Discover tools and techniques to engage effectively with vulnerable children and young people.

- Duration4 weeks
- Weekly study4 hours
Communicating Effectively with Vulnerable Children and Young People
Learn child-centred communication strategies to encourage children to talk
Communicating effectively with vulnerable children and young people is not always easy. Despite practitioners and carers knowing this is an important area of their work, research shows that practice is not always as effective as it could be.
This course will enable you to improve your communication skills through techniques which place the child at the heart of the interaction. You’ll examine why a child may become vulnerable and reflect upon the barriers to communication. You’ll also explore activities from pre-verbal to adolescent stages which encourage children to share their feelings.
What topics will you cover?
- Reasons why a child or young person may become vulnerable
- Age-appropriate activities and techniques from the pre-verbal to adolescent stages
- Innovative ways of facilitating communication
- Challenges and barriers to effective communication with vulnerable children and young people
- Levels of vulnerability experienced by a child or young person, including areas of safeguarding
When would you like to start?
Date to be announced
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Reflect upon and develop skills in communicating with vulnerable children and young people, raising the profile of this essential area of child welfare and wellbeing
- Explore a child-centred perspective to help facilitate more effective communication with the children and young people for whom we are responsible
- Explain that improving our communication with children and young people requires consideration of specific activities and skills which facilitates this communication – it is more than just talking with them
- Discuss some helpful approaches, tools and techniques which may be appropriate for the pre-verbal child through to adolescents
- Engage with and reflect upon material from award winning child protection simulations to reflect upon how we can improve our communication with vulnerable children and young people
Who is the course for?
The course is aimed at anyone working with vulnerable children and young people. It is also suited to foster carers keen to improve their communication skills.
Who will you learn with?
I am Deputy Director of Studies at the Centre and have studied and worked around supporting vulnerable children. Currently I am training in sandplay therapy to facilitate more effective communication.
I am a trainer at the centre for child protection at the University of Kent. I am supporting Vanisha Jassal in the course Effective communication with vulnerable children.
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