This course for professionals in Families, Children and Learning will examine the theory and practical applications of Attachment Theory, using the Secure Base Model, which provides a positive framework for therapeutic caregiving, to inform what we can do to promote resilience and emotional well-being within individuals and systems. This includes developing security through not only relationships with specific attachment figures but from a secure base provided by the whole environment (family, friends, school, activities). The course is structured to give an overview of this key theoretical framework within Child Development, and how it fits with national and local drivers, initiatives and contexts, with opportunities for different professional groups to consider how to be ‘Attachment Aware’ in their practice. It is relevant for all professionals who work with young people and families.

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• review Attachment theory and why it is relevant to ourselves and the children, young people and families with whom we work


• recognise children and young people with presenting social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs in the context of seeing their behaviour as a communication


• use the Secure Base Model, to explore how attachment impacts on a child’s experience and behaviour, and as a framework for developing practical strategies that can be applied both in and out of school


• examine the current neuroscience behind emotional regulation and dysregulation, and consider developmental versus chronological age


• demonstrate awareness as practitioners and consider how we can manage stress, both in terms of caring for ourselves and building reflective practice in our work. This involves looking at the multi-agency context and drawing upon useful psychodynamic concepts