The Solihull Approach

MULTI-AGENCY TRAINING IN THE SOLIHULL APPROACH FOR PROFESSIONALS WORKING WITH CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES

The Solihull Approach is designed to be used as a brief intervention for those working with children, young people and their families and is supported by a comprehensive resource pack.  It offers an integrated psychodynamic/psychotherapeutic and behavioural approach for professionals working with children and families who are affected by behavioural and emotional difficulties.  It allows for the integration of other techniques and provides a useful set of resources for practitioners to make use of.  The theoretical model has been developed from three concepts: containment, reciprocity, and behaviour management, taken from psychotherapeutic, child development and behavioural models respectively. 

The Training Programme:
The Solihull NHS PCT offers training in both the 0-5 years and school years training packages.  Each of these courses is offered as a two-day package and each participant leaves with a Resource Pack, which not only covers the approach but also has many useful resources, activities and fact sheets relating to issues relevant to the particular age group. 

The aims of the training are:

• To help practitioners become reflective in their work with children and young people and their families
• To help them acquire the language to describe and shape practitioner thoughts and experiences
• Increase practitioners understanding of how emotional and behavioural difficulties develop within families
• Provide a coherent model for assessment
• Build confidence and skill level
• Provide reference to evidence based practical advice and resources
• Develop a more consistent approach
• Identify trigger points for early referral to other specialist services
• Contribute to clinical governance

The Solihull Approach and its resource pack fit well with the boarder Child and Adolescent Mental Health training and development initiatives being developed across Kent.  It is also inline with the development of frontline staffs’ skills in terms of development of emotional well being as outlined in Every Child Matters and the Children’s National Service Framework.  It will also provide support to the achievement of the CAMHS PSA2 target. 

CASCADING OF TRAINING AND LOCALITY BASED SUPPORT:
Trainers Forums have been established in both the East and West of the county and these are given strategic guidance and support through a countywide steering group.  This steering group is part of the broader Child and Adolescent Mental Health Practice Improvement Programme, a subgroup of the Kent CAMHS Strategy Steering Group. 

Core Group of Trainers:
Multi-agency core groups of Key Workers have been trained in the School Years Solihull Approach and the Early Years Solihull Approach.  These workers, part of the broader trainers forums form a locality based core trainer group, which roll out the training to other frontline practitioners.  The planning of the rolling out of the training will be co-ordinated by these groups in collaboration with the Consortia CAMHS Local Implementation Groups (where these exist).  The support is offered through this core group with a lead in each district driving the process.  Where CAMHS LIGS are not in place, or are not appropriate, other local resources are being used.  There are currently thirty eight Solihull Approach trainers in Kent. 

Rolling out of the training:
With the assistance of the steering group and the trainers’ forums training is being rolling out in a planned and strategic way targeting key workers and ensuring multi-agency working.  About 550 staff, from both statutory agencies and the voluntary sector have been trained in the Solihull Approach in Kent. 

Ongoing Support:
There are six support sessions or practice development sessions in place for those people trained by the core group.  This is to ensure they have a place to bring ideas and issues about the training and how it links to their practice.  The core group in each locality providing the training, supported by the trainer forums are committed to provide support for those who receive the training.  Ongoing supervision however is a responsibility for the participants’ home agency. 

Quality Assurance of the trainers
The county-wide steering group in collaboration with the east and west Kent trainers groups are tasked with ensuring that all of trainers are fully skilled in the approach as well as in training skills.  A set of criteria have been developed for selecting trainers.  Support for the trainers groups is being looked at. 

For more information about the roll out of the Solihull Approach training and the CAMHS Practice Improvement Programme you can contact:

Alex Hassett
Senior Consultant (CAMHS) and Manager CAMHS Practice Improvement Programme
Centre for Applied Social & Psychological Development
Salomons, Broomhill Road, Southborough, TN3 0TG
Direct Line: +44(0) 1892 507687
Fax:         +44(0) 1892 507660
email: alex.hassett@canterbury.ac.uk

or

Claire Fullalove
Consultancy Administrator
Direct Line: +44(0) 1892 507575
email: claire.fullalove@canterbury.ac.uk