KPAC Primary Emotional First Aid

For staff working with children aged 5 - 11. The course focuses on early identification and intervention of emotional problems, helping staff see behaviour as a solution to emotional distress and taking a step towards the young person to find helpful strategies before more severe problems develop.

The course will offer an overview of mental health and wellbeing in relation to children in the Primary years setting with material and in depth discussion utilising reflection in practice, humanistic approaches and systemic principles.

Aims:

To promote positive emotional health
To provide support and reassurance
To assist, with the appropriate adult(s) in the child’s life, the accessing of appropriate services
To undertake risk assessment to prevent harm to self or to/ from others
To create an emotionally healthy environment with the child to find strategies that help overcome emotional distress
To look for early signs of emotional distress and intervene where appropriate
Reduce stigma; Increase knowledge and skill base

Session 1:
What is Primary Emotional First Aid? – Introducing participants to the concept of EFA and to start to understand behaviour as a solution to emotional distress.

Session 2:
Worry & Sadness – Breaking down the two most prevalent Mental Health difficulties in the context of the Primary years setting.

Session 3:
Attachment – Understanding the concept of attachment and the relationship we have with the Children we work with, paying attention also to the notion of detachment.

Session 4:
Enabling Emotional Expression – Using creative art, participants will be given an example exercise to enable children to express and explore their emotions. The session will then focus on sharing strategies we use to engage Children and help them through their emotional distress.

Session 5:
Understanding Risk – Focussing on the 3 main categories of Risk: From Others, To Self, To Others. Participants will also be invited to workshop a case study.

Session 6:
Looking After Ourselves – How We look after ourselves as Emotional First Aiders; identifying how the work affects us and exploring our own stress management.

The course costs £300 per person, based on a cohort of no more than 12 participants, delivered by two facilitators.