Module Two: Practitioner Training

This is a two-session training to help practitioners develop their skills in providing transition work to families using the By Your Side model. It follows on from Module One: By Your Side Overview. The transition work practitioners are involved in may vary. The transition may be from foster care to adoption or may be another situation, such as short to long-term foster care, foster care to residential setting or transition back to birth family. The training involves direct practise alongside use of video and discussion and will aim to be very interactive.

Practitioners attending this course will:

• Have already undertaken Module One of By Your Side
• Ideally have already undertaken Theraplay Level 1 Training and have some experience in delivering direct work based on Theraplay principles
• Ideally have also completed DDP Level 1 (or have a good understanding of the approach)

Training objectives

The training will cover the following areas:

• Revision of Framework and theory underpinning the By Your Side transitions model
• Clinical video examples illustrating the pattern of sessions: with foster carer and child, across introductions, after the move
• How to structure sessions that integrate Theraplay and DDP based approaches
• How to facilitate a joint foster carer/adopter session during introductions
• Continuing the work into the new adoptive placement
• Using mini figures and puppets to communicate with children
• Using a range of rituals to provide continuity across contexts and help develop the narrative
• Developing a therapeutic story
• Managing adult dynamics

Objective 1: Understand how to apply the By Your Side principles to your practice

Objective 2: Increase confidence in how to facilitate direct work sessions across transitions

Objective 3: Increase confidence in how to use helpful narrative across transitions

Trainer: Dr Vivien Norris, Clinical Psychologist, Theraplay and DDP consultant and Trainer. By Your Side author and trainer.