According to its recent participants, Walking with Fragile Families is an immensely rewarding and in-depth course, focused on the emotional intelligence of the child.
The current programme, run by Experiential Play, covers eight presentations over two months and a visit to four settings in Belfast.
Underpinning the course is the question, how does a fragile family background affect a child's social and emotional intelligence?
Nikki Gunn, acting deputy of the Parkside Community Nursery in Glasgow, says 'The presentations are very powerful and the course has had the ability to take me back to how I felt as a child, and explore childhood emotions.'
She praises its practical dimension. 'It is very much about sharing ideas and good practice. One session looks at creating a positive environment and ideas to encourage bonding, emotional engagement and positive play.'
With the help of Glasgow City Council funding, eight practitioners have so far attended the course from Parkside. Nikki is working towards a BA in Early Childhood Studies and believes that the course has provided her with useful starting points for research.
'It has helped me to understand what makes a family fragile and reflect on reasons for family breakdown and the strategies needed to support and guide a family forward without being judgemental,' she says. 'It has also helped me to take a step back in considering how values and beliefs have an impact on our provision, and how we can identify areas of change.
'It has helped us to recognise that to truly create a curriculum of excellence children need to be able to identify their feelings and set their own goals.
The eight presentations cover:
- Understanding a diversity of needs
- Sensitive communication and responsive play
- Values, beliefs and attitudes
- Understanding and responding to vulnerable children and their families
- Creating a positive environment
- Emotional intelligence
- Management of emotions
- Gender issues.
The current programme ends in December. For future programmes contact www.experientialplay.com.n.