportunities.
* Playgroup administration.
* Committee work.
* Health, safety, and First Aid.
* Displays.
* Creative play.
* Working with toddlers.
* Parenting skills.
The Pre-school Learning Alliance holds courses with CACHE, for pre-school and playgroup assistants including:
* CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Pre-school Practice.
* CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Pre-School Practice.
* 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.
* Behind-the-scenes workshops dealing with organisational and business issues relating to parent and toddler groups and early years settings, covering subjects such as health and safety, behaviour, who takes responsibility, money matters, meetings, parental roles and appointing staff.
Safety
The Child Accident Prevention Trust believes child accidental injury prevention needs to be addressed to the physical environment, behaviour and attitudes, and that it is not always solved just by buying the right equipment. Its sessions give the opportunity to look at these and other aspects of keeping children safe. The Trust aims to raise awareness of children's accidents, give pointers to children's accident potential, and suggest ways of carrying out good practice.
Its seminars 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.
The one-day training sessions are particularly relevant for Sure Start teams and Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships wishing to build in good practice to ensure a quality service.
The City of Bristol College runs a course on:
* Paediatric First Aid, for everyone working with children and young people. It focuses on First Aid skills and knowledge needed to help and comfort children involved in accidents.
CJAssociates in High Wycombe has courses on:
* Fire safety. This is a basic two-hour course.
* Tackling fire safety. This is a half-day course.
* Fire safety and evacuation. This day course covers the causes of fire and actions to take in the event of fire.
Crechendo Training runs courses on:
* First Aid for babies and children. Knowing how to react in an emergency could save a child's life, and this certified one-day first aid course provides the skills to deal with everyday emergencies as well as life-saving techniques with resuscitation, choking, burns and bleeding - thses are just some of the areas covered. Courses will take place on 7 September, and 12, 26 and 28 October.
Godalming College holds a day course in Surrey on:
* Basic health and safety, which results in a CIEH qualification.
Maternity and Nanny Training runs a course on:
* Paediatric First Aid, on 3 August and 14 September (with later dates available on request) at the University of Reading. This emergency First Aid course is for all childcarers working with babies and children up to the age of seven. It leads to a paediatric First Aid certificate, which is valid for three years.
The Montessori Centre International runs a seminar on:
* Exploring issues around health and safety in the nursery. This seminar encompasses a variety of issues relating to children's health and care. Topics covered include appropriate nutrition and immunisation packages.
The Pre-School Learning Alliance and the National Childminding Association (NCMA) have developed a 12-hour First Aid course in conjunction 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 accredited independent First Aid trainers.
The Alliance also runs:
* Health and Safety risk assessment. This workshop focuses on raising awareness of health and safety legal requirements in the workplace and how to apply them.
Contact the Pre-School Learning Alliance regional centres - Eastern 01954 232327; North West 01772 423 538; London 020 7620 0550; Southern 0118 959 4064; Midlands 0121 643 0063; South East 01732 363070; North East 0113 252 2848; South West 0117 907 7073.
The Riverside Early Years Training Centre runs a two-day training course in Tyneside on:
* First Aid for those working with babies and children. This course covers management of the situation, resuscitation methods, the recovery position, bleeds and burns, head injuries, fractures and poisons.
St John Ambulance's varied First Aid courses include:
* Lifesaver for babies and children, which covers all aspects of emergency First Aid and resuscitation techniques.
* Emergency aid in schools, a short course of basic First Aid for teachers and school ancillary staff.
* Emergency aid for nursery nurses and childminders.
Tinies Childcare runs a course in London on:
* Paediatric First Aid, on 20 July, 14 September, 12 October and 16 November. This day course for anyone caring for children focuses on baby and child resuscitation.
The Wales Pre-School Playgroups Association endorses the Child Carers'
First Aid training offered by the British Red Cross, St John Ambulance, First Aid Services Training, Cambrian Ambulance Services and Medic First Aid.
Teaching assistants
The Riverside Early Years Training Centre in Tyneside runs:
* CACHE Level 2 certificate for teaching assistants. This 120-hour course is for childcare workers who want to move into school settings or for people already working in school on a paid or voluntary basis.
Training
The High/Scope Institute in London is holding a course on:
* Training of trainers, from 16 September 2002 to 11 April 2003. The course is an intensive 35 days of training by consultant trainers organised into seven weeks over eight months. Participants will develop the skills needed to deliver training to adults interested in providing active learning opportunities for children.
Violence
Children are not born violent; they are made so. The Forum on Children and Violence, affiliated to the National Children's Bureau, co-ordinates action to prevent violence in all aspects of children's lives.
The focus is on children because evidence shows that what happens in the early years lies at the root of violent behaviour. The Forum holds conferences and also publishes Checkpoints for Early Years, which aims to raise awareness and help nurseries and pre-schools to add a violence-prevention perspective to all aspects of their work, and to evaluate their progress. Note that violence is defined as behaviour that causes physical or psychological harm.
Checkpoints can be downloaded in PDF format from the NCB website or obtained from the Forum, with one copy free per setting, after which copies are Pounds 2.50 each. Cheques should be made payable to 'Forum on Children and Violence'.
