Continuing Professional Development - New thinking

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is now being used by Childcare Consultancy to extend professional development and provide new tools for practice and business purposes. Managing director Laura Henry, who recently underwent training with NLP co-creator John Grinder, has launched two new courses that embed its principles.

Ms Henry says, 'NLP is how we organise how we can think, talk and behave to increase individual excellence in our life. NLP gives you the tools to make positive changes in your life which have a lasting impact on your personal and professional continuing development. NLP has given me control over how I can direct my thought processes and use NLP language patterns to gain clarity when communicating with others.'

NLP techniques underpin a new accredited Childcare Consultancy course, 'From Sensational Show Arounds to Registrations!', which debuts at Kids Allowed in Manchester on 8 July and is aimed at owners, managers and deputies.

'We have devised this course as an opportunity for owners to use NLP techniques in order to build instant rapport with prospective parents, to match and mirror their body language and how they can complement their setting's unique selling points to a parent and child's individual needs,' says Ms Henry. 'Ultimately, this is about increasing occupancy levels and understanding the sales cycle. We will be asking participants to think about how they can access cues when building rapport with prospective parents, so we hope they will take away a sound appreciation of how NLP can make a difference to the way they approach and engage potential parents and secure new business.'

Childcare Consultancy's second new course, 'Helping Children to Self-regulate Their Behaviour', being held at the same venue, also links to NLP principles. 'We look at how we can interrupt children's negative behavioural patterns,' says Ms Henry. 'We will discuss the importance of positive adult and child relationships and how this is crucial in enabling children to have a healthy personal, social and emotional development.'

NLP is identified as an important tool in boosting children's personal, social and emotional development - key areas identified in the EYFS review. Ms Henry says, 'It can help practitioners to increase children's thoughts and language skills and take positive control of their own behaviour.'

Further information

• jen@childcareconsult.co.uk
• Association for Neuro Linguistic Programming, www.anlp.org.