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Sole trainers: Under exclusive license from Peer Support, Melbourne, Australia.
An important peer support programme addressing the needs of vulnerable students.
I train adults and students on a range of peer support systems but featured here is the Supportive Friends programme giving you some idea of what the programme encompasses. I consider this to be the most effective and comprehensive system available. It was developed in Australia where it is highly regarded being based on years of solid, rigorous work by the Peer Support Foundation in Melbourne. I heard about it when in Australia on a Churchill Travel Scholarship. I was so impressed that I paid for myself to return to Melbourne to be trained on the programme. I spent 10 days with the trainers putting the programme into a wide variety of secondary schools.
All the young people enjoy the training day and gain enormously from it themselves although the programme is targeted at getting them to support others in need.
The training for Supportive Friends involves working for a day with a selected group (approx 20) young people from the 14+ age group in school. The training is best carried out off the school premises, if possible, as this gives status to the programme and to the young participants. The training offers a balance of games, activities and discussion modules.
As you know, depression and stress are massively underestimated problems among young people. Unfortunately, many students may present as troublesome in some way, even if covertly with an eating disorder, so the source of their problems remains misunderstood. They may even have a high profile as 'behaviour problems'.
Each student participant on the training course is given a booklet outlining the training including some worksheets and reminders. It is the process of the training - the delivery, choice of activities, and interaction between the trainer and participants that forms the basis of the programme and contributes to the success. For this reason, there is no plan to publish the booklets. They are distributed only to the teachers trained alongside the students in schools.
The trainer can use a range of poetry, readings and materials to illustrate points, but some materials are core to the course. The most important is the use of 'soft toy' animals. Research shows that even older teenagers respond to such ''metaphors". These are used in a specific manner to convey the process of the training to best effect.
Hope I haven't sounded too evangelical, but I do think this is a very special programme - the only one I've come across in my travels that is tackling the issue of vulnerability in such depth. My Churchill Scholarship was to look at programmes addressing the more complex needs of young people. I travelled more or less around the world searching out such programmes so this gives you some idea of what else of similar quality is around - not much.
This is an acclaimed, sensitive approach addressing the needs of vulnerable young people in schools. The Supportive Friends programme gives practical life skills to students assisting them to cope with the pressures of their final years in school and to support their peers and younger students. The programme is a vitally important part of a whole school approach to the improved well-being and safety of students. The programme promotes and encourages self-affirming relationships, positive social behaviours and provides a sense of connectedness. It addresses the psychological dimensions of success, happiness and fulfilment.
Education professionals are now recognising the high levels of anxiety, depression and suicide intent experienced by many young people. ChildLine received 2,000 calls in 2002 alone from young people with suicide intent, some as young as 6 years old. Suicide is the lead cause of death in several countries for young males 15-25 years old. Figures now being collated show that we have larger numbers in the UK than previously thought. The problem of depression appears to be underestimated as it may present as self-harm, difficult behaviour, eating disorders or isolation.
Recent UK statistics show that one in ten young people from the age of 10 years, and perhaps younger, self-harm. A government funded research programme to look at self- harm among the young is launched on 29.03.04. The Supportive Friends Programme is a valuable preventative scheme based on the early identification of vulnerable students, who, for whatever reason, are in need of support.
| The core skills of Solution Focused Practice |
| Self-esteem and confidence |
| Anxiety and depression |
| Resilience |
| Problem-solving |
| Verbal and non-verbal communication skills |
| Anger management |
| Identifying, understanding, approaching and working with vulnerable students |
| School reflection - How supportive are we? |
The programme promotes and encourages self-affirming relationships, positive social behaviours and provides a sense of connectedness.
A group of students who are able to offer support to students of their own age or younger.
Not ‘counsellors’ but ‘friends’ |
| Sense of connection with others |
| It’s OK to have problems and to ask for help |
An enjoyable day - fun, active, inter-active.
Dr Val Besag has been commissioned by several LEA's to train students in all their secondary schools on this programme. The success of the programme has been due to the reputation held by Dr Besag as a trainer and by word of mouth reports from students and professionals.
A version for primary schools is currently being piloted.