Books, booklets & multimedia

Transitions and Endings

	Price: £29.95	BAAF/Akamas Training 2008 ISBN 978 1 905664 38 2

Transitions and Endings are major life events that signify change – and change always creates stress. For many children in the care system, particularly those who have been traumatised by neglect, rejection or physical, emotional or sexual base, the stressful affect of change can be overwhelming. These children can face unique challenges when dealing with transitions and endings, particularly the unplanned changes that can result from disruption of a placement.

Transitions and endings can also affect a child’s carers, who are emotionally attached to a child they have looked after for several years, those who are preparing a child to move on to adoption, or those involved in a disruption.

For both children and carers it is essential to manage transitions well and prevent them from turning into destructive endings. For this to happen, carers need and deserve the best help available. Agencies owe it to carers to prepare them as well as possible.

This course aims to help carers help traumatised children and themselves to face change and loss in a managed and constructive way. Understanding the effects of transitions and endings can give carers an insight into why these times may be so difficult. It can help carers to manage their own feelings of loss and grief, and give them the knowledge to help a child to successfully come through the changes facing him or her. Subjects covered include the importance of attachment and resilience, trauma and the impact of secondary traumatic stress, and promoting and managing constructive endings.

The course consists of three interlinked modules:

• Resilience and transitions
• Moving on: promoting successful transitions and constructive endings
• Growing through grief: managing unplanned transitions and endings

The accompanying CD ROM contains PowerPoint slide presentations and handouts, designed to accompany the three modules.