Difficult Conversations-How to Talk to Children and Young People About Almost Anything – Coffs Harbour, NSW

This one day workshop is for anyone who may have potentially difficult conversations with children and young people. This could include: case managers, team leaders or direct care staff working with children, young people and families; carers and workers in foster care or staff in residential care. The difficult conversations could be about: helping the child or young person managing their own difficult feelings; engaging and motivating a young person; responding effectively to the difficult behaviour of a child or young person; answering questions as to why a child or young person is not living with their family; delivering difficult news; supporting a child following a difficult incident or; managing disclosures of abuse among many other possible topics.

The workshop will cover: assessing the child or young person’s development level and developmental needs prior to a potentially difficult conversation; a simple structure that is applicable to many difficult conversations with children and young people; the importance of having a positive purpose or purposes in mind prior to and during the difficult conversation; how to use language in a way that is respectful and honest and; the how, when and where of delivering difficult news to children and young people. The workshop will be very interactive and there will be ample opportunity to ask questions. Each participant will leave with a suggested structure and guidelines for a difficult conversation they may be planning in the future.