‘Risk, Resilience and Relationships’ –

Promoting strong social, emotional and mental health of two, three and four year olds.

(Previously a six session face to face programme for early years practitioners, this course has evolved as a result of COVID restrictions to a Two session course each lasting two hours).

The project sessions will be delivered by a knowledgeable facilitator, with experience and expertise in early years and social, emotional and mental health.

The key aims of these sessions are:

• To explore the role that relationships with adult carers plays in building early social, emotional and mental health.
• To understand how young children develop and how resilience is built over time.
• To consider the range of risk factors which may be part of a young child’s early experiences and how these may influence a child’s everyday behaviours and responses.
• To reflect upon the way in which the setting provides an environment, which supports strong social, emotional and mental health in young children, parents and staff.

To create a plan to improve and develop your current practice and share with others.

The sessions will cover topics such as:

• Putting social, emotional and mental health at the heart of providing high quality provision
• The importance of the people in the child’s world and how their relationship influences the child
• Why understanding how young children’s brains develop supports our understanding of how to support their emotional, social and mental health development.
• What does stress in young children look like, what do we see, how do we respond when a child is stressed and how does the child learn how to cope in the future?
• Being aware of factors, which may put a young child’s social, emotional and mental health development at risk.
• Looking at a whole setting ethos which values the social, emotional worlds of children, staff and parents

‘Early experiences affect lifelong physical and mental health, not just learning.

Healthy brain development requires protection from excessive stress, not just enrichment in a stimulating environment.’

Harvard Centre for the Developing Child

All sessions will be delivered using our own Zoom platform at times and dates to suit your circumstances.