National Co-ordinator for Seasons for Growth Programme in Scotland is Kate MacLeod
See:- July 2010 Update on Seasons for Growth in Scotland
What is Seasons for Growth?
Seasons for Growth is a loss and grief education programme catering for young people aged 6 - 18 years. The core element of this programme is the promotion of social and emotional wellbeing for young people who have experienced significant loss due to death or family breakdown.
Seasons for Growth focuses on understanding the effects of change, loss and grief, and specifically develops skills in:
Communication
Decision-Making
Problem-Solving
The programme aims to promote resilience, to enhance coping resources and to develop life skills in young people. Seasons for Growth is based on the belief that change, loss and grief are a normal and valuable part of life. Children, adolescents and adults need the opportunity to examine how issues such as death, separation and divorce have impacted on their lives. Seasons for Growth provides the opportunity for each participant to integrate, at his/her developmental level, the appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes to understand and to cope with change, loss and grief. This takes place in an atmosphere of like-to-like peer support.
Seasons for Growth is not counselling but a grief and loss peer support education programme.
For information about Seasons for Growth in England and Wales see:
www.seasonsforgrowth.co.uk
July 2010 Update on Seasons for Growth in Scotland
Seasons for Growth is now available in most parts of Scotland through our network of trained Companions. Trainers are based in Inverness, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Fife, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, West Dunbartonshire and at the Notre Dame Centre. In the voluntary sector both Children 1st and the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland have their own Trainers.
Most Seasons Companions are based in schools and a number of authorities have linked with health and social work based Companions to support vulnerable children in their own communities. From January to June 2010 nearly 3,000 journals were sent out from the Notre Dame Centre to support Seasons groups throughout Scotland. Some of these journals will be used during the coming months to enable more children and young people to benefit from the programme.
Seasons for Growth reaches out to help many children and young people experiencing change and loss. In addition to the school based programme, Companions are now supporting children and young people who are looked after and accommodated, those who have come to Scotland and have English as a second language, Young Carers and one Companion has trained with a view to supporting orphans in Zimbabwe.
Research We are delighted to be included in an international research project which has been commissioned by Good Grief Australia. West Dunbartonshire Council has agreed that 5 groups (one at each level) will take part in this evaluation which will find out how and why the programme benefits children and young people. Professor Anne Graham, who wrote the original Seasons programme in 1995, is overseeing the evaluation project from her base at Southern Cross University in Australia. We hope that there will be some feedback in 2011 which could form the central presentation at our biennial conference.
Good Grief Australia – Journals and Manuals
Our strong links with Good Grief are essential to the continuity and integrity of Seasons for Growth. The Notre Dame Centre holds the Licence for Companion training in Scotland and we also stock the journals and manuals. A recent edition to our resources is the booklet ‘Picking Up The Pieces’ which has been written as a source of information for professionals and parents working with bereaved children. This costs £7.
Please contact jacqueline.mclachlan@notredamecentre.org.uk for further details.
Keep an eye on the Good Grief website for developments with the programme http://www.goodgrief.org.au/
Some of you may be aware that the Mary MacKillop Foundation helped to develop the Seasons for Growth programme. Mary MacKillop was the daughter of Scottish emigrants to Australia in the 19th century. She became a nun and founded the Sisters of St Joseph, an Order promoting education and social welfare in the developing country. Mary MacKillop will be canonised as Australia’s first Saint this autumn in Rome.
Conference Plans
2011 will be another conference year for Seasons Companions. In 2009 we were fortunate to have funding from the Scottish Government to help us run 2 very well supported and successful conferences in Glasgow and Perth. With budget restrictions we may well have to cut back to a basic formula and it would be very helpful if you could give us some feedback on what might suit you in terms of location, costs and preferred day of the week. It will be hard to please everyone. Any suggestions welcome – e mail kate.macleod@notredamecentre.org.uk
Fischy Music
Many of you have been using the Fischy Music CD alongside Seasons groups for primary school children. Radio Clyde Cash for Kids funding has enabled us to run some successful music sessions in Clydebank, Glasgow, Port Glasgow and North Lanarkshire. We have also had funding for some dedicated song writing workshops which have proved popular and rewarding in terms of emotional support. Visit http://www.fischy.com/ for further information.
Adult Programme
Please check the information on our website. Several Companions have now taken part in the half day training to enable them to offer groups to parents/carers. For those working only with adult groups, and who have not previously completed the Young People’s Companion training, we can organise a 2 day Adult Companion training.
For further information please contact kate.macleod@notredamecentre.org.uk
Many thanks to everyone for their continued support for Seasons for Growth
Trainings are currently taking place across Scotland. For more information click on 'Companion Training' link on the left.
Companions and Trainers please sign in to access the section of the Seasons for Growth Web Site which provides access to various documents and resources. If you do not have a password please contact sfg@notredamecentre.org.uk