BearCat Training Courses
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We are delighted to announce that Face to Face training courses are resuming in January 2022
Community Mental Health Lockdown Project
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Our current project is to provide training courses for home carers online via Zoom meetings, this is a series of specially commissioned live courses where questions can be asked about the exact situation of each household. Our trainer is a highly regarded specialist in this field, delivering support, training and counselling online and face to face.
In 2021 Chris delivered over 220 sessions (160+ webinars & 60+ seminars) to over 2600 delegates in professional care organisations in the learning disabled, behaviourally challenged and mental health fields. Courses focus on caring for household members with dementia, autistic spectrum disorder, and those facing challenges such as mental heath conditions and self-harm. Click here for more information and booking |
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Mental Health Awareness -
Strengthening community and reducing isolation.
We are hosting a free interactive community mental health awareness training,
at the Spring Uprising Gathering at Motion in Bristol
17.15-18.00 on Sunday 17th March
in The Solution Zone discussion space
www.springuprising.com
Strengthening community and reducing isolation.
We are hosting a free interactive community mental health awareness training,
at the Spring Uprising Gathering at Motion in Bristol
17.15-18.00 on Sunday 17th March
in The Solution Zone discussion space
www.springuprising.com
BearCat is proud to announce that we are now able to offer
subsidised professionally run training sessions
It is challenging for families to care for a loved one who has a mental health condition at home.
A professional carer will be trained to provide appropriate care; the family carer rarely gets that opportunity. We are providing affordable training close to home, at a convenient time and as cheaply as possible, whilst making use of the great local community facilities at Tinneys Lane.
Autistic Spectrum Disorder Awareness or Dementia Awareness Training
at Tinneys Lane Youth & Community Centre in Sherborne, Dorset.
This funded training is especially for individuals and small local groups;
eg. family carers, youth, voluntary and community clubs.
This type of training is widely available, but can cost up to £120 per delegate.
We are currently pursuing funding for the next project
from training needs highlighted in the report.
Report from training project in 2018 -
| report_bearcat_community_training_project.pdf |
Our courses include mandatory subjects for those working with vulnerable people,
such as Safeguarding/Child Protection, Positive Behaviour Management,
Dementia or Autism Awareness.
The courses include design, delivery, admin and evaluation of the training
and certification with information packs.
such as Safeguarding/Child Protection, Positive Behaviour Management,
Dementia or Autism Awareness.
The courses include design, delivery, admin and evaluation of the training
and certification with information packs.
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Courses available through BearCat include:
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A full list of courses available through our local training provider can be found here - www.simplytraining.org/courses.html
The first series of BearCat training courses were held in March 2017.
First Aid and also Conflict Management for the members, volunteers and youth leaders of Holwell Granary Youth Club in Dorset.
First Aid and also Conflict Management for the members, volunteers and youth leaders of Holwell Granary Youth Club in Dorset.
Jan/Feb 2018 - Autistic Spectrum Disorder Awareness and Dementia Awareness Training
in Sherborne for Home Carers and Local Community Workers
in Sherborne for Home Carers and Local Community Workers
Feedback from ASD Awareness Training - What have you learned?
“how to channel wired behaviour into helpful learning behaviour ...and to spread the knowledge I have gained here today to all I meet” – grandparent
“more about how stress plays a huge role in autism and I think this will help me manage things better” – parent
“the different way things can be perceived by people on the autism spectrum” – home carer
“a greater understanding of why some things can cause reactions and how to help” – parent
“more awareness of how people with ASD see things and how stress can cause behaviour to escalate…
I will share with my colleagues in the primary school…” – teacher
“behaviours of autism, positive incentives, the chemical balance and how to help ASD person in stressful situations” - parent
"we both really benefited from your excellent training day, thank you very much" - parent and sibling
"I was really impressed with the trainer Chris, the course content and all the communication prior to the event...
hopefully we can set something up in the future for the parent carer members of the forum" - parent and support group facilitator
Feedback from Dementia Awareness Training -
"This session helped me very much, so important to be able to talk to others openly in a similar situation, especially people you don't know" - family carer
"Very informative. Felt involved and at ease. Fitted a lot of info in a short space of time. Everyone should do this course." - community work professional
"I learned that lots of patience is needed, dementia is more complex than I realised" - professional carer
“how to channel wired behaviour into helpful learning behaviour ...and to spread the knowledge I have gained here today to all I meet” – grandparent
“more about how stress plays a huge role in autism and I think this will help me manage things better” – parent
“the different way things can be perceived by people on the autism spectrum” – home carer
“a greater understanding of why some things can cause reactions and how to help” – parent
“more awareness of how people with ASD see things and how stress can cause behaviour to escalate…
I will share with my colleagues in the primary school…” – teacher
“behaviours of autism, positive incentives, the chemical balance and how to help ASD person in stressful situations” - parent
"we both really benefited from your excellent training day, thank you very much" - parent and sibling
"I was really impressed with the trainer Chris, the course content and all the communication prior to the event...
hopefully we can set something up in the future for the parent carer members of the forum" - parent and support group facilitator
Feedback from Dementia Awareness Training -
"This session helped me very much, so important to be able to talk to others openly in a similar situation, especially people you don't know" - family carer
"Very informative. Felt involved and at ease. Fitted a lot of info in a short space of time. Everyone should do this course." - community work professional
"I learned that lots of patience is needed, dementia is more complex than I realised" - professional carer
Example Course Overviews...
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Mental Health Resilience
Aims: To investigate some common mental health conditions, how they work, what they look like and how they can affect day to day living – including Bi-Polar, Borderline Personality Disorders, Depression, Anxiety and Schizophrenia. In an easy to understand, pragmatic way that encourages sharing and support; using the Zoom interactive platform, discuss how MH can be managed and the impact of mental illness lessened by understanding care and nurture The course includes the following subjects: • Identifying community level mental conditions • How the treatment works (drugs and therapy) • Managing behaviour and variations in emotion Effective Communication Aims: To explore we communicate? Can we be sure the person we are talking to understands what we are trying to say? How can I listen more effectively? Am I making assumptions? Are those assumptions correct? How clearly am I communicating? The course includes the following subjects: • How communication works • Approaching difficult conversations • Strategies for communication Dementia Awareness Aims: Looking at dementia as a mental health condition caused by a wide variety of issues that affect the brain. Some explanation of why a person with dementia may act in a certain way, common behaviours and actions. With a realistic narrative the session is designed to help those who care for dementia sufferers to understand some of the common behaviour and suggest effective ways to offer good care. The course includes the following subjects: • Some common causes of dementia – how it works • Common symptoms of dementia affected behaviour • Supporting a dementia sufferer – and the primary carer |
Non Verbal Communication (basic sign)
Aims: Most of our ability to communicate is non-verbal, yet we rely heavily on what someone says or what we hear. How can we communicate effectively non verbally? How does signing work? Can we learn how to use non verbal communication to benefit us in every day situations? The course includes the following subjects • Understanding and processing non verbal prompts • How to communicate non verbally • Some basic, useful signing practice Useful Signing (part two) Aims: How do we communicate non verbally? What if someone can speak but chooses not to? How do I make sure I am to be understood? Isn’t sign language really difficult to learn? As a species, humans have been communicating non verbally way longer than we have used the spoken or written word, this session will explore how we can communicate non verbally using signs and gestures that will be understood We will look at various Speech & Language Programmes and practice useful signs to enable us to be more receptive to a person’s gestures and signalling, resulting in a solid foundation level of signing ability and how to best use sign in the future Self Harm Awareness Aims: What compels someone to commit an act of self harm? Is it the same as a suicide attempt? What can a carer/parent do? Do we intervene? Do we ignore it? – the session is designed to unravel some of the complexities of self harming in an attempt to offer a therapeutic level of support The course includes the following subjects: • Why would someone self harm? What happens to the brain when they do • How can we support a person who self harms? • Planning to manage the risk and planning for the future ASD – Autism Awareness Aims: To explore the science behind typical Autistic Behaviours and how best to manage the situations that arise. In a safe, dignified and respectful environment, using the Zoom interactive platform, we will look at what behaviours mean, why certain actions happen, how the ASD brain communicates with the outside world and how we can manage the risks presented by those behaviours. The course includes the following aspects: • The science of ASD Behaviour • Self stimulation and ‘ticks’ • De-escalation and appropriate levels of care |
About BearCat
BearCat Collective, is a not-for-profit group of artists, musicians, skilled professionals and trained volunteers bringing accessible, hands-on family education and entertainment to local community venues across Wessex.
We are a small organisation, based on the Dorset/Somerset border with one part-time project manager, a reliable team of skilled volunteers, and a committed group of professionals who regularly work with us on a freelance basis.
Many of our volunteers and performers have mental and physical health problems, or are from disadvantaged groups. We are proud to say that working with BerarCat has given them access to confidence-building opportunities and an improved sense of safety, friendship, community and possibility.
We provide and promote space where members of local communities who may be generations apart, with wide ranging abilities and from diverse backgrounds, feel equally welcomed, safe, provided for educated and entertained.
We are a mostly self-funded, supporting fledgling community groups and local charitable events with low cost activities, largely funded by receiving professional fees for working with well-established groups and organisations who have a budget for professional services. Therefore our fees are not fixed and we negotiate on a dialogue of ‘what can the event afford’, ‘what value does a project have to the local community’.
• Live Music • Pop-Up SwapShop • Natural & Recycled Crafts • Health & Social Care Training • all centred around Local Sustainability
What We Do
Reducing Rural Isolation through Entertainment & Education:
- Hosting accessible Performance Nights in village halls and community venues
- Promoting local events, supporting artists and local organisations through newsletters, social networking and our graphic design & signwriting services
- Providing, erecting and manning tents at community events, to run recycled craft workshops, swap-shops, discussions, drama activities & face painting
- Supporting local projects with practical, professional advice and training on safeguarding, child protection, harm reduction, mental health awareness and positive behaviour management.
- Leading educational and creative workshops at community venues in conjunction with local authorities and other locally based community and non-profit organisations
Who This Benefits
- Local performers, both children and adults, network with each other in a safe environment, sharing skills, expertise, advice; giving and receiving support
- Local residents have high quality entertainment at an affordable cost, and are encouraged to engage with our events in a very practical way, allowing them to feel cherished and valued.
- Fledgling events and artists receive professional assistance with design and promotion
- Visitors to community events learn practical skills in crafts, reuse, repair and also receive support and advice in many other areas
- Community workers and local families get professional training to assist them in day to day challenges especially around mental health conditions
Number of people that take part in our events and activities:-
2017 = est. 2300 people over 31 events
2016 = est. 2400 people over 44 events
BearCat Collective, is a not-for-profit group of artists, musicians, skilled professionals and trained volunteers bringing accessible, hands-on family education and entertainment to local community venues across Wessex.
We are a small organisation, based on the Dorset/Somerset border with one part-time project manager, a reliable team of skilled volunteers, and a committed group of professionals who regularly work with us on a freelance basis.
Many of our volunteers and performers have mental and physical health problems, or are from disadvantaged groups. We are proud to say that working with BerarCat has given them access to confidence-building opportunities and an improved sense of safety, friendship, community and possibility.
We provide and promote space where members of local communities who may be generations apart, with wide ranging abilities and from diverse backgrounds, feel equally welcomed, safe, provided for educated and entertained.
We are a mostly self-funded, supporting fledgling community groups and local charitable events with low cost activities, largely funded by receiving professional fees for working with well-established groups and organisations who have a budget for professional services. Therefore our fees are not fixed and we negotiate on a dialogue of ‘what can the event afford’, ‘what value does a project have to the local community’.
• Live Music • Pop-Up SwapShop • Natural & Recycled Crafts • Health & Social Care Training • all centred around Local Sustainability
What We Do
Reducing Rural Isolation through Entertainment & Education:
- Hosting accessible Performance Nights in village halls and community venues
- Promoting local events, supporting artists and local organisations through newsletters, social networking and our graphic design & signwriting services
- Providing, erecting and manning tents at community events, to run recycled craft workshops, swap-shops, discussions, drama activities & face painting
- Supporting local projects with practical, professional advice and training on safeguarding, child protection, harm reduction, mental health awareness and positive behaviour management.
- Leading educational and creative workshops at community venues in conjunction with local authorities and other locally based community and non-profit organisations
Who This Benefits
- Local performers, both children and adults, network with each other in a safe environment, sharing skills, expertise, advice; giving and receiving support
- Local residents have high quality entertainment at an affordable cost, and are encouraged to engage with our events in a very practical way, allowing them to feel cherished and valued.
- Fledgling events and artists receive professional assistance with design and promotion
- Visitors to community events learn practical skills in crafts, reuse, repair and also receive support and advice in many other areas
- Community workers and local families get professional training to assist them in day to day challenges especially around mental health conditions
Number of people that take part in our events and activities:-
2017 = est. 2300 people over 31 events
2016 = est. 2400 people over 44 events
