Our fast paced and rapidly changing world can be a challenging place for young people who have a vast array of pressures put on them. From education, choices and the ever-present impact of social media, these all offer challenges that no other generation has faced.
CSW work with young people affected by these challenges and regularly see the impact they have. ADAPT2 has been designed by CSW’s Intensive Family Support Service who identified a strong need for a hand-on tool to support young people to have the strategies to cope and develop the resilience to succeed.
The programme was particularly designed to provide early help to those on the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waiting list or outside the scope of CAMHS.
Adapt2 is a programme delivered across primary and secondary aged young people, it is not a therapy manual, it is designed as a toolkit for professionals to work alongside the young person not to fix them or provide medical support but to help them see for themselves that they can succeed and overcome areas where things have become overwhelming.
A successful pilot project saw young people improving their school attendance, lowering risk of exclusion from school and teachers describing them as calmer, less angry and coping more appropriately.
The young people involved enjoyed the hands-on activities and aide memoires that helped them remember the strategies after the programme giving them the tools to be able to meet the challenges that today’s world presents.
Adapt2 is a 10-week programme, with an hour each week to work alongside the key worker doing a specific activity or task. The young person takes this learning away with them to focus on the following week, resulting in a toolkit of mental or physical items to use in difficult situations. There are three programmes; primary, secondary and a programme aimed at both age groups, focusing on behaviour. Before, and after the programme the key worker will meet with the young person, their parent or carer and school teacher to talk through the programme and forge a positive relationship.
Adapt2 is offered as a direct delivery programme or as a train-the-trainer programme. By offering this programme as an addition to our current Services to Education programme of products, CSW hope that more young people will be able to develop the tools to thrive and live their best life.
Case Study:
Ryan (not real name) is aged 11 and in Year 6. His poor attendance told a story of low mood, anxiety and fear of coping with school, he was reluctant to take risks or try new learning.
He appeared sad and demoralised, and at home he preferred to stay in his room. Initially, Ryan found the intervention challenging, but as he built a close relationship with his support worker, he began to look forward to the meetings. He said they are fun, and his session by session evaluations demonstrated a slow acknowledgement of the challenging emotions that have been causing him to struggle. He particularly enjoyed the practical nature of the activities, which promote resilience and offer strategies to identify and challenge his negative thoughts. As he began to identify them, he found he can use the strategies he has learnt on a day to day basis, and they helped him cope with a close family bereavement during the intervention.
For more information and pricing contact Steph Moore, Services to Education Manager on 07771 812296 or email [email protected].
