Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE), Self-Harm & Substance Use in Children in Care -Evening (Zoom)

Moving beyond surface-level observation to understand and respond to the neurological and emotional roots of high-risk behaviours.

Children’s behaviours do not exist in isolation. Self-harm, substance use, and intense emotional distress are rarely attempts to defy or manipulate; they are functional survival strategies rooted in early childhood trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and unmet needs.

This combined CPD course bridges neuroscience and frontline practice. It equips professionals working with looked-after children to shift their perspective from “What is wrong with this child?” to “What happened to this child?”, providing the practical tools and relational confidence needed to de-escalate crisis, preserve trust, and act as a true secure base.

Key Learning Highlights

• The Neuroscience of Trauma: Discover how ACEs disrupt neurodevelopment and sensitise the brain’s alarm system, driving fight, flight, or freeze responses.
• Reframe Maladaptive Coping: Understand the emotional functions behind self-harm and substance use (the “chemical hug”) as attempts at nervous system regulation.
• Practical Regulation Toolkits: Learn evidence-based DBT skills (TIPP: Temperature, Intense exercise, Paced breathing, Paired muscle relaxation) and sensory grounding techniques to help young people manage acute distress.
• Trauma-Informed Communication: Master the OARS framework (Open questions, Affirmations, Reflections, Summaries) to hold safe, non-judgmental conversations about sensitive risk factors.
• Collaborative Safety Planning: Co-create meaningful crisis plans that empower young people, build self-awareness, and restore personal agency.
• Restorative Practice & Repair: Learn how to hold firm, loving boundaries while repairing relational ruptures after high-stress incidents.
• Practitioner Resilience: Identify signs of secondary traumatic stress and compassion fatigue, embedding sustainable self-care strategies for long-term practice.

Why Choose This Course?

Designed specifically for the people closest to the child, this training translates complex trauma research into actionable, day-to-day caregiving strategies. It empowers frontline teams to move beyond panic or punishment, creating a culture of safety, regulation, and lasting recovery.

Who Should Attend: Residential Care Workers, Foster Carers, and Leaving-Care Personal Advisers.

Format: This is a live training session through Zoom. It includes taught sections, small-group work, pair work, and whole-group discussions.

Hand-outs & Certificates: Downloadable course notes and certificates of attendance are provided.