iST Training & Development
What is iST Training?
iST Training programmes provide a practice-based training for professionals caring for children and young people with complex emotional and psychological needs. iST Training is professionally accredited by the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and is academically accredited by Middlesex University. iST Training programmes are particularly aimed at group-based care settings (e.g. residential therapeutic communities, Children’s Homes and smaller units) where therapeutic staff and foster carer training and development needs to be practice-based, with the aim of clinically developing the individual, the team and the organisation.
iST Training programmes are currently accredited at Certificate, Practitioner’s Diploma and MA levels, which provide a workforce development pathway in clinically rigorous psychotherapeutic work. iST Training integrates experiential development and theoretical study to provide adults with the knowledge, understanding and skills to offer Child Psychotherapeutic Counselling in the unique and effective iST clinical approach which underpins all of Childhood First’s work with emotionally and psychologically disturbed children and young people.
History of iST Training
In 1998, Childhood First developed and introduced a pioneering therapeutic staff training programme to Advanced Diploma and eventually also to Masters level, in collaboration with Middlesex University. In 2014, these programmes were revised to reflect significant developments in our clinical approach. They were renamed to match our unique methodology – Integrated Systemic Therapy – and became iST Institute programmes accredited by Middlesex University.
In 2015, we became a full accrediting members of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). This membership entitles the Institute to accredit those who successfully complete our Integrated Systemic Therapy (iST) training as Child Psychotherapeutic Counsellors, and potentially as Child Psychotherapists. We have since served as Chair of the UKCP’s Child Psychotherapies College.
The Institute of Integrated Systemic Therapy
The iST Training programmes have been designed to provide a framework for staff training through initial induction and introductory training, to comprehensive core and advanced training for senior practitioners and managers.
Training Pathway
iST Training offers staff a clear pathway leading to a professional accreditation, whilst preparing staff to understand the demands of working therapeutically with emotionally and psychologically disturbed children and young people. The diagram below sets out the steps through the training. All courses accredited by Middlesex University.
The three key elements of iST Training are all part of an integrated assessment process:
- Experiential learning
- Practice-based learning
- Theoretical seminars.
Opportunities for sharing existing and developing skills, knowledge and experience are positively encouraged in order to make the most of the range of experience, skills and knowledge within the participating communities.
Who can undertake iST Training and Professional Development?
We offer all of our therapeutic staff and foster carers a pioneering work-based training, which includes both theoretical and experiential elements, to equip them to care for and treat severely traumatised children and young people.
All of our therapeutic work is underpinned by a unique, specialist, five-year theoretical and experiential training programme, and by continuing professional development for those who have completed the course. This course is validated up to Masters level by Middlesex University and it is managed, directed and reviewed by an infrastructure of IST committee meetings. Successful candidates can also apply for UKCP clinical licensing as Child Psychotherapeutic Counsellors, and potentially Child Psychotherapists.
For further details of our training courses, please contact the Deepti Bhalla, our Training Administrator by phone or email using the links below: