So I thought it was about time I actually did an updated post. Can’t believe it’s been over a year! I think like lots of people the bizarreness of the last couple of years has impacted pretty much everything. We gave up the hub at the beginning of the year in order to try and ensure our sustainability financially and to keep the Kinlochleven Workshop safe. We are super grateful now that we will be back to providing workshops in Ballachulish this week due to the support of Ballachulish Primary School. So, that’s been a big change but one that is helping to focus our future.
In particular for me the last year has seen some pretty major changes, mostly that I left my teaching job. I adore working with young people and 16 years of teaching in secondary schools has given me so many amazing memories, experiences and the privilege of working with some wonderful colleagues and most importantly the young people. Although I trained originally as a History Teacher it organically developed into working with young people with additional support needs (ASN). I did not have a professional qualification in ASN and felt it was so important, so I studied part time achieving my Masters in Inclusive Practice from Aberdeen University and achieving GTCS registration as an ASN 3-18 teacher. This was an incredible learning journey that opened my eyes to how much expertise is needed in order to provide inclusive, targeted and high quality support to young people with additional support needs. However as I continued to work in schools it became even more apparent how lacking services were and there was such a need for professional therapeutic services for young people. I was completing plenty of continuous professional training but I was not a counsellor or a therapist.
So seeing the need personally as well as professionally too after doing some fostering then adopting my kids I decided to train as a therapist. So three years ago I began my professional training to become a Play Therapist through Leeds Beckett University and PTUK , as I really believe support for children’s mental health needs to be focussed on children’s needs in their language. Through Kinlochlovin’ I was able to see the power of creativity and I wanted the professional training to make the most of what we were providing. Due to covid there was a delay as the standard of training meant that it would be unethical to allow people to qualify without the much needed training, clinical practice and supervision. I have now qualified as a Therapeutic Play Practitioner regulated by PTUK but by the time I complete my Post Graduate Diploma it will be nearly 5 years of training. I believe that reflects the high standards we need to have in the therapeutic care of children’s social and emotional wellbeing. When working with vulnerable children and young people their safety is priority and training and regulatory bodies are so important, you can always check on the Professional Standard website to check if organisations are legally regulated.
So all of this maybe explains sometimes why I don’t get the time to update the blog or update the website. As I spend at least a day of week in clinical practice as a trainee therapist as well as working for Thriving Families and now Ewen’s Room, both Highland based charities. Kinlochlovin’ workshops and events are always on my to do lists and managing them behind the scenes and in person when I can is still my favourite thing to do. I feel like we are able to now focus on this more in 2022, creative activities and then separately therapeutic work. We can always tell in sessions how much the young people appreciate it and it makes it all worth it. Derek my husband and my kids are also the best Kinlochlovin volunteers both doing their bit but also putting up with the chaos! So with Lilli now firmly established as an amazing creative lead Kinlochlovin’ is working hard to both create products to sell to fund our free activities and I will keep applying for funding to consolidate and expand what we offer when we can. So if I go back to the title of what’s happening… well just endless hours of hard work for endless hours of fun, laughter and creativity for the young people of Lochaber. We always want to be doing more but we are trying to be focussed and realistic to ensure we are sustainable, so thankyou everyone for the support and encouragement it keeps Kinlochlovin alive!
