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TESTIMONIALS

This page includes a sample of AssetPlus training courses that we can offer as well as testimonials from YOT managers on the improvements seen following the training.

COURSES

These courses address the common issues associated with the completion and QA of AssetPlus as identified by HMIP in recent inspection reports, as well as through the internal auditing processes executed by many YOTs. Each course is tailored to the specific need of each YOT so please contact us if you’d like to provide something different.

Practitioners – 1 day refresher: How to focus and structure answers to Information Gathering and Explanations and Conclusions (up to Future Behaviour) to save time, avoid repetition, draw out priority risk factors and sufficiently define risks.

Practitioners – 2 day refresher: As above plus how to ensure priority risks and risk factors are fully addressed in the plan, including those relevant to both harmful behaviour and safety and wellbeing.

Managers – 1 or 2 day refresher: Learn to QA a case in a way that focuses on quality rather than completion level. This course uses a 1-page tool that highlights the 10 key points to check for in the stage you are reviewing, thus removing the requirement for lengthy and cumbersome QA tools.

New joiners – 3 days: Full AssetPlus training, covering all relevant sections and stages but with more focused exercises and ‘real’ case examples than previous training.

Web training – Up to 1 hour: Training or support via an interactive video/web conference in a particular section of AssetPlus, enabling large volumes of users to be trained at lower cost.

Training format:

The format of this training is completely different to that provided initially through the AssetPlus project. Based on lessons learnt from working with YOTS that have had the framework for c.2 years the training format is as follows:

Demonstration of good and bad practice completed examples to show the common mistakes that practitioners make and how to correct them
Courses are run as workshops involving the review of a live case (anonymised if necessary) to allow attendees to identify and correct bad practices themselves
Discussion facilitated through wall-chart exercises to allow the group to challenge and reflect on the proposed best practice approach using a real case
Very simple one-page handouts with the key points to take away
Content tailored to the case types the group is responsible for
Flexible delivery to focus on areas of concern for each specific group

Expertise:

Training will be provided by Duncan Hodgson, who has the following experience:

As the training lead for AssetPlus he designed and developed 90% of the project training material, including the YJILS AssetPlus foundation training
He was on the AssetPlus project for over 3 years so knows the framework requirements and the rationale for all aspects of its design
He was involved in the testing of the CACI and Careworks CMS systems so understands how AssetPlus works within them
He has delivered AssetPlus train the trainer courses to c.15 YOTs
He was the business change advisor for the first YOTs with AssetPlus so has more experience that anyone else in how to avoid the pitfalls with its implementation
He has delivered over 30 refresher training courses to practitioners/managers and trained c.400 staff in the process

After receiving training linked to the E&C section the Team Managers noticed an immediate difference in the completion of assessments. Practitioners have reported that they are now finding AssetPlus less repetitive and their time is being diverted more to where it should be, the overall analysis. Following the training, assessment of risk has improved and practitioners are focusing more on evidencing risk and potential risk. Feedback from practitioners has been very positive and as a manager, the QA process has become easier and quicker with less repetition and a more focused assessment.

Louise Fitzpatrick, Operational Manager – Caerphilly YOT

The training really helped staff understand AssetPlus from a theoretical, analytical and common-sense perspective. Staff have linked the core assessment to pathways and planning much more comprehensively, the link between the assessment and the risk of harm and safety and wellbeing is developing and staff are now taking the time to answer the question in front of them, without drift. The speed of assessments has improved drastically and I wish we’d had this training in the first place, as many of the teething problems would have been prevented. We have been able to dramatically improve performance in the team as a result of your training and the process of QA is much easier.

Vicky Hodgson, Senior Youth Justice Practitioner – Hull YOT

Duncan has facilitated training for our YOS practitioners and this was found to be very beneficial as it has improved the quality of our assessments and reduced the time that practitioners are taking to complete the framework. We are using Duncan’s services again at present, he has recently spent a day with Operational Managers assisting us in terms of our quality assurance / countersigning processes, thus reducing the amount of time it is taking managers to QA. The feedback from this was very positive and it helped us to move forward in terms of some of our processes. Duncan will shortly be delivering further training to practitioners in relation to Pathways & Planning and it is hoped that this will help us to strengthen our intervention and risk management planning. As a service, we would recommend Duncan without hesitation.

Steph Webber, Operational Manager –
Cwm Taf YOT

Duncan’s workshops helped us develop a manageable QA process and consolidate the key approaches and concepts that constitute the new framework. He has an extensive knowledge of the AssetPlus framework and is able to deliver this expertise in a flexible and engaging manner to meet the needs of the team.Geraint Spacey, Operational Team Manager – Monmouthshire YOT

We found Duncan to be extremely helpful, organised and knowledgeable throughout the implementation. He provided us with constructive guidance in resolving some of the initial problems we experienced. Our staff raised a number of ASSETPLUS Framework issues which they were struggling to apply and Duncan was able to work through these to assist them. Feedback from staff was positive, stating that they had found the training to be very helpful for their practice.

In March 2017, we commissioned Duncan again, this time to deliver the full ASSETPLUS Framework training over 4 days. Local trainers did not have the capacity to deliver this training again, certainly to the quality that Duncan was able to. Feedback from participating staff was again very positive and it is evident from the management supervision of cases that the staff group has learnt to apply the framework to a satisfactory level.

Duncan is a very competent trainer, with very good knowledge of the ASSETPLUS framework and wider case management systems. I would certainly commission him again to deliver further training and would recommend him to colleagues in the Youth Justice network.

Graham Minniss, Youth Justice Services Lead, Wrexham YOT

The training has definitely helped us identify the following areas that were not being completed as intended: desistance factors not being succinct enough, understanding offending behaviour section, analysis box needing to explain individual episodes of offending as well as desistance. The training has helped us be more succinct in answering only what is asked. The QA tool introduced is a really good starting point for QA. The suggestion to request that headings are used to present future behaviours is something that we have taken forward and saves QA time.

Ollie Foxell, Operational Manager – Buckinghamshire YOT

We are finding (through

my role of QA) that the Understanding Offending Behaviour/ Future Behaviours part is becoming better understood- and the information required to support the impacts seems to be improving.

Julie Carr, Operational Manager, Hertfordshire Youth Offending Team

Overall feedback from course attendees:

Feedback from course attendees
on what was particularly good about

the course:

"Excellent trainer - kept all the team engaged throughout the day. Information delivered clearly and in different ways i.e. presentation, use of live case, group work, examples of right and wrong. Very easy to understand and follow."

"I thought the quality of delivery was particularly good, the content and knowledge of the subject was top class"

"Understanding the interconnections and interactions helped join up the assessment to the plan"

"I particularly found it useful in regards to the intervention plan and how you identify problems and issues under the key interventions sections and the plan then focusses on the solutions."

"The trainer was very knowledgeable which really helped as he understood both the process and also practicalities of the job and what we need to use this for"

"Helped me to identify how to only answer the questions the Assetplus asks and not to duplicate work. Duncan was very realistic too and had a lot of experience with Assetplus which really came across."

"This course was excellent, it helped as a new senior practitioner with looking at what I need to identify when QA"

"Delivered in a way that was accessible to all. Deliverer open to addressing issues raised by others and didn't just stick to his own content."

"It helped to use one of our young people as this made it more 'real'. Also, it made me think about the actual answers to the questions in order to better format the assessment."

"The content was explained in a very easy to understand and clear way - thoroughly enjoyed the day and got a lot out of it"

"The style and delivery used - created a safe environment for open discussion and exploration. The focus on quality rather than processes. Really helpful guidance and handouts"

"It was good to look at a case and disect / analyse questions to ensure that the answers given are specific."

"Clarification on some issues specifically including what to include in the Risk section of the Asset Plus"

"The practical examples used and the useful training materials. Very useful around improving practice in relation to QA and making this more focused and meaningful."

"Overall I felt the course was hugely beneficial and Duncan was very patient and understanding of the issues being presented by staff."

"The course helped me as an auditor see where I needed to focus my attention to improve the quality of ASSET+ "

Example of good and bad practice demonstration from training:

Resources

Simple QA tool

What is it? The issue with most QA tools is that they ask managers to check for the completeness/sufficiency of the assessment/plan but don’t explain what complete/sufficient looks like.

This is a QA tool for an initial assessment. It includes the 10 things that are most commonly lacking in AssetPlus assessments & plans. Crucially, questions are written in a way that explains what a good practice answer should include.

Click here to download

Practitioner planning template to address risk

It is difficult to see the link between the assessment and the various parts of the plan on screen. This is a training tool to encourage practitioners to check that their plan pulls through the key risks/risk factors from their assessment and includes targets/actions to address each of them under the correct sub-sections.

Click here to download

Wall charts for group exercises

These are training templates that can be printed as part of a group exercise to practice the completion of AssetPlus for a specific case. They provide a simple one-page visual representation of the key sections of AssetPlus to help practitioners understand the differences and relationships between them.

Click here to download

Who we've worked with