PPEPCare Training
Our Psychological Perspectives in Education and Primary Care (PPEPCare) training has been designed to help all staff teams working in Berkshire to recognise, understand and support children and young people experiencing mental health difficulties. The training is offered to teams working with children, young people and their families using psycho-education and other relevant evidence based psychological techniques, such as using a cognitive behavioural framework.
Training consists of instructive teaching, experiential learning, group discussion, and DVD material. It is delivered by a qualified member of our local CAMHS services.
Our PPEPCare modules were developed and written by experts in the field and are based on the most up to date research.
Our training is not designed to turn staff into psychological therapists, but does provide opportunities to develop your knowledge, skills and confidence to talk about and work with the common mental issues that young people present with, within your current role.
Overview of common Mental Health issues in Children and Young People
A brief introduction to the common Mental Health issues often seen by professionals, highlighting the risk issues and local and national resources.
NOW: Having constructive conversations with distressed young people
How to recognize distress, how it may present in young people and how to respond in the moment. Develop an understanding of the changes to teenage brains and how this impacts them. Identify the barriers to effective communication and develop relevant skills to effectively communicate with distressed young people. Learn about a structure known as ‘NOW’ to facilitate helpful and constructive conversations with children and young people.
Attachment
This module aims to help those working with children and young people to understand attachment theory and its importance to a child’s development. It covers how pupils with attachment difficulties present at school age, and how to support children with attachment difficulties in school and the community.
Working with Families
Explore systems theory using teaching, discussion and practical exercises to help you understand families and the impact of mental health issues. Develop a tool kit to support young people and their families. It focuses on practical skills to talk with families, particularly in challenging situations (including questions, reframing and exploring meanings) to promote change.
Supporting young people with low mood
Exploring what depression is, how it may present in young people, and how it may differ from ‘normal’ adolescent mood difficulties. It looks at how low mood and depression may be maintained and explores some useful techniques (specifically behavioural activation) that can be used to break the maintenance cycles.
Supporting young people with anxiety
Exploring how anxiety presents in adolescence and how to assess it, including useful questions to ask and relevant questionnaire measures. It explores what might keep anxiety going and provides an overview of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (an evidence-based treatment for anxiety) as well as a number of useful techniques which can be adapted for the primary care or school setting.
Supporting young people who self-harm
Exploring what self-harm is and how it might present, including why young people might self-harm and challenging commonly held assumptions. It includes guidance around how to talk to young people who may be self-harming, what is confidentiality, dealing with your own feelings and supporting young people with alternative strategies.
Behavioural Difficulties - Supporting children and their parents via a parenting intervention
Examining what conduct problems are and why it is important to treatment them. It provides an overview of the key principles and components of a parenting programme and how this option might be introduced.
Supporting children and young people with obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD)
Exploring what OCD is, how it presents and how you can assess it, including the kinds of questions that you might want to ask a child or young person. It explores factors that maintain OCD, and how you can help a young person to understand what might be maintaining their difficulties.
Overcoming childhood anxiety
Exploring when anxiety might be a problem (as opposed to a ‘normal’ developmental phase), and describing different anxiety disorders and how these can be assessed. It explores why treatment is important and gives a detailed overview of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (a treatment which has shown to be effectives with children and young people). It highlights key treatment strategies and explores the role of parental behaviour (how they respond to their child’s anxiety).
Supporting children and young people with specific phobia
Helping primary healthcare professionals and appropriate staff in schools to assess specific phobias and use basic Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques with children and young people who present. It highlights useful assessment questions and offers an introduction to the CBT model and treatment strategies, including graded exposure and managing physical symptoms.
Supporting children with separation anxiety disorder (SAD)
Exploring what SAD is and how it may present, including what ‘healthy’ versus ‘pathological’ separation anxiety might look like. It discusses assessment strategies, including useful questions, and the role that attachment figures, such as parents or carers, may play in SAD. It looks at three key steps for overcoming SAD along with relevant information that can be used to help support you.
Supporting young people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Exploring what PTSD is, and how it may present, including differences in children and young people. It looks at assessment tools and useful questions, as well as an explanation of why difficulties may persist. It provides an introduction to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for children and young people who have experience trauma and guidance around working with parents.
Supporting young people with Eating Disorders
Exploring what eating disorders are and how they might present. It provides guidance around how to assess difficulties in this area and information about useful questions to ask young people. It highlights the importance of referral to specialist services and what treatment might look like in this setting.
Autism Awareness
Helping to develop a broad understanding of children and young people on the autism spectrum, looking at key features and issues. Exploring the world through the eyes of a child or young person with autism, and how best to support using practical strategies including helpful communication styles and environmental changes.
Autism and Mental Health
The relationship between autism and mental health. Exploring the way in which mental health issues present in children and young people with autism, with a focus on anxiety, depression and OCD. It includes ways to support young people and their families with autism and mental health difficulties such as CBT strategies and different techniques to manage and regulate emotions.
ADHD
Recognizing ADHD and how it may present in children and young people. Understanding the diagnosis process and what medication may be prescribed. Understanding the challenges faced in school and home life. Strategies to support children and young people in educational and other settings.
Our training can be delivered in a flexible way to suit your teams needs and availability - from 30 minutes over lunchtime, twilight sessions or a half or full-day session. Many teams choose to have a number of modules delivered over a longer period of time. They can be delivered online.
Trainers can travel to GP surgeries, hospitals, schools and other appropriate locations and sessions are delivered free of charge by specially trained, local CAMHS staff.
If you have any queries, please email: PPEPCare@berkshire.nhs.uk
To book a session, please fill in the form here (opens in new window).
Nearly all trainees would recommend the training to colleagues (98% of those attending the overview module and 100% of those attending all other modules).
Some of the comments received on the training include:
"I took so much away from these sessions, in particular around specific strategies/focus on behavioural activation to treat depression in young people, and recognising indicators of ASD."
"I found this training very, very helpful in developing skills that would provide me with scope for a more reassuring and assuring outcome with my patients for both the patient and myself."
"Very useful and informative. Useful to have a range of people from different areas/professions to add to the discussion. The signposted reading will be very useful in applying theory to practice."
"Thought-provoking content and well delivered."
"I liked the practical side of the training and it helped put the theory into practice."
