Strengthening the Circle

The COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest health crisis for generations. Research shows the negative impact that restrictions and changes have on young people’s wellbeing risking long-term consequences for their mental wellbeing.

For the workforce, responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining support for children and young people; and constantly adapting to new ways of working can lead to stress, feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.

Aim of the Programme

Strengthening the Circle is a programme designed to strengthen the skills, confidence and competence of people working in non-specialist roles with children and young adults to support their mental wellbeing. The course can be run within a school or for one service or for a multi-agency group working across a geographic area to develop a community of practice.

Approach

Each progamme is tailored to meet locally identified priorities for children and young people’s mental health with content informed by coproduction with children and young people in the area. This unique approach has proved particularly successful to developing sustainable cross sector communities of practice in local areas. Each course is run by trainers experienced in mental health and working with children and young people.

Participants are provided with practical strength-based tools to equip children and young people with the awareness and skills to recognise their own emotional needs, manage in times of adversity and learn strategies for life which support good mental health. They are encouraged to develop reflective skills and benefit from developing awareness of their own resilience. Throughout the course participants are encouraged to try out new approaches between sessions and reflect on their learning and experiences.

Who is it for?

This programme is for people all those who have a part to play in contributing to their circle of support for children and young people in their community including school and college staff; early help and preventative services; alternative providers; voluntary and community or faith organisations; youth workers; transition staff; and SEN and care leaving teams.

How much does it cost?

There are a few different costing options based on the number of participants and whether you would like cascade training to be included as an additional element to the training.

1) Strengthening the Circle training:

- For up to 12 people: the cost of this programme is £9,200 plus VAT (this equates to just under £770 per person based on there being 12 participants)

- For up to 20 people: the cost of this programme is £13,200 plus VAT (this equates to £660 per person based on there being 20 participants)

2) Strengthening the Circle with an additional cascade training option:

- For up to 20 people: £14,700 plus VAT (equates to £735 per person based on there being 20 participants). Participants receive:

• Strengthening the Circle training
• Presentations and resources for cascade training
• Mentoring as trainers and micro teach
• Follow up session and reporting back to funder re. legacy

Programme Structure

• The programme is run online or as blend of online and face to face sessions.
• All training is interactive and focuses on skills development and practice.
• Each participant additionally has one-to-one time with tutors to discuss their own wellbeing, their work and their use of the resilience framework and person-centred tools.
• Participants are provided with resources and information via an online platform to encourage networking and development of a community of practice.

Strengthening the Circle is an NDTi programme developed in partnership with Boingboing, a Community Interest Company dedicated to embedding the learning from resilience research into communities and professional practice, inspiring and supporting co-productive approaches. Boingboing works in partnership with the University of Brighton’s Centre of Resilience for Social Justice using research evidence and coproduction to underpin our tools and training.