Training
Us in a Bus offer short, practical training courses for individuals, groups and organisations. Each course is tailored to meet the needs of the participants and the people they support.
We know that establishing some common ground with people who are often isolated, can help them have more of an impact on the world. One of the approaches that can help this to happen is Intensive Interaction, a simple and empathetic way of encouraging people to communicate in ways that are familiar and natural to them.
Janet Gurney is the Chief Executive of Us in a Bus and has over 20 years of experience in supporting people in this way. Her workshops have been developed and delivered in response to requests for Us in a Bus to share some of their approaches to building and developing relationships with people who can often seem ‘difficult to reach’, including people with autism.
The learning objectives include:
- Understanding the principles and techniques of Intensive Interaction
- Exploring how these principles can be applied to working with and supporting people
- Making plans to put these principles into action
The courses are suitable for anyone who wants to communicate and relate more closely with people with profound learning disabilities and complex needs e.g. Day Service and Support Staff, Home Leaders and Service Managers, Advocates, Families, Occupational Therapists, Teaching Staff, Speech and Language Therapists etc. Previous participants have said:
“It was a safe environment to discuss our experiences and ideas”
“A good facilitator – confident and precise”
“It’s rare to find a trainer talking ‘our language’ – thoroughly recommended”
Click here for more details on Current training opportunities
Consultancy
Us in a Bus is increasingly being asked to provide consultancy services too. Making Intensive Interaction part of people’s daily lives often requires a shift in workplace culture and environment. We can work alongside clients and staff together to help make those shifts. Us in a Bus is able to provide a range of consultancy services to promote the particular needs of people with profound learning disabilities.
Active Involvement
Involves Us in a Bus Interaction Practitioners working alongside support staff to run Intensive Interaction sessions for 3 to 6 months, at the support staff’s workplace.
During that time, the Interaction Practitioners use a mixture of coaching, mentoring and training to help staff develop their own practice and become confident in their use of Intensive Interaction, so that it becomes part of the culture of that unit by the end of the Active Involvement input.
Trouble Shooting
Ongoing support for staff who have been involved in workshops or Active Support. This is delivered in regular, Intensive Interaction Trouble Shooting meetings, facilitated by an experienced Interaction Practitioner. The meetings encourage staff to reflect on, share, and develop their practice. Staff are also encouraged to gain confidence and experience in ‘passing it on’ to colleagues, ensuring that the culture of Intensive Interaction in their workplace is sustainable. People have found the meetings useful in terms of encouragement and ideas. One participant recently said
“I found the meeting helpful because I have been able to check out that I am understanding
Intensive Interaction properly and get feedback. This has helped a lot with developing deeper conversations/interactions with the people I work with”.
To find out more about the services we could offer you, please contact us.
