Join our next SPDN event

Most Significant Change: Storytelling in social pedagogical practice

11 March, 2024 9.30-12.30 (GMT) via Zoom
– FREE –

The importance of meaningfully gathering and exploring stories of change

Outcomes-focused evaluation has long been promoted – particularly in services and programmes focused on change and improvement. Gathering evidence of people’s outcomes is now a common-place requirement. However, measuring and gathering change outcomes in ways that are meaningful can be challenging. There is a growing recognition that people’s stories can be more powerful in learning-focussed evaluation. Most Significant Change is a storytelling approach to gathering and exploring change outcomes that was developed in the context of public health and community development (Davies and Dart 2005). It has been used successfully in a broad range of situations with individuals and communities to capture the impact of a change in their lives – from their perspective and in a way that enables their views to be heard and explored further in dialogue with relevant stakeholders.

What this event will cover

Led by Nick Andrews, research and practice development officer at the Developing Evidence-Enriched Practice (DEEP) project, this online workshop will introduce you to the essentials of Most Significant Change technique. It will outline the principles and practice of gathering MSC stories and exploring and learning from them in MSC story selection panels, with a range of examples that enable you to determine how you might integrate MSC in your own practice.

Who would benefit from this event?

Anyone with an interest in how to measure outcomes in a way that puts people and their stories at the heart of this process. MSC will be of particular relevance if you’re interested in evaluation, for instance in relation to a service, training course or programme focused on change or improvement.

This event is free to anyone and organised by ThemPra Social Pedagogy in partnership with the Global Alliance for Social Pedagogy and Social Education and the Social Pedagogy Professional Association. If you’re interested in learning more about social pedagogy, then check out the free resources on our website, join one of our experiential online courses, watch our webinar series or take part in one of our other learning events.

Sign up for our courses now and save!

Happy New Year! To continue to support your social pedagogy journey in 2024, we’re delighted to share with you a few upcoming events over the coming months. With all our online courses, we’ve decided to delay our fee increase – sadly inevitable given the high inflation levels over the past few years. You can register by the end of January to pay just the current rate.

Developing Relationship-Centred Practice

New online cohort starts 26 January 6 x 3-hr sessions – £300 (until 31 January)

There’s still time to join our online course for anyone in social care, social work, education and other settings where relationships matter. We’ll introduce you to many of the key concepts in social pedagogy to explore how you can centre your practice around meaningful authentic relationships and ensure your values are at the heart of your work. Find out more and register now via this link.

Making Co-Production Meaningful

New online cohort starts 25 February 5 x 3-hr sessions – £250 (until 31 January)

Co-production has become a popular term, yet it can be challenging to make it a meaningful process for everyone involved. Designed for anyone working in public service, such as social workers, educators, health professionals, community workers, managers, and leaders, our course will introduce you to the key principles of social pedagogy and Human Learning Systems to help you to co-create change together with the people you support. Interested? Then click here to find out more and register.

Relational Leadership

New online cohort starts 24 April 9 x 3-hr sessions – £450 (until 31 January)

Whether you’re planning to progress your career in 2024 or already an experienced leader, our Relational Leadership course could be just what you need. It’s one of the first courses to draw on Human Learning Systems, exploring how HLS can enable purpose-driven leadership in complex environments across organisations and local systems. Learn how you can be an authentic leader who inspires curiosity, connection and creativity. You can find all relevant details about the course here.

As a social enterprise, we will also continue to run free learning events open to anyone, in particular our new monthly opportunity to join Learning Out Loud.

Interested in cultivating your learning mindset within a supportive group? Then join us any second Friday of the month from 1pm-1.50pm (UK times). In Learning Out Loud we use both narrative and structured methods to reflect on a recent learning experience. Participants in our first session were amazed by how effective and appreciative it was to learn out loud with like-minded people. Join us for free by clicking here.

Learning Out Loud

Are you ready to LOL?!?

Calling all social pedagogy enthusiasts! Are you ready to take your learning to the next level? Join us in Learning Out Loud, a vibrant virtual community where we cultivate our learning mindsets, share insights, and connect with like-minded individuals.

Unleash Your Learning Potential

In Learning Out Loud, we harness the power of reflection and shared experiences to transform your learning journey. Bring your recent learning experiences, whether from your practice, readings, podcasts, or webinars, and examine them more deeply within our supportive community.

Share, Explore and Grow Together

In our busy day-to-day practice, it’s easy to undervalue some of the little things we do that make a difference. Yet, often the learning from these experiences can be so valuable. In Learning Out Loud, you can share them with others to gain new perspectives, uncover hidden connections and enrich your understanding. Explore how others’ learning resonates with your own, opening up doors to deeper insights and enhanced practices.

Embark on a Collaborative Learning Journey

Learning Out Loud is more than just a learning space; it’s about being part of a community of like-minded people. We believe learning is critical in any profession, so you’re welcome to join whatever your job role or remit is, and you’re welcome to join for just one or as many sessions as you’d like. We hope you’ll love the opportunity to connect with others, share ideas, and forge meaningful connections that will inspire and motivate you throughout your learning journey.

Learning Out Loud sessions will take place via Zoom on the second Friday of each month at 1.00pm – 1.50pm (UK time). To join, please register below for our next session and discover the power of a shared learning experience!

Learning Out Loud: Where Social Pedagogy Learning Flourishes

Relational Leadership – new dates for our experiential online course

How Social Pedagogy and Human Learning Systems can enable you to be an effective relational leader

This course is for you if ...

Whether you’re an experienced leader or are hoping to take on greater responsibility, our Relational Leadership course could be just what you need. It’s one of the first courses to draw on Human Learning Systems, exploring how HLS can enable purpose-driven leadership in complex environments across organisations and local systems. With a strong emphasis on learning transfer and peer learning, the course enables you to connect your learning straight to your unique practice context and critically reflect within an inspiring peer group on how your leadership can have the greatest positive impact.

Relational leadership is important because it:

  • Strengthens team morale by empowering and valuing employees.
  • Develops teamwork by fostering cooperation and collaboration among people.
  • Achieves positive change by aligning people with a clear and ethical purpose.
  • Enhances learning by embracing complexity and diversity.
  • Builds trust by creating authentic and empathetic relationships.

Our next cohort starts in spring 2024

Session 1: 24 Apr, 2024 – 9.30-12.30
Session 2: 25 Apr, 2024 – 9.30-12.30
Session 3: 15 May, 2024 – 9.30-12.30
Session 4: 16 May, 2024 – 9.30-12.30
Session 5: 5 Jun, 2024 – 9.30-12.30
Session 6: 6 Jun, 2024 – 9.30-12.30
Session 7: 3 Jul, 2024 – 9.30-12.30
Session 8: 4 Sep, 2024 – 9.30-12.30
Session 9: 25 Sep, 2024 – 9.30-12.30

 

Find out more here or click the button to enquire about joining our next cohort.

Further questions?

Please get in touch with us via email if you would like to know more about this course or any of our other learning activities.

SPPA endorses our Social Pedagogy Practice learning programme

We’re excited to share that the Social Pedagogy Professional Association has formally endorsed our new Social Pedagogy Practice learning programme. Combining our online course on Developing Relationship-Centred Practice and our MOOC on Social Pedagogy across Europe with team development training and ongoing peer learning, the new learning programme is designed to embed social pedagogy within frontline practice and throughout organisations. It is aligned with the SPPA Social Pedagogy Charter and Standards, meaning that graduates will gain the title of Social Pedagogy Practitioner.

We have developed the Social Pedagogy Practice learning programme with the National House Project, a brilliant charity that provides support and expertise to local authorities across the UK to set up and manage Local House Projects so that young people leave care in a planned and supported way. This learning programme will create a recognisable bespoke CPD programme for house project staff that is carefully integrated into their practice to ensure that all learning is genuinely relevant and directly benefits the care experienced young people they support. The programme will deepen learners’ understanding of how social pedagogy can provide a shared ethical purpose, unleash their creative potential and further strengthen the amazing practice across house projects.

By combining a range of learning elements that offer many different complementary learning experiences – both online and face-to-face, both individually and in groups, both house project specific and across various practice contexts – the learning programme aims to create enjoyable, meaningful and rewarding learning experiences that help people grow not just as practitioners but as human beings.

We’ll share more insights about the learning programme as this unfolds and are happy to explore opportunities to develop a similar approach with other organisations. Just contact us at dialogue@thempra.org.uk for a conversation.