Welcome to the “Our Time” train-the-trainer section!
In this online repository we want to give you a short introduction to the “Our Time” programme and provide information and guidelines about how to implement the programme in your work. The “Our Time” programme addresses the following groups:
- professionals working with survivors of gender based violence,
- professionals working with mothers and children living in refuges or other places of safety,
- trainers, consultants and other facilitators, who cooperate with these institutions.
The core element of “Our Time” is the programme manual, which you can download in the “Our Time” material section. But before you immerse yourself completely in this, we would like to guide you step-by-step through the most important elements of working with families.
As a supplement to the written material, you are also welcome to use our webinar offer, which also gives you the opportunity to clarify questions or exchange experiences with colleagues.
I: General approach and the aim of the Programme
What is the overall aim of “Our Time”? Why is working with family groups important for their recovery after the experience of violence and which methods can be used?
Learning outcome:
- to understand the importance of the programme in connection with the needs of families who experienced violence
- to know the objectives and outcomes the “Our Time” programme focuses an
Further reading:
Exercise 1: What might families have experienced?
Self-reflective task:
Think about possible offers for mother and children living in a refuge/place of safety: What kind of activities might help them to cope with their situation? Do you know if any programmes already exist?
II: Before you start – Guidelines for the preparation of the programme
Families who live in a refuge or another place of safety are in a very sensitive life situation – often in a state of mental emergency. Careful planning is required prior to delivering the programme and should include awareness of sensitivity and empathy in dealing with participants.
Learning outcomes:
- to understand the importance of assessing families in advance to see if they are ready to engage with the programme
- to be aware that before starting the programme, a consultation with professional staff is necessary (in you are working as an external facilitator)
- to know the most important issues you will need to consider before setting up a group
- to know about the resources and the materials you will need to prepare and deliver the programme
Further reading:
Exercise 2:What issues might affect the relationship between mothers and their children?
Self-reflective Task:
Think about possible obstacles or challenges in carrying out the “Our Time” programme and how to tackle them.
III: Structure and content of the programme
Here you find an overview about the main topics of the sessions with families. Categories of specialised activities will be introduced and presented.
Learning outcomes:
- to understand how the programme is structured
- to know the specific categories of activities
- to be aware that certain activities can only be facilitated by experienced professionals
- to plan a session according to the given resources by using the session plan
Further reading:
Exercise 3: Develop a draft for a session by using the facilitators session plan document
IV: Idea for the structure of a 2-day train-the-trainer course
In November 2019 a transnational, face-to-face train-the-trainer course was organised in Stafford, UK. Here we provide a proposal for a structured two-day-training event. The main element is to try out certain activities – to see how they work and to find out if they can fit to the needs of the families you are currently working with or plan to work with in the future.