Welcome to the Specialist Inclusion Support Service’s training brochure for 2020-2021. It goes without saying that we finished the last academic year in unprecedented circumstances and indeed this next year is set to prove challenging too, as we find ways to ensure that we can offer the same level of high quality training to our local schools as we have done in the past.

Throughout 2019-2020, including in the summer term, we supported schools and settings in Solihull to develop the knowledge and expertise of their staff in a range of SEND-related topics, through providing a variety of staff training and professional development opportunities. During the months where our training offer was affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic, staff at SISS quickly learnt about delivering training using virtual platforms and developed new training packages that could be delivered through the new virtual mediums.  Our return to schools after lockdown training received hugely positive feedback and we are hoping the Cygnet Parent Workshops, which are currently being piloted virtually, will receive the same level of positive feedback.

Planning a Training Brochure in the summer of 2020 means we are thinking about how we will be able to deliver our courses and support all of you, considering the possible new normal from September 2020.  Our courses will therefore be developed with a view to being able to deliver them in a range of formats, including virtually.  Where this is necessary course costs will be adapted to reflect the reduction in overheads, however we remain hopeful that for most of the year we will be able to deliver training face to face- fingers crossed!

This year we have a range of exciting new courses available, responding to demand from staff in schools. These include: Managing Challenging Behaviour, Numicon – Breaking Barriers, Developing Nurture Groups in schools and finally a course focusing on the Role of the Key Adult in schools.  In addition we still have our most popular courses available, as well as the commissioned AET training for staff new to Solihull, or new to their autism specific role.

We continue to offer a range of tailored 'in house’, or bespoke professional development opportunities. This continued professional development can be delivered to individual schools, organisations or groups of schools, such as collaboratives.  We can devise a package with you, based around your key priorities for development. This could be for a whole or part of a training day, a series of sessions or even a webinar.

For enquiries, please contact the Training Administrator on 0121 704 6690 or email: sisstraining@solihull.gov.uk .  We will be happy to respond to your enquiries or to discuss your training and professional development needs.

All of us at SISS look forward to seeing you and working with you again in the forthcoming year.

Best wishes

Paula Thompson

Specialist Inclusion Support Service Manager

Please complete the Course Booking Form to register on a training course.