Conference 2009

1. Introduction

A choice of seven workshops on aspects of delivering and managing Incredible Years (IY) programmes were available to delegates at the Archways National Conference on 21

September 2009. The purpose of the workshops was to bring together IY sponsors and practitioners to learn from each other and stimulate new ideas.

The topics offered were:

The Added Value of Incredible Years to the School Completion Programme

Implementing Incredible Years with Fidelity in a Difficult Economic Climate

Notes from each of the workshop are presented in this report.

 

This workshop was presented by Ena Morley, Principal and Aoife Slacke, Assistant Principal, St.

 

This workshop was presented by Dr. Carolyn Webster-Stratton, University of Washington,

 

Working with foster carers was the subject of this greatly informative workshop lead by Dr. Judy Hutchings of the University of Bangor in Wales. In addition to outlining the benefits of the programme to foster families, Judy spoke of the different challenges presented by this population, for example the considerably greater effort required of carers to build the base of the IY pyramid with children. Judy explained how children in foster care had often experienced break down of relationships and loss of trust and the difficulty they then experienced in accepting praise and building trust. Delegates at this group valued the opportunity to learn from the great experience and knowledge held by Judy, gained from the vast body of research into the IY programmes that she has undertaken. The wider conference group also benefitted from a comprehensive poster display summarising much of this valued research.

 

Breege Breheny of Young Ballymun together with Elaine Fahy and Mary McHale of CAFTA presented this hugely interesting story of the value of the IY programme to the Ballymun Community in Dublin.

The IY programme is one of six programmes underway in Ballymun and the experience has been very positive for all. Breege shared the experiences of a group of four schools who initially implemented the small group Dina programme but found that the limited reach of small groups was not meeting the extent of behavioural problems across the schools. Issues of teacher burnout and turnover still prevailed. The Dina classroom programme is now underway, challenging behaviour in classrooms has reduced and teacher stress and turnover levels have alleviated greatly. Breege attributed their success to a combination of a proven model and local innovation. At the close of the workshop, delegates agreed that Ballymun is very definitely a great example of positive community regeneration.

 

6. Workshop: The Added Value of Incredible Years to the School Completion Programme

Margaret McGlynn, School Completion Coordinator in the Dublin 8 area and experienced IY parent group leader and former teacher Susan Naughton delivered this workshop in a facilitated style to the genuine enjoyment of delegates present. The workshop opened with the group seated in a circle, holding hands and singing along with Wally to a song from Dina School. Judging by the open smiling faces, participants welcomed this opportunity to move out of formal conference mode and into a more experiential state. Margaret shared how she had found it to be the most satisfying programme that she had worked with and how it had greatly advanced her goals to achieve higher levels of school completion in the Dublin 8 area. Margaret also spoke of the positive atmosphere in the schools that had adopted the IY programme and how the complement of IY trained teachers had extended from school completion and classroom teachers to special needs assistants, home school liaison staff and learning resource professionals.

 

 

8. Workshop: Implementing Incredible Years with Fidelity in a Difficult Economic Climate

 

9. Displays

Most of the case-study workshops were supplemented by visual poster displays at the back of the conference hall, which allowed delegates to learn more about the range of positive IY implementation experiences.