Testimonials

What caregivers have said:

I have learned to keep calm and to take a more thoughtful approach  – Vanessa

It improved my listening skills, bonded us and made our relationship more positive, communication was completely different – Geredine

The fact based training with the element on brain development  really enables carers to depersonalise the challenging behaviour, we can see it as a default, not something conscious that the child has control over – Toni

Hanna listens without judgement. I felt understood. It helped me to talk the situation through and consider different perspectives. It gave me other options. – Janett

Using a reflective diary has been good for me, acknowledging and reflecting on my own feelings, as well as the child’s.’  – Kate

‘We are much more able to understand our [foster] child’s feelings. For example, when he has contact with his birth mum we recognise what he is feeling. We worked with the school, and it’s meant that the teachers were able to do different things with him on contact days.’  – Paul

‘Giving him a head massage after he has had a rage outburst really calms him down and sends him to sleep.’  – Debbie

‘Learning about brain development has really helped – I’m now even more sympathetic when she keeps making the same mistakes, or does the same behaviour over and over.  It makes sense.  I now know why this happens.’ – Cheryl

Feedback from Social Workers:

Improved my knowledge and skills to engage better with the young people I work with. This is very useful training which should be provided to all social workers and foster carers. – Francis

Very relevant, clear and varied. Promotes active and analytical thinking and learning. – Patricia

Hanna has helped the Social Workers to consider issues from a more therapeutic and systemic viewpoint and is helpful in taking on direct work with the carers identified as necessary to enable them to work with the children’s emotional needs and presentation. – Valerie (Team Manager)

The training changed how I see things! I use the tools to ask different questions and pay attention to detail, make links to the past that I otherwise would not have considered relevant in my work with adopters. – Jessica