Training
The Training and Education Team at Who Cares? Scotland offers fully-funded support to Corporate Parents across Scotland.
Support we offer
There is no cost to you receiving support from the Training and Education team if you are a Corporate Parent, and the team can offer:
The Training and Education team can deliver an engaging and interactive session that works to support attendees’ knowledge and understanding of care experience and Corporate Parenting. Our experienced Training and Education Officers will work with you to ensure the session is tailored to you and your organisation. The content of this training is fully-informed by the voice of Care Experienced people – children, young people and adults who have lived experience of care. This session can be delivered remotely, utilising platforms such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, or an in-person session can be offered if Covid restrictions allow.
Training content
The session covers:
- What is care experience and who are Care Experienced people?
- What do Care Experienced people say about their experiences?
- What is Corporate Parenting, and how can it be broken down into an easily understandable concept?
- What does best practice look like when it comes to planning and reportingas a Corporate Parent?
- How can you respond to The Promise and your responsibilitiesas outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)?
The Logistics
This session usually lasts around 3 hours, however we can be flexible on this to suit your workforce. It can be delivered as a one-off session or we can offer a programme of training sessions to reach all layers and levels of your organisation. It is encouraged that all senior staff and board members participate in Corporate Parenting training.
If you would like to explore this training option then we will allocate a Training and Education Officer to work alongside you to coordinate the input and liaise with your staff about their needs.
To enquire about bespoke Corporate Parenting training, please email corporateparenting@whocaresscotland.org.
Refresher training allows Corporate Parents to engage in a session which renews their knowledge of their statutory Corporate Parenting duties. This slightly shorter session provides attendees with contemporary evidence of the issues and challenges Care Experienced people face when receiving support from Corporate Parents.
This session usually lasts around 1 hour 30 minutes and a Training and Education Officer will be allocated to work alongside you to identify your needs and design a bespoke session for you and your colleagues.
To enquire about refresher training, please email corporateparenting@whocaresscotland.org.
Collaborative training spaces are useful ways to connect with other Corporate Parents and share practice and learning. An important duty of a Corporate Parent is to collaborate with other relevant Corporate Parents to ensure support is provided for Care Experienced people.
Through our Annual Participation Programme, we are able to design and deliver thematic and collaborative training sessions for Corporate Parents, offering rich insight into topics and issues identified as important by our members. These sessions are open to all interested Corporate Parents to attend and to learn more about how best to meet their duties in these key areas. The collaborative Corporate Parenting training sessions for this year are scheduled as follows:
Dates for the diary
- Mental Health - Tuesday 26th October, 2021
- Digital Wellbeing - Wednesday, 8thDecember, 2021
- Education and Learning - Monday, 21stMarch, 2022
The Mental Health themed training event is open for booking now, you can book here. Registration for the other training events will open shortly however you can register early interest by e-mailing corporateparenting@whocaresscotland.org.
You are welcome to attend more than one session. We will ensure that you are kept updated as the events go live.
Beyond the delivery of live training, the Training and Education Team can offer support in developing digital learning materials for dissemination among staff within your organisation. Examples of materials we have created include:
- Content for e-Learning materials, for integration into existing platforms
- Guidance documents across a range of relevant themes
- Engaging and informative videos, including case studies
Our Development Officer is available to discuss your needs, and work with you to develop a bespoke digital package. See some examples of our digital work in our Resource Library.
As your organisation continues on its Corporate Parenting journey, ongoing advice and consultation can be provided to ensure positive practice implementation and to keep abreast of developments across the sector.
We can review your Corporate Parenting plan and offer recommendations on areas for improvement and strengths that can be built on. We can also share with you examples of promising practice being carried out by other Corporate Parents, intended to inspire and promote collaboration.
Meet the Team
Chloe Dobson
Training and Education Manager (Corporate Parenting)
Chloe manages the Training and Education team at Who Cares? Scotland and leads on the training and support for Corporate Parents across Scotland. Prior to this role Chloe worked at Glasgow Caledonian University, supporting the transition of articulating students. Chloe has a well-developed career within widening access and participation, previously leading on the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s widening access schools programme and being instrumental in the development and implementation of their Transitions programme. Her work supporting those with a care experience began at RCS, developing their strategy for achieving the Buttle UK Quality Mark in 2015.
Chloe is delighted to now be working with Who Cares? Scotland, to support the vision of a lifetime of equality, respect and love for Care Experienced people.
To contact Chloe, please email cdobson@whocaresscotland.org or phone the National Office on 0141 226 4441.
Laurie Goldie
Training and Education Coordinator
Laurie supports the Training and Education Manager and the wider team in the designing and delivery of projects and activities with Corporate Parents and other relevant stakeholders. Laurie has worked in a variety of engagement and influencing roles within Who Cares? Scotland since 2014, and has been instrumental in diversifying our youth and community work for Care Experienced people; coordinating and running membership events; and the development and delivery of our training programme for communities and Corporate Parents.
Laurie’s background is in Psychology and Science Communication, and she delivered Glasgow Science Centre’s Outreach programme in schools and communities before joining Who Cares? Scotland.
To contact Laurie, please email lgoldie@whocarescotland.org or phone the National Office on 0141 226 4441.
Prajapa Seneviratne
Training and Education Coordinator
Emma McQueen
Training and Education Officer
Emma joined Who Cares? Scotland in 2017 as an Advocate in North Lanarkshire. She worked closely with Care Experienced people and young people with Additional Support Needs throughout their care journey, ensuring that their views and rights were upheld. In July 2019 Emma joined the Training and Education team as a Training and Education Officer.
In previous years Emma spent time as a residential worker, working and living closely with Care Experienced young people. Emma then moved onto become a Behavioural Support Advisor with the Positive Behaviour Support Team within the Richmond Fellowship, where she worked closely with individuals with sever autism.
Volunteering is very close to Emma’s heart and she has worked with young people for over 11 years across different organisations. Emma spent many years as a Sgt with the Army Cadet Force, supporting and training young people through their time with the ACF.
To contact Emma, please email emcqueen@whocaresscotland.org or phone the National Office on 0141 226 4441.
Katie Svanadze
Training and Education Officer
Rosie McKean
Training and Education Development Officer
Rosie supports the work of the Training and Education team in developing a range of digital learning resources. She also scopes out and champions opportunities for Corporate Parents to connect, collaborate and
Take part in a training event
Up and coming training events.
