Incredible Years Wales:

The Welsh Centre for Promoting the Incredible Years Programmes

 

Welcome to the 2004 Conference page.

'Developing the Incredible Years Parent, Child and Teacher Programmes: Research and Practice from Seattle, Wales, England and Norway'

 

Another successful conference has been held once more by the Incredible Years Wales Centre. This year's annual conference came at a very exciting time in the development of the Webster-Startton Incredible Years programmes across Wales. Not only are thhe parent, child and teacher programmes being increasingly used throughout Wales but we are also undertaking important research replicating Carolyn's early intervention study with our partners in thirteen Sure Start Services across North and Mid Wales, and over the borders into England at Oswestry. Some of the preliminary findings of this research were heard at the conference.

The conference provided me with an opportunity to thank a number of people including our Sure Start partners who have collaborated with us in the early intervention research programme. I would also like to thank Jane Hutt, Minister for Health and Social Services, in the Wales Assembly Government, for her continuing interest in child mental health and in our work, and for agreeing to open the afternoon session of the conference. This was the third time that Jane had attended our annual conference and we very much appreciate her interest. A great thank you to our speakers from Norway, Oxford and Manchester who came to share their experiences of using the programmes with us.

Our biggest welcome went to Professor Webster-Stratton who, despite her name being almost a household word locally, was in Wales for the first time. She has supported our efforts for many yuears, has welcomed our team in Seattle and been constantly available by e-mail to advise and help us to sort out our problems. We hope this visit was the first of many.We have had a unique opporunity to develop the programmes in Wales, arising from my research interests and in particular my association with Carolyn who has allowed me to mentor the parent and child programmes. With the addition of Rhiain Gwyn as a Classroom Dina Mentor, people throughout Wales can access training and support in using these evidence-based programmes and have done so in large numbers. The newsletter produced for the conference describes the enormous amount of activity throughout Wales with the programmes. The parent and child programmes are being delivered as early intervention preventative programmes (in Sure Start services), as universal programmes (as in the Gwynedd Classroom Dinosaur School programme and elsewhere) and as therapeutic interventions with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) for referred children annd families. Over the last two years we have also been delivering the teacher classroom management programme and we hope in the spring to start training suitably qualified people to deliver this programme across Wales.

The conference brings together people from throughout Wales and from much further afield. I know that many of you have had to work hard to find the funds to access the training and resources needed to deliver the programmes and that you have done so in recognition of the fact that our service users deserve evidence based interventions. This is an opportunity for you to network with, and support one another. From our base, here at the University of Wales, Bangor, we shall continue to organise training in all of the programmes and provide ongoing support and advice to people using them. I encourage you to work towards leader certification in the programmes that you are using, so that you can be sure that you are delivering the programme with fidelity. My personal goal is that, before too long, we shall have a network of certified leaders and mentors across Wales to enable these programmes to reach yet more children and families.

Judy Hutchings. September 2004.

 

Presentations given at the 2004 conference. Please click on your desired option for abstracts.