Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

Please read all the email details fully, information on how to book is noted below.

I have your name on our distribution list wishing to participate in ASIST training.

You need to book through a link to the national portal (which I will provide below).  All bookings are on a first come first serve basis and we are unable to influence or prioritise who gets allocated places.  Once all places have been taken the portal will tell you there are no longer spaces available on this course.

We have 2 courses planned, please be sure to click on the link to book for the dates/venue of course you wish to attend, you cannot hold places on both courses (we have such a large waiting list), if you book onto more than one course your place will be cancelled on one.

This course is offered to you free of charge if you are over the age of 16 and work or live within the Scottish Borders, as we have such a large waiting list of people wanting to participate, can we please ask if you need to cancel please do so in a timely manner to allow us to try and fill any spaces.

Dates:

18 November 2026, 9am-3pm (Inspire, Tweedbank)

or

24 March 2027, 9am-3pm (Inspire, Tweedbank)

This course will cover:

• the development of nurturing approaches
• attachment theory
• the 6 nurture principles
• the impact of trauma and adversity on brain development
• creating a nurturing environment
• setting up a targeted nurture group provision.

Aims of the course

• Develop understanding of how to take forward a whole school nurturing approach
• Gain knowledge on the theories which underpin a nurturing approach
• Learn about how the use of a nurturing approach can reduce the impact of adverse childhood experience
• Use understanding to put the nurturing principles into practice
• Reflect on their own current practice and share good practice with colleagues
• Develop strategies to use in an establishment to support children and young people using a nurturing approach
• Learn how to work within a nurture group

Target Audience:

Staff looking to set up a targeted nurture group, or with an interest in whole school nurturing approaches.

Bookings can be made via Business World.

Calling all upper primary teachers!

Love Music are inviting applications for qualified upper primary teachers to take part in our FREE Sing for Wellbeing CPD programme, starting in September 2026 on 8 x Friday afternoons across the academic year, in central Edinburgh.

This will be the second year of our fully funded primary teacher CPD, which is designed for and with teachers who feel a lack of confidence of skills in leading singing with pupils in their classrooms. No prior singing or music experience is necessary!

We worked with 26 teachers in our 2025-26 cohort, they said:

“I’ve absolutely loved the course, the resources and using them in my class, the children love them.”

“I’ve really enjoyed the Friday afternoons…my confidence in my singing has increased – I hope my tuning has improved, I feel it has.”

Sing for Wellbeing is both a training, and a community of practice, where professional teaching practitioners have a voice and co-design to meet the needs of our learning cohort. Our material and approach is aimed at Upper Primary P4-7, however, teachers working in other year groups or across all year groups are also welcome to join us.

For full details, FAQs and to sign up, visit our website:

https://lovemusic.org.uk/portfolio/sing-for-wellbeing

Teachers will:
– Receive 10x more music training than offered in typical Initial Teacher Education training
– Work with music inclusion and education specialist and Love Music’s artistic director Stephen Deazley, and other consultant specialists in education, inclusion and music

– Develop skills and confidence to use singing inclusively in their teaching practice.
– Develop a deeper understanding of the impact of inclusive group singing on their own and pupils’ health and wellbeing.
– Become part of our growing ‘Community of Practice’ where teachers will meet others taking part, support their peers, share learning, resources, and ideas.

-Receive a year of training for FREE thanks to Creative Scotland and William Syson Foundation, alongside access and travel support where needed

Applications are open from now until our first session on 18 September 2026.

Please ask questions via the sign-up form, or by emailing hello@lovemusic.org.uk and we’ll be happy to help.

Mae Murray MBE

Do you have experience and expertise utilising best practice community led support? Are you looking to diversify your knowledge and skills? We are seeking nominations for the Community Led Support ‘Cascade’ program, this work is integral to the services commitment to embedding CLS into strategy and person-centred practice that will benefit our service users.

Nominations are welcome from staff at all levels that have experience using CLS, including paraprofessionals and social workers. Practitioners will have the opportunity to:

• Become a certified CLS cascade trainer, with the ability to deliver 3 training sessions (What is Community Led Support, Good Conversations and Outcome Based Solutions and Strength Based Reviews training)
• Develop your own skills and understanding of CLS
• Develop your role confidence, communication, and facilitation skills
• Contribute to shaping the services practice and learning culture

Nominees would be asked to commit to a full day of ‘train the trainer’ training, followed by shadowing with more experienced training delivers over a few months before delivering 1-3 training sessions with a fellow CLS trainer annually.

The development and integration of Community Led Support is fundamental to Adult Services strategic plan and objectives going forward. The success of CLS practice and the ‘What Matter’s Hub’s’ has been exceptional in generating person centred outcomes to benefit the service users within Scottish Borders. To continue this positive enhancement of practice, learning and skills development will be crucial for all Adult Social Work employees. Those that take forward the ‘Cascade’ role will be allocated appropriate time within their role to prepare for and deliver training in accordance with the course frameworks.

Participation in this training and the progression of the CLS initiative is supported by Chris Myers, Director of Adult Social Work and Social Care.

If you are interested in this opportunity and would like more information, please contact Shirley Cumming (scumming@scotborders.gov.uk) and Kerry Ferguson (Kerry.Ferguson@scotborders.com)

Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention for Children and Young People training This is a bespoke half day facilitated training session covering Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention for Children and Young People. It is aimed at anybody working with children and young people who are likely to have direct and/or substantial contact with those who may be at risk of self-harm or suicide. The content is drawn from the NHS Education for Scotland Skilled Level Learning Bytes 3 and 4 (see above). The session covers: Facts and trends associated with self-harm and suicide in young people; common risk, protective and stress factors related to self-harm and suicide in young people; an awareness of the impact a sensitive, compassionate approach can achieve when discussing self-harm and suicide (using the principles of Time, Space and Com passion); the links between self-harm, suicidal thoughts and trauma informed practice and; approaches to support including the steps involved in safety planning.

 Anyone attending this training must first complete the Informed Level e-module ‘Promoting children and young people’s mental health and preventing self harm and suicide’.

• Thursday 22^nd October 2026
• Thursday 19 November 2026
• Thursday 4^th March 2027 – looks fine
• Thursday 13th May 2027

We can also offer the opportunity to deliver the course for a specific staff group.

Contact health.improvement@borders.scot.nhs.uk for course information and dates.

The School Nursing Team are going to provide an information session in each cluster. This will cover the information from the modules on SBLearn – Asthma, Anaphylaxis and Epilepsy.

Unfortunately there will not be an input from the diabetic team.

It will still be a requirement that the staff attending complete the modules online prior to this session as the team will provide additional support and answer any queries which staff may have.

Agreed dates are below:

17 August 2026 – Philiphaugh Community School (1:30pm – 2:30pm)

17 August 2026 – Priorsford Primary School (2:30pm – 3:30pm)

18 August 2026 – Eyemouth High School (9am – 10am)

18 August 2026 – Edenside Primary School (1:30pm-2:30pm)

25 August 2026 – Earlston Primary School (4pm – 5pm)

Spaces can be booked through Business World. Private & Voluntary Nurseries or Childminders are welcome to join these sessions.

The Pre-School Home Visiting Teacher (PSHVT) Service would like to offer mainstream Primary 1 teachers a series of 3 online workshops on TEAMS. These are aimed at supporting children who are currently on our PSHVT caseloads who will be transitioning to Primary 1 after the summer. These workshops will introduce a strategy called ‘Teacher Time’.

This course aims to support teachers with:

Building relationships with pupil(s)

Building confidence

Planning of learning activities

Tracking/monitoring of pupil progress

Enhancing relationships/communication with pupil’s parents/carers

Promote relationships with support staff

Networking with other Primary 1 teachers to share ideas

Providing opportunities to ask questions and engage in professional dialogue

Target Audience – Primary 1 Teachers with pupil(s) on PSHVT caseloads

Dates:

2 June 2026, 3:30 – 5pm

16 June 2026, 3:30-5pm

22 September 2026, 3:30 – 5pm

Places can be booked through Business World.