Category: Online courses

A new, funded ‘multi-user-licence’ launched this week provides all residents of the country access to a suite of learning courses on childhood development, emotional wellbeing and parenting.  

Dr Hazel Douglas MBE will launch the licence today, Thursday 17th October, at the Solihull Approach conference hosted in Reykjavik. The event will bring together practitioners across the Icelandic Mental Health Association’s network of professionals, psychiatrists, mental health nurses, social workers, and educators to celebrate and build on the impact of the Solihull Approach in the country.  

The online learning platform www.togetherness.co.uk/learn is accessible online anytime, anywhere, enabling private learning that is personalised for you. Residents of Iceland will use the unique access code ESJA to unlock more than 15 online learning pathways for free. The learning offer includes emotional health learning throughout parenting (from antenatal to teenage years), as well as adult emotional wellbeing and education for teenagers on adolescent brain development.  

Kjartan Valgarosson, Chief Executive Officer at the Icelandic Mental Health Association, said:

Dr Hazel Douglas MBE, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Child Psychotherapist, and Founder of Togetherness, said:

As Infant Mental Health Awareness week returns, Togetherness have published new research on the impact of their free online learning resource for parents of babies receiving neonatal care. Presented this week at the 2024 World Association of Infant Mental Health Congress in Finland and published in the congress journal, the study of online learning outcomes highlights the positive improvements for parents. 

As the congress spotlights the critical importance of mental wellbeing from the earliest stages of life, the attention is also on parent wellbeing and the importance of supporting early relationships. The online learning pathways, Understanding your preterm or sick baby, feature tailored versions for when in hospital and returning home and are available on the learning platform, togetherness.co.uk. Both pathways are designed with neonatal care specialists and psychologists to support parents to manage the emotional pressures of premature birth or early illness as well as to support them to care for and nurture their newborn.  

Feedback from almost 200 parents’ responses shows significant improvements noted in feelings of calmness, support, hopefulness, usefulness, and closeness to their baby. The in-pathway feedback also showed: 

• 92% of respondents found the course helpful
• 93% confirmed they would recommend it to others
• 15% of participants, who initially had low confidence, reported significant improvements after completing the pathway

For parents of premature or sick babies, the NICU period is especially significant for their new relationship and for nurturing emotional health. When a baby arrives prematurely or with health complications, parents often find themselves navigating a sea of practical information. Yet, the emotional aspect—how to bond with and support their baby—is often overlooked in a clinical context. These pathways address this gap by focusing on the emotional well-being of both parents and their babies. 

In their feedback on the pathway, parents shared: 

Dr Hazel Douglas MBE, pathway co-creator and Director of Togetherness said: “Babies need relationships with loving caregivers from birth to grow and thrive. The NICU environment and additional physical health support needs can sometimes create a barrier for parents and we wanted to support them to understand how important they still are. These resources are designed to offer practical support for parents to learn new ways of connecting with their babies, to build their confidence and as a result look after their mental wellbeing and that of their new baby. It’s fantastic to see the difference this is making in the early feedback assessment.”

Available to all UK residents for free on www.togetherness.co.uk, pathway highlights include:

Understanding your preterm or sick baby in hospital

Developed by a team of clinical psychologists, child psychotherapists, and health visitors, this course incorporates expertise from professionals and insights from parents who have been through similar experiences.

Key stages include:

• Understanding where you are and what has happened
• Understanding your feelings in hospital
• Your safety bubble
• Understanding your baby in hospital
• Preparing for discharge home

Understanding your preterm or sick baby now you’re home

This course offers a blend of practical advice and developmental insights, covering topics such as feeding, sleeping, and crying. Crafted by clinical psychologists, child psychotherapists, health visitors, and parents with lived experience, it aims to foster a strong, connected relationship with the baby.

Key stages include:

• Adjusting to being at home with your baby
• Understanding your feelings about coming home
• Understanding your baby’s brain
• Understanding your baby’s feeding, crying and sleep patterns

Both pathways are available online for access any time, anywhere and are completely free to make them accessible to all parents, grandparents, and other carers. With translations in 108 languages and an English voiceover, the pathway ensures that vital information is accessible to a diverse audience.  

Recent studies have illuminated a concerning rise in referrals for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) within our school systems. As every child is different, this means it’s really important children have the right kind of support in school and at home. This can be especially relevant for children with additional or complex needs when preparing and moving from primary to secondary school, which usually comes at a time of significant childhood development between nine and eleven years old. 

As a clinical psychologist and child psychotherapist, I am keenly aware of the anxiety and uncertainty that accompany such transitions, both for parents and children. For parents, the apprehension about how their child will fare in the unfamiliar terrain of a secondary school often weighs heavily on their minds. What’s sometimes overlooked is how children, attuned to their parents’ worries, can sometimes absorb and mirror these anxieties, further complicating the transition process. 

I’m pleased to introduce a new online learning pathway titled Moving up to secondary school for children with additional needs. Developed in close collaboration with educational psychologists and informed by the invaluable insights of parents navigating similar journeys, this course aims to provide a reflective space for families getting ready for this next big step. 

At the heart of this pathway lie the pillars of the Solihull Approach model and the concepts of containment and reciprocity. Containment refers to processing emotions, a space where the child’s feelings and the parents’ feelings around uncertainty can be explored and managed. Reciprocity emphasises the importance of tuning into the child’s point of view as well as the parents’. Mutual understanding and support between parents, educators and children is important, fostering a sense of shared responsibility for the child’s wellbeing in the next stage of life. 

Structured as short reflective learning stages, this pathway allows families to navigate at their own pace and in the privacy of their homes. It delves into practical strategies for preparing children for the academic, social, and emotional demands of secondary school, tailored specifically to their individual needs. 

As with many aspects of parenting, fostering a connected and attuned relationship between parents and children is fundamental to supporting emotional wellbeing. In school, new relationships become important, too, with friends and with school staff. 

This new pathway emphasises the significance of self-care for parents, recognising that their wellbeing directly impacts their ability to support their child effectively. Through guided exercises and reflections, parents are encouraged to think about their own mental and emotional health, thereby enhancing their capacity to provide the nurturing environment their child requires. 

The transition from primary to secondary school can absolutely be daunting, especially for children with additional needs and their families. But it is also exciting, a new step towards independence, and with the correct support, it can also be a period of growth and empowerment. 

Psychological trauma is an emotional response to a distressing event or series of events that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope. By understanding trauma and emotional health needs, we believe it is possible to process traumatic experiences to help manage triggers and recover this ability.  

Developed by a team of clinical psychologists and professionals, and shaped by experience this online course offers a safe and accessible platform for individuals to explore their own experiences and gain a deeper understanding of trauma’s impact on their lives.

The Understanding your own trauma pathway is designed to be flexible, allowing participants to engage at their own pace and convenience, anytime and anywhere. By following this pathway, individuals can gain the knowledge and tools needed to better navigate their personal journey and emotional wellbeing. However, it is not a replacement for therapy. 

Understanding your own trauma is designed to help learners to:

• Understand the diverse nature and impact of trauma experiences
• Learn effective ways to process trauma
• Nurture resilience through healthy relationships
• Understand more about emotional health and wellbeing

All pathways by Togetherness are evidence based and developed in partnership with experts in the field as well as those with lived experience. This pathway joins a wealth of resources available at www.togetherness.co.uk.

Thanks to a network of partners around the UK sponsoring our pathways, you may be able to access this course free of charge. Our free access checker will quickly let you know if you are in a funded area. For learners outside of these areas, the pathway is charged at £25.