Name of client:

Suffolk County Council Education Welfare Service

Overview of client requirements:

Suffolk County Council Education Welfare Officers (EWO's) work with young people who do not attend school regularly. They try to find out what causes a young person to miss school and work to improve attendance. In some cases they may recommend and deal with the prosecution of parents whose children persistently stay away from school.

Much of this work involves dealing directly with the pupils, their parents, and carers at the family address, the schools in question and other relevant agencies. This work would include helping families receive entitled benefits, arranging alternatives for pupils who cannot attend school, dealing with work regulations for children and young people and writing reports and preparing evidence for court cases.

Ikon Training were contacted and asked to develop and design a short course for all 26 Suffolk EWO's to deal with problems faced in relation to conflict in the workplace. Due to the nature of their work they have to singularly deal with very emotive issues, often in unfamiliar surroundings e.g. family home. This can sometimes involve verbal abuse and physically threats. Financial and time resources dictated that the course was included alongside a standard training package.

The solution we provided:

The training provided was a shortened version of the Ikon conflict resolution training course adapted to the needs of the EWO with some basic breakaway techniques included. The focus of the course centred on planning and threat/risk recognition and communication based options when suitable. More dynamic and physical options were included to increase self-confidence. (Delivery time - 4 hours contact)

Quote/Reference from client:

The course I attended was "Breakaway / Personal Safety Training Session". The pre-course information was helpful and once we arrived, our objectives for the day were clearly explained. The materials used and the presentation styles were very appropriate to our team's learning needs. The course was interactive - as regular lone-workers many of us found the training in breakaway techniques crucial, especially as most of us were dealing with potentially aggressive clients. It was also very useful to have been given the flexibility by the trainers for us to work through scenarios that were based on our personal experiences - de-escalation techniques were especially pertinent. We were given opportunities to ask for advice and best practice - the trainers were accommodating and very professional at all times. Our objectives were met and during our post-course discussions back at the office, the feedback from attendees was very positive. As a course attendee, I would certainly recommend IKON Training as providers of bespoke training packages - designed around the requirements of the target group, conducted by trainers that can adapt the ongoing learning to the attendees needs".

Leslie Crompton, County Child Employment Officer, Education Welfare Service, Suffolk County Council

Client Website:

www.suffolk.gov.uk