Course Titles

'Focus on People - Effect Change' (2 days)

'Family Problem Solving' (3 days)

Prosocial Approaches to Working in Child Protection (3 days)

'Focus on People - Effect Change' (2 days)

Agencies and organisations working in criminal justice settings can powerfully influence the attitudes and behaviours of the people with whom they have day to day contact by the very nature of the interactions that during those contacts.

Anthony Bottoms Sue Rex (1997 wrote that "......normative compliance with the law) may arise from a morally- based perception that legal authorities have a right to expect that their demands will be met simply because they are the demands of legitimate authority."

The actions and behaviours of criminal justice personnel have important consequences for this legitimacy, and where people in authority treat citizens with little respect or unfairly Bottoms and Rex, report that they".... were less likely to be regarded as acting legitimately. In an important sense, therfore, law enforcement officials themselves represent the law, and the way in which it is received and viewed by citizens."

Proffessor Don Andrews of Carleton University recently told a conference in Cardiff in 2000 that " Some correctional settings are characterised by the expression of procriminal antisocial attitudes and values and their reinforcement. Other officers and agencies demonstrate real alternatives to crime and reinforce this. These are the agencies where you get positive effects in terms of reducing recidivism."

Recent research by Dowden and Andrews (2004) also supports the efficacy of using a Prosocial approach to working with involuntary clients.

In Britain this programme has been delivered in England, Scotland, Wales, the Republic of Ireland and the States of Jersey. In additional Chris Trotter has delivered it in Australia and New Zealand.

The programme has been amended to meet the needs of staff at all levels in organisations and has been shown to work effectively in a range of seetings, including with community service workers, hostel staff, youth workers, mentors, senior and middle managers grades and with social workers/ probation officers.

The programme is underpinned by a two-day course delivered by Cognitive Centre trainers and addresses:

Ø - High quality relationships
Ø- Prosocial modelling and reinforcement
Ø- Role Clarification
Ø- Problem Solving

Each participant receives a copy of 'Working with Involuntary Clients'

'Family Problem Solving' (3 days)

Work with family groups is often the most effective way of working with problematic young people. Often the young person's situation is directly related to the family dynamic and consequently the best method of addressing those dynamics is by working with the family group. Some studies have suggested that re-offence rates can be reduced amongst juvenile offenders by more than 50 percent by the use of structured family work.

The prosocial family problem-solving model involves an adaptation of Dr. Trotter's integrated package of skills to work with family groups. It is generally offered over 10 sessions either in the family or in the office and it may be offered by individual workers or two workers acting as co therapists. The model works from a partnership and non blaming perspective. However it ultimately aims to enhance the prosocial attitudes of the young offenders and other family members and in turn to influence offence related behaviour. The model incorporates three core components, role clarification, problem solving and pro-social modelling and it has as its basis an appropriate client worker relationship.

In the three-day course a structure will be provided within which each family member can discuss issues which are of concern to them, talk about how they want things to change and develop strategies as a family to facilitate those changes. The model attempts to reconcile the dissonant perceptions that different family members (and the workers) may have about the important issues for the family. It also addresses the blaming and scapegoating which often goes on families.

The model builds on the direct practice skills that workers have already developed. Previous research has suggested that at the completion of the three-day course participants will be able to confidently and competently carry out a series of sessions with families and that those families will benefit from the intervention.

Prosocial Approaches to Working in Child Protection (3 days)

The Chris Trotter and the Centre have collaborated in the development of a new programme specifically designed to meet the needs of workers in Child Protection settings. The programme will draw on material outlined in Chris's new book "Helping Abused Children and Their Families" (Sage 2004), and will be available from spring 2005. For further details please contact the Centre direct.