Wellbeing Education - Professional Training in Therapeutic Wellbeing Practice for Children and Young People

Safeguarding, Child Development and Wellbeing explores links between child development, adverse childhood experiences, child mental health and emotional wellbeing.  This underlines the significance of relational-developmental perspectives, child protection and safeguarding, evaluating risk factors and protective factors in children's lives.  Emphasising rights-informed approaches and trauma- informed care, recognising children's vulnerability and dependency as well as agency, autonomy and participatory voices, children's lived experience and subjective wellbeing is fundamental to the approach.  Creativity inspires individual motivation, meaning, purpose, resilience and recovery.  

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Creativity, Human Potential and Wellbeing develops the necessary core competencies for creative and relational approaches to wellbeing using the arts, sports, leisure, communication technology, nature and complementary health.  Mentalization-informed practice can be adapted and applied to any meaningful activities which inspire children.  Students are supported to select from three options including: key working, mentoring and creative group work in accordance with their practice in placements, identifying children's needs, assessment and formulation, risk assessment, evaluation of outcomes, case presentation and, where necessary, making appropriate referrals.  

Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives investigates 'what is wellbeing?' including the exploration of multi-factorial and multi-dimensional influences on children's physical, cognitive, social and emotional development, mental health and wellbeing.  The emphasis on multi-disciplinary approaches to wellbeing shares influence from youth work, social work, mental health, therapy and education.  Informed by legal, ethical and policy frameworks as well as therapeutic principles and values this underlines the value of psycho-education and support for parents, carers and professionals as well as the participatory voice of the child in decision making processes.  

Mentoring makes intentional use of a therapeutic relationship to enable growth, development and change through a consistent and supportive presence over time. The aim is to provide a ‘secure base’ which can offer opportunities for the development of wellbeing capacities, reparation and change. Therapeutic approaches to mentoring recognise that children and young people who may have experienced trauma or complex relationships in the past may need to develop a trusting and stable emotional bond with a safe and effective role model towards strengthening their sense of self. The quality of emotional attunement, mentalization and regulation can enhance interpersonal relationships in the present and future with parents, families, carers, peers, teachers, professionals or others. The mentoring relationship can enable youth engagement, healing and transformation towards positive outcomes in all areas of life.  This can include success in academic achievements, health and wellbeing, career development, personal relationships, economic and creative contributions to community.

Key working provides the intentional use of a therapeutic relationship to foster personal, social and emotional development in a multi-disciplinary context. Key working embraces a multiplicity of roles and responsibilities depending on the child’s presenting issues, life circumstances, needs and capabilities in the context and setting of the work. As a relationally-based, mentalization-informed methodology, the key relationship is with the child who remains central and paramount. However, there are also other relationships which can be initiated and developed including consultative contact with parents, carers, teachers, social workers, therapists, volunteers or other allied health professionals in the Team Around the Child (TAC). This is a bio-psychosocial approach attending to the child’s hierarchy of needs and lived experience, including awareness of adverse childhood experiences and trauma-informed care.  This integrative systemic approach understands the impact of the child’s unconscious process on the matrix of care and network of inter-dependent personal and professional relationships.

Creative group work makes intentional use of the group to explore a wide range of creative and relational possibilities. The group itself is a vehicle through which growth, change and development can be facilitated. Participants have the opportunity to individuate within the safety and containment of the group including support from peer relationships, themes explored within the creative structures provided and including the influence and presence of the skilled facilitator. The challenge for creative leadership is to balance the development of safety, risk, freedom and direction within meaningful and satisfying activities in a person-centred, process orientated approach. The facilitator’s role is to develop a working alliance, including bonds, tasks and goals, working collaboratively with the group members to co-produce aims and evaluate outcomes with awareness of diversity, equal opportunities, and inclusive practice.