Staff Professional Learning And Development

On this page you will find links to a range of learning and development activities and courses to support your Continued Professional Learning.

CALL Scotland Training

Please find below links to the CALL Scotland training sessions.

22nd Feb 2022:

SAMH Suicide Prevention Sessions

We now have additional opportunities to engage with SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) suicide prevention training. This has been extremely well received across the city and guides you on how best to support young people within your settings (YP indication). Please see more information and links below to register for this 2 hour session:

Introduction to the statistics and prevalence of suicide
Stigma – why does this still exist?
Spotting the signs that may suggest someone is having thoughts of suicide
Asking the question around suicide, the power of listening and remembering what we can do within the remit of our roles
Signposting to support and resources; our boundaries/looking after ourselves

Please note this course is a brief introduction to suicide prevention, is not designed for crisis support and we cannot guarantee a confidential, safe space due to the nature of video conferences.

Links to book on are below:

25 May (YP version)

2-4pm

Click here to book

26 May

3-5pm

Click here to book

27 May

2-4pm

Click here to book

1 June (YP version)

11am-1pm

Click here to book

2 June

2.30-4.30pm

Click here to book

3 June

11am-1pm

Click here to book

8 June (YP Version)

3-5pm

Click here to book

10 June

2-4pm

Click here to book

15 June

11am-1pm

Click here to book

17 June (YP version)

2.30-4.30pm

Click here to book

Sleepio

The resource below which supports anyone encountering sleep issues – it is suitable for anyone 18 and above:

https://www.sleepio.com/suitable/

Sleepio is a digital CBT program scientifically proven to help you sleep well without pills or potions.

NHS Grampian CAMHS Webinars

The CAMHS Team have developed a series of webinars designed to support parents in supporting their children. These may be useful for staff and can be shared with parents and carers if you feel they would be of benefit.

Sway:

Aberdeen City Council have produced a number of Sway documents highlighting current professional learning opportunities and links for staff.

Early Learning & Childcare (office.com)

Supporting Inclusive Practices with Children and Young People (office.com)

There are many other Sway documents available, which highlight a variety of CLPL opportunities for staff.

A Guide to Free Online Career-Long Professional Learning for Teachers, Additional Support for Learning Assistants and Early Years Practitioners in Dumfries and Galloway. (office.com)

ACC Learn:

ACC Learn (aberdeencity.gov.uk)

Within AAC Learn, there are a range of mandatory courses for all staff to complete. There are also service specific courses for education including a range of modules from the National Autistic Society.

Please note that ACC Learn is replacing the Aberdeen City Council OIL Learning platform.

Coaching:

ACC Educational Psychology Service are offering 1 hour individual coaching sessions for staff. These sessions aim to support your wellbeing, resilience and specific practice-related issues. To book your free session, please click on the link below.

ACC EPS: Request for Individual Coaching Session (office.com)

You may also find the following courses of interest:

Coaching In Education: Addressing The Need For Deep Communication

NESCol (North East Scotland College)

North East Scotland College has launched a fully funded selection of online courses available to anyone who can commit to two hours of study a week. The courses, which are part of the new 2021 part-time and distance learning programme, include counselling skills, health and mental wellbeing. For more information, click on the link below:

NESCol launches free online courses to support the regional workforce – North East Scotland College

Free Courses In Scotland:

Free Courses In Scotland offer a wide range of free online courses covering a variety of subjects, including education, care and mental health.

https://www.freecoursesinscotland.co.uk/all-free-courses

Open Learn:

Open Learn from the Open University have a wide array of free online courses that you can undertake. Some that colleagues have found informative include:

Attachment In The Early Years

Exploring Children’s Learning

Exploring Books For Children

Exploring Learning Disabilities, Supporting Belonging

Inclusive Education

Introduction To Child Psychology

Children’s Participation (UNCRC Article 12)

Future Learn:

Caring For Vulnerable Children

Differentiating For Learning

Education For All – Disability, Diversity And Inclusion

Inclusive Education: Essential Knowledge For Success

Teaching Phonics

Understanding ADHD

Autism:

The Autism Toolbox has a number of free resources to support practitioners with their professional learning and development in autism and inclusive practice.

Autism Toolbox – Professional Development

NAIT (National Autism Implementation Team) are in the process of developing a national autism training resource for schools and early years establishments. The resources below can support current professional learning for staff working in schools:

https://www.thirdspace.scot/nait/education-resources/

The Caldwell Autism Foundation has made a series of films with Phoebe Caldwell and Janet Gurney, who between them have over 60 years experience supporting autistic people. To access these, please follow the link below:

Caldwell Autism Foundation – Responsive Communication Training Films

Here are some other courses and references which may be of interest:

Good Practice In Autism

Understanding Autism

My Energy – Autism Level UP!

Toileting – a guide for parents and carers (autism.org.uk)

Complex Needs:

Complexneeds.org.uk have 16 training modules available which are split across four broader subject groups. Once you have chosen a module, you can also select a study level to ensure that you are getting the information you need from each resource.

Training materials for teachers of learners with severe, profound and complex learning difficulties (complexneeds.org.uk)

Creative Education are running a free webinar on Engaging PMLD Learners Remotely. To book your place, please follow the link below:

Creative Education Webinar – Engaging PMLD Learners Remotely – 4th February 2021

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC):

CALL Scotland have a range of webinars available on a variety of topics of which staff can access for free. Each webinar lasts for around 30 minutes and there is a list of upcoming live webinars as well as archived webinars to access.

Free Assistive Technology Webinars – CALL Scotland

As well as these webinars, CALL Scotland also have a series of professional learning courses based around a range of AAC supports. Courses run for 90 minutes, the cost of each course will be £40 per participant and there will be a maximum of 25 participants per course which will enable everyone to have an interactive collegiate learning experience. To book your place, please follow the link below:

CALL Scotland – Professional Learning Courses

Commissioned by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) as part of the Scottish Right to Speak initiative, CALL Scotland has produced a series of 2 online learning modules on Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Aimed at services, teams or individuals to review their current knowledge and develop best practice, and to ensure positive outcomes for people who use AAC.

AAC Modules (aacscotland.org.uk)

Project Core have developed a range of professional development modules aimed at empowering teachers and classroom professionals to deliver access to a Universal Core vocabulary and communication instruction during the naturally occurring academic and daily routines of the school day .

Project Core Professional Development Modules

Literacy:

The Hirstwood Literacy Bundle consists of four courses aimed at teachers, teaching assistants and educational practitioners teaching learners with multisensory impairments, and more complex needs, reading skills.

Literacy Bundle | Hirstwood Training | Sensory Learning | Courses

Storysharing is a way of enabling children and young people with communication difficulties to remember and tell their stories of everyday life. To book a place on one of the Storysharing events, please follow the link below:

Storysharing Eventbrite Booking Links

Numeracy and Maths:

Les Staves website is worth a look. There are downloadable articles to support teaching children with complex needs:

http://veryspecialmaths.co.uk/downloads/index.htm

Sensory:

Play Based Learning:

Making play inclusive – Hand under hand communication – YouTube

Play, Learning And The Brain

Coping With Change: Social And Emotional Learning Through Play

Children’s Perspectives On Play

Our Digital Gatherings are online sessions chaired by Professor Moyra Boland with Alice Sharp alongside world-renowned specialists in the field of early years. The sessions will be lively, entertaining and packed full of thinking, theory and practical solutions for play. For more information, please follow the link below:

Digital Gatherings – Alice Sharp

Behaviour That Challenges:

For a more in-depth free course which lasts 4 months and requires 2-3 hours of self-study per week, see link below.

https://www.thecollege.co.uk/courses/understanding-behaviour-challenges-free-online-course

Please be aware that if you do not complete the course you will have to pay a fee of around £125.

You may also find the following courses of interest:

Managing Behaviours For Learning

Supporting Children’s Mental Health:

Place2B are offering a free 5 week online children’s mental health training course to enhance professionals’ understanding of children’s mental health and introduce approaches that foster positive wellbeing in schools and communities. Courses start on the weeks beginning 11th January and 5th February and take approximately 60-90 minutes per week and can be undertaken at a time that suits you.

To book your place, please use the link below:

https://www.place2be.org.uk/foundation/

For 11th January 2021 start date, please use code FREE11.

For 5th February 2021 start date, please use code FREE05.

SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) has launched a new free e-learning resource ‘We All Have Mental Health’ for school staff across Scotland. The online training resource aims to equip staff with the skills and knowledge to recognise and respond to pupils who are experiencing mental health problems. To access this e-learning resource, please click on the link below:

www.samh.org.uk/teachers

You may also find the following courses of interest:

Youth Mental Health: Helping People With Anxiety

Trauma Informed Practice:

The sites below have a range of courses related to Trauma Informed Practice and Trauma Informed Schools.

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/teaching-students-trauma

https://www.teachertoolkit.co.uk/2017/12/05/trauma-informed/

https://www.acesconnection.com/g/aces-in-education/blog/trauma-training-for-educators-free

https://traumainformedcaretraining.com/free-trauma-informed-care-courses/

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES):

https://www.acesonlinelearning.com/

Rights Respecting Schools: