No Time for Goodbye – Understanding the Impact and Providing Support to Children and Young People Following a Death by Suicide

This is a two-day course delivered in Andover, Hampshire – attendees must be able to attend both dates *Please do not book this course if you are unable to attend both dates. In event of last minute cancellation, please nominate a colleague to attend both dates on your behalf

3rd and 10th February 2025 – find out more

4th and 11th February 2025 – find out more

 

Bridging Course – Working therapeutically with children and young people aged 4 to 18 years presenting with bereavement and loss

This four-day course is for qualified adult counsellors wishing to gain relevant training in counselling children and young people presenting with bereavement and loss, using a therapeutic approach. The course is aligned to the BACP curriculum for counselling CYP aged 4 to 18 years. Applicants must be able to commit to completing all training dates. Please do not book on to this course unless you are able to attend all four training dates. In the event of non-attendance without prior cancellation, we reserve the right to deliver an invoice of £50.00 to cover the time and material cost related to non-attendance of this event.

5th, 6th, 12th and 13th February 2025 – apply now

 

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Mindset is Listening Ear’s new training and professional services delivery arm.  Any surplus generated through Mindset is used to support the charity’s wider purpose.

 

Professional Training

Listening Ear delivers high-quality training courses to a wide-range of professionals including Teachers, Foster Carers, Social Workers, Hospice Staff, GPs and others. Examples include:

• Supporting Children and Young People (CYP) Experiencing Bereavement, Separation and Loss Part 1 (Theory) and Part 2 (Practical)
  Duration: Full Day
• Supporting CYP Experiencing Domestic Abuse Part 1 (Theory) and Part 2 (Practical)
  Duration: Full Day
• Suicide and Self Harm Awareness (Adults and Children)
  Duration: Half Day
• Understanding Attachment and Trauma for Looked After Children
  Duration: Half Day
• Providing Emotional Support for Looked After Children
  Duration: Full Day
• Emotional Self Care for CYP Professionals
  Duration: Half Day
• Understanding Grief, Loss and Bereavement in Adults
  Duration: Half Day
• Managing Anxiety for Adults
  Duration: Half Day
• Mindfulness for Stress and Anxiety for Adults
  Duration: Full Day

Listening Ear can also deliver a range of bespoke training packages. In particular we are experienced in providing bespoke training solutions following Ofsted/ CQC reports. We recognise that the route to service improvement can feel daunting but Mindset offers tailored solutions for staff, trustees, governors and volunteers to address areas where organisations need additional support. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss how we might be of help.

Listening Ear also delivers a range of professional services.  This includes Cognitive Behavioural Coaching in schools for pupils in transition (Years 5 to 8/ ages 9 to 14). The service targets CYP presenting with low mental toughness and resilience. Listening Ear piloted a programme of Cognitive Behavioural Coaching work in Knowsley schools in 2018.  It offers a proven route to mental wellbeing for children and young people.

The aim of this programme is to engage and support young people to take control of their own emotional and mental wellbeing, build their resilience and provide them with a range of self-help coping skills/strategies. Coaching support can make a big difference to young people who may be experiencing difficulties in life such as, experiencing anxiety, stress, depression or other mental health difficulties, self-harming, risky behaviour, or overcoming bullying.

Through the use of structured CBC sessions in group or one to one situations, Listening Ear encouraged young people to improve their self-awareness, grow emotionally and thereby improve their levels of resilience.

 

Listening Ear also offers a Community Consultation and Service User Engagement Package for any locality. Historically, through listening to the needs of its constituents and responding appropriately, Listening Ear and its services was developed by a group of community volunteers. The principle of consulting with our service users has been held at our core ever since.

In 2018, Listening Ear won its first contract from a Local Authority who wanted to consult with community members on the establishment of a wellbeing hub in an existing community building. This was in a new service location for Listening Ear and we therefore had no existing connections. Listening Ear was required to undertake a consultation process and submit a final written report in a total period of twelve weeks. We organised and ran 18 consultation events within the period, ran an online consultation, established a community panel.

Outcomes 

74% of the responses came from individuals aged between 35 and 54 years of age with no responses from those aged 16-24 or 75+ years of age and minimal responses from those aged 25-35 years old (6%).

35% of respondents were responsible for children under the age of 16 years.

68% of respondents lived in the area where the wellbeing hub was to be established

35% cited mental health problems as their main difficulty with 81% of those saying that they were not currently accessing mental health services

Old age, autism, PTSD, Asthma and physical health problems were cited by 37% of respondents as being their main difficulty

Listening Ear provided a report on the barriers to accessing existing services, activities and services that would be of interest and suggested opening times for the hub.