Children in Scotland's Annual Conference 2024. 29-30 May 2024 Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh. White text on pink background with dandelion puff motif.

Workshops

Workshop Themes

Additional Support Needs

A holistic look at Additional Support Needs – including individuals with neurodivergences to children and young people facing challenging circumstances.

Inclusion and Diversity

Ensuring that children and young people from all backgrounds and marginalities are represented in the work done by the sector.

Behaviours

How behaviour communicates children and young people’s needs and can reflect their circumstances.

Participation

Effectively working with children and young people to gain understanding and influence change.

Health

From physical to mental health and wellbeing.

Poverty

A widespread look at how financial stress feeds into systemic issues and manifests in a variety of ways.

Day One - Session One

11:10 am

1a
When young people are risky, complex or ‘stuck’. A case study of integrative working
Kibble
Room: President's Suite / Plenary

This workshop will explore what works for young people that require highly intensive services. Find out about the Kibble model and the range of services offered to children and young people. Explore how integrated services can help develop therapeutic environments. There will be discussions, case studies and debate!

1b
Learn with LUNA: engaging young people
The LUNA Project
Room: Moncreiff 3

Participation is becoming a bit of a buzzword just now! In this workshop we want to think with you about what good and meaningful engagement and participation is, drawing on our collective experience as a group of disabled young people, and to give you the tools and confidence to move forward and get started or refine your participation work!

1c
The lowdown on life after school: Exploring transitions for young people with ASN
ARC Scoltand – Scottish Transitions Forum
Room: Moncreiff 2

This co-designed and delivered interactive workshop aims to shed light on the crucial transition period when young people with additional support needs leave school and step into adulthood. The session will emphasise the importance of getting this transition right to empower and support young people in achieving their goals. Participants will engage in discussions, activities, and breakout sessions to explore key aspects of the transition process.

1d
All behaviour is communication: distressed behaviour and support at school
Enquire
Room: Cap & Thistle Suite

Focusing on working together, this workshop creates space to discuss the difficulties surrounding behaviour in schools, its intersection with additional support needs, and what can help. The Enquire team will share learning from their work, including insights from Scotland’s Inclusion Ambassadors, and facilitate an exploration of good practice in behaviour management. Attendees will have the opportunity to contribute to new work from Enquire which aims to provide advice and information on managing behaviour in schools.

1e
Leading by Listening: A Playful Approach
University of Dundee and Redwell Primary School
Room: Centenary Club

The ‘Leading by listening through play’ framework will be presented during this workshop led by Dr Lynsey Burke from the University of Dundee, and staff and children from Redwell Primary School. Staff will share their perspectives on using the framework and incorporating playful methods to capture and amplify children’s voices on their play and learning. We will be able to ‘see through the child’s eyes’ and hear from children about their experiences and reflections on this process and discover the children’s views regarding how they would like to be listened to in the future.

Day One - Session Two

2:20 pm

2a
Our story of change: Making brave choices and investing in services
Harmeny Education Trust
Room: President's Suite / Plenary

Building on interviews with former Harmeny pupils, this workshop delves into good practice in relation to transitions and keeping in touch, and explores the impact of the promise on residential services. This will include an exploration of the risks, challenges and opportunities in relation to implementing the promise and how Harmeny has enhanced their services as a response. Participants will reflect on how they can develop their services to ensure continuity of care and aftercare, and thereby keep the promise.

2b
Supporting healthy weight in Scotland’s children
Obesity Action Scotland
Room: Moncreiff 3

Learn how healthy weight changes throughout childhood and how inequalities influence weight outcomes over time. Hear the outputs of a workshop conducted with young people about how they view unhealthy food and drink advertising. Consider the policy work that is being undertaken to support a healthier future for children in Scotland.

2c
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: FASD Makes Me, Me!
FASD Hub Scotland (Adoption UK)
Room: Moncreiff 2

This session includes a brief introduction to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum disorder, and how it affects individuals. It will focus around a short animation created by those with lived experience and include discussion, a Q&A and signposting to supports available for families and professionals. It will be co-led by young people with FASD and the FASD Hub Scotland team.

2d
A day in the life of a young carer
Carers Trust Scotland
Room: Cap & Thistle Suite

Hear from young carers and their lived experiences directly in this workshop before engaging in an interactive game developed by young carers in conjunction with staff. The young carers media ambassadors have developed a short video on mental health support for young carers in addition to a new young carers mental health toolkit.

2e
Growing emotionally connected young men
Boys to Men Mentoring – Lockerbie Academy
Room: Centenary Club

We will explore why our mentoring project from Lockerbie Academy has been recognised by Education Scotland as best practice for health and wellbeing. Our B2M mentors will describe the project and describe what they have gained from taking part. They will explain why they believe it is important for young men to be given the opportunity to talk about their emotions and have adults listen to their needs. We will share the impacts we have seen as a school, on attendance, attainment and positive destinations. The boys will take participants through a typical lesson, an emotional check in and learning activity.

Day Two - Session Three

10:25 am

3a
Kooth.com - digital mental health and wellbeing support in Scotland
Kooth
Room: President's Suite / Plenary

Our workshop will take you through a young person’s journey of being supported on our online mental health and wellbeing platform - Kooth.com. Explore different support features that can be accessed on our platform, learn about emotional expression through journalling and experience a grounding exercise to support you in creating your own therapeutic space. Learn about Kooth whilst taking away tools for you and those you work with.

3b
Towards a more diverse Scotland: elevating young voices Multi-Cultural Family Base
Room: Moncreiff 3

Explore the work Multi-Cultural Family Base and the challenges (and priorities!) of the diverse young people they support. Delve into understanding culturally competent practice and how professionals can work to reduce barriers to support for children and young people.

3c
The Allies Project: supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children
Guardianship Scotland, Aberlour Children’s Charity
Room: Moncreiff 2

The Allies Project is a psychosocial group intervention for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and trafficked young people to build individual and community resilience. This workshop will explore how this intervention teaches young people coping strategies to help manage symptoms of trauma, anxiety and stress. Working together we help young people understand how their experiences impact their feelings of safety, relationships, identity and access to justice.

3d
Sharing Young People's Voices and Telling Stories
Braw Talent CIC
Room: Cap & Thistle Suite

This hands-on workshop will focus on sharing the voices of young people and telling their stories through design, filmmaking, and animation. Attendees will be lead through creating their own stop motion film to tell a short story.

3e
Trauma from a child's perspective
With Kids
Room: Centenary Club

As professionals who work with children, trauma informed training helps us understand the physical and psychological impact of trauma. But how is trauma viewed from the child’s perspective? Using children’s stories from Play Therapy, use a new self-reflective tool, R.O.A.R ©, to explore the impact of hearing traumatic stories on a professional and personal level. This innovative workshop aims to transform how you think about trauma by Recognising triggered emotions, Observing the physical sensation, Accepting not avoiding how it feels and generating an alternative way to Respond and support the children you are working with.

Day Two - Session Four

11:55 am

4a
Neurodivergency and sensory processing: experience our world
Three Sisters Consultancy
Room: President's Suite / Plenary

In this immersive workshop, the neurodivergent facilitators will explore how neurodivergences can affect a child's experience of sensory processing. We will explore the anatomy of the brain, sensory seeking and avoiding behaviours and have an immersive experience to truly understand what sensory overload can feel like.

4b
Understanding animal abuse and how to intervene with children and young people
Scottish SPCA
Room: Moncreiff 3

This workshop will highlight the often unrecognised link between animal abuse and violence towards humans. There has been a recent change in the UNCRC where the General Comment 26 now includes that "Children must be protected from all forms of physical and psychological violence and from exposure to violence, such as domestic violence or violence inflicted on animals". Witnessing animal abuse has also been included in the Online Safety Act 2023. This workshop will provide an opportunity to reflect on what this means to you, and the children and young people you support.

4c
Suicide prevention and creating hope
Suicide Prevention Youth Advisory Group
Room: Moncreiff 2

This workshop will focus on Children in Scotland and University of Stirling’s work with the Suicide Prevention Youth Advisory Group. The interactive session will be led by members of the Youth Advisory Group with staff from the project. The group will discuss share about what works for children and young people who have experience of suicidality or a bereavement by suicide. This will include a focus on the importance of the Time, Space, Compassion approach and supports the delivery of Creating Hope Together, Scotland’s suicide prevention strategy.

4d
Paying the Price: the cost to families of imprisonment
Families Outside
Room: Cap & Thistle Suite

Imprisonment of a family member is associated with serious financial consequences for children and families. This workshop will demonstrate the role of imprisonment in creating, sustaining and deepening poverty before exploring key policy and practice solutions that support impacted children and families.

4e
Relationship based practice: new online learning from OU and STAF
The Open University in Scotland and Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum
Room: Centenary Club

Open University academics and STAF colleagues will facilitate an interactive workshop to demonstrate our new Relationship Based Practice e-learning course. Our workshop will include the chance to review the new course, add relevant feedback to our approach and take part in a discussion on wider themes around the Relationship Based Practice approach.

Day Two - Session Five

1:55 pm

5a
Live Music and Mental Health: exploring co-design approaches
Children in Scotland with University of Stirling and Scottish Ensemble
Room: President's Suite / Plenary

This workshop will explore key learning around creativity, co-production and evaluation techniques from a recent project engaging with children and young people and professionals. The workshop will include a music performance, presentations, and a short panel discussion.

5b
SAFE/ IVY: Interventions for children and young people who harm and who have been harmed
Kibble
Room: Moncreiff 3

This workshop will introduce Kibble's community projects SAFE and IVY (Interventions for Vulnerable Youth) which are both free to access Scottish Government Funded Services providing therapeutic intervention for young people. This will include details of their processes and considerations around what works with these vulnerable groups. Reflection on your practice will be encouraged as young people's ideas are integrated into the workshop to help you think about what you currently do and maybe what you need to do more of.

5c
Taking homelessness prevention upstream: Working together to prevent family and youth homelessness
Rock Trust
Room: Moncreiff 2

Youth homelessness is on the rise for the first time in ten years in Scotland, and this workshop will explain the causes, what makes it unique and how we can prevent it. We will share insights from young people with lived experience and learnings from the services supporting them. Well-planned prevention can help young people to avoid homelessness, and we will reflect on ways you can build in preventative measures into your role and organisation.

5d
Youth leadership: youth-led research & youth governance
OPEN
Room: Cap & Thistle Suite

Follow OPEN’s journey from a small youth-led peer education project to a now-independent and youth-governed charity. This workshop, led by young people from Shetland, will delve into what youth leadership means, understanding youth-led peer research, and how to transition from youth-led to youth-governed.

5e
Incorporating children's rights into an education setting
Firrhill High School
Room: Centenary Club

Young people from Firrhill’s UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Equalities group will lead this workshop discussing their children’s rights journey. For the past six years Firrhill High School has developed a strongly embedded approach to upholding the rights of the child through their curriculum, policies, and practice. Follow real-life examples and how a rights-based approach can strengthen relationships between adults and children, and improve work around equalities, wellbeing, and disability rights.