Q: If a young offender told you that they were hearing voices or seeing visions, and they wanted to talk with you about it, would you know what to say or do?
Q: Would you like to learn how to open up conversations with young offenders who hear voices or see visions, and learn practical coping strategies to help those in distress?
According to the MoJ, 25% of women and 15% of men in prison hear voices, see visions, or have other unusual sensory experiences. Among young offenders, this figure is likely to be much higher.
Whilst some young offenders find their voices or visions comforting or reassuring, especially if they have experienced abuse, trauma or adversity, others can find them overwhelming or distressing. Such distress can lead young offenders to self-harm, use alcohol/drugs or isolate themselves, however, with support they can and do recover.
About this workshop:
This innovative 1-day workshop is brought to you by Voice Collective at Mind in Camden. Founded in lived experience, and the work of our prisons and detention projects, this workshop will present a fresh approach to voice hearing. Provding an introduction to the Hearing Voices Network ethos and approach to voice hearing, it will equip participants with increased understanding, skills and confidence to open up conversations with young offenders about their experiences, and provide support to those in distress.
Subjects include:
- What it feels like to hear voices as a young person aged 13-20 in a Secure Children’s Home, Secure Training Centre or Young Offender Institution
- The impact this can have on a young person in a SCH/STC/YOI, and after they have left
- Different ways of opening up conversations with young offenders about voices, helping them to feel heard & supported
- Simple and effective coping strategies suitable for use in secure settings
- Positive stories of recovery and resilience
This course is suitable for anyone working with young people aged 13-20 in SCHs/STCs/YOIs, or with young offenders after release. It is suitable for professionals at all levels of experience, and we can accept workers from the voluntary as well as statutory sector.
Essential information:
This course is open to professionals who support and/or work with young offenders aged 13-20. If you do not currently support or work with young offenders, we may not be able to accept your booking. Please contact us to find out if we have any spare waiting list places available.
As our courses are often oversubscribed, please book your place only if you are confident you are able to attend for the full day.
If you are unable to make the course, please cancel your place as early as possible to avoid spaces going to waste by emailing info@voicecollective.co.uk.
Whilst around 8% of children and young people hear or see things around them that other people can’t, only a third of these are distressed by them and seek support. Even those with very distressing experiences can learn ways of understanding and dealing with them.
This highly interactive course will explore ways of supporting children and young people to make sense of, and manage, difficult and distressing sensory experiences.
The course includes group discussion, practical activity and role play, and offers participants the opportunity to:
- Gain a deeper understanding of the experience of voices, visions and other unusual sensory experiences
Consider the impact of different explanatory models on a young person, their family & supporters (including psychological, biomedical and spiritual explanations) - Explore the link between voices, visions, emotions and difficult life experiences
- Build upon a toolkit of strategies to support young people distressed by voices/visions/other sensory experiences
- Hear positive examples of resilience and recovery
Who is this course for?
This course is open to anyone supporting children/young people who hear voices or have other unusual sensory experiences: e.g. psychologists, nurses, OTs, therapists, counsellors, SENCOs, parents/carers etc. It is open to young people (aged 16+) with lived experience.
The course is aimed at those who are already familiar with the Voice Collective ethos and approach: e.g. those who have completed our ‘Level 1’ half day training course, or who have attended an in-house training session/presentation. If you are unfamiliar with our approach, you will be asked to complete a short online study session in advance of the training.
If you are unsure of your eligibility, please contact Lucy on info@voicecollective.co.uk to discuss.
Essential information:
This course is open to people who support and/or work with children and young people (in a variety of settings, including the home). If you do not currently support or work with children and young people, we may not be able to accept your booking. Please contact us to find out if we have any spare waiting list places available.
As our courses are often oversubscribed, please book your place only if you are confident you are able to attend for the full day.
If you are unable to make the course, please cancel your place as early as possible to avoid spaces going to waste, by emailing info@voicecollective.co.uk.
Introduction:
Those of us who support children and young people who hear distressing or difficult voices are constantly developing, finding new ways to approach voice-hearing with young people and support them towards their self-defined recovery.
Each young person and family is unique – one size does not fit all.
About This Workshop:
This workshop builds upon the principles explored in our ‘Supporting Children & Young People who Hear Voices’ training, and our ‘Voice Collective Group Facilitation Training’.
Using examples drawn from attendee’s prior experience of working with young voice-hearers, the workshop explores the following topics:
- Developing trust and therapeutic relationships with young people who may not trust easily
Understanding ‘taboo voices’ (voices that talk about things the young person – and society – find very difficult, including violence & sexuality) - Finding safe ways of talking about voices and visions with young people in distress
- Working with different, and often conflicting, perspectives on a young person’s experiences
- Working with alternative belief systems (e.g. cultural or spiritual perspectives)
- Using creativity to support conversations
- Applying this learning within the workplace
We keep class sizes small to maximise the opportunity for discussion & reflection.
We require applicants to have attended either our ‘Supporting Children and Young People who Hear Voices’ training course, or our ‘Voice Collective Group Facilitation’ training course.
Fees:
This is a FREE training course for anyone working with children or young people who hear voices, see visions, or have other sensory experiences.
Important Information:
This course is open to those who support children and young people (in a variety of settings) and who have attended a previous 1-day our 3-day training with us (listed above).
Please only book a place if you are confident that you can attend the course. If you can no longer attend the training, please inform us in writing on info@voicecollective.co.uk, and your place will be offered to someone on our waiting list.
Please complete as much of the booking form as you are able to. This information is helpful to us, and is kept confidential within the service.
Certificates of attendance will be given upon request after the training
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