'FASD Informed' Residential Team (Stage 4 Programme)

For those supporting children and young people with complex presentations of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure, Fluctuating Capacity, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and overlapping Complex Needs. This course provides essential FASD safeguarding training to support complex needs of children with neurodevelopmental trauma irreparable brain damage Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) & co-morbid conditions.

This course is designed for professionals working in Residential Schools / Homes:  

Registered Manager, Care Staff, Youth Mentors, Support Staff, Key Workers, Teachers, Teaching Assistants, SENCO's, Therapists, Forest School Leaders, Specialist Support staff, Mentors, Care Assistants, Medical Professionals, Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Teachers of the Deaf or Vision Specialists, Dedicated Specialist Teachers, Administration & Reception, Dinner Staff, Care Staff, Volunteers, Technical Support, and Direct Student Support.

Residential homes provide vital support for individuals with complex needs, among these neuro-developmental trauma caused by prenatal alcohol exposure which presents unique challenges for both residents and staff. Alcohol’s impact is not simply a short-term problem; it can fundamentally alter the structure and function of the brain, leading to a cascade of vulnerabilities that persist across the lifespan. Understanding these mechanisms is key for residential home staff to provide effective, empathetic care.

Children and young people affected by prenatal alcohol exposure often show developmental divergence from their peers. This means their learning, social skills, and independence may significantly lag behind age expectations, sometimes by several years; this is called a 'spiky neurodevelopmental profile'.

For example, a 16-year-old with FASD may have the social understanding or emotional regulation expected of a much younger child' in many the same vulnerabilities of a toddler. This mismatch can lead to safeguarding risks, frustration, isolation, or misunderstanding in group settings—especially if staff and peers are unaware of the underlying cause.

Learning challenges are not simply a matter of “trying harder”. The brain differences caused by alcohol exposure require different, tailored approaches. Staff should focus on building on strengths, providing clear routines, and using visual supports or step-by-step instructions to facilitate learning and participation.

Our 'FASD Informed' Residential Team Stage 4 programme provides online live bespoke bitesize sessions tailored to the child, young person or adult that your staff support. We did deep into their existing needs and consider a way forwards to support and scaffold anticipated emerging needs.

We adapt around your rota, where you can dip in to the full programme at your own pace:

• FASD Informed™ Residential Team Stage 1: What is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder?….. supporting the latest research, all professionals start on the same page. We consider the damage of the brain and nervous system; how this impacts communication, processing of information and essential care needs.

  
  

• We maintain a commitment to evidence-based approaches, where we aim to support professionals to avoid making assumptions and instead provide thoughtful, person-centred support that adapts to the unique needs of each individual.

We tailor all of our our programmes around the individual and organisation where we aim to:

• Identify how alcohol is Neuro-Developmental Trauma 

• The impact of alcohol on the brain and its vulnerabilities

• Show how alcohol has a direct impact to safeguarding through assumptions made in processing speed and functioning

• Examine how the alcohol informs the spectrum of need and some of its 428 co-occurring conditions including Autism, ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Tourette’s etc

• Review developmental milestones in the womb; explain the lifelong impact

• Recognise the brain functions and how FASD impacts development

• Examine the developmental divergence of peers in development

• FASD Informed™ Residential Team Stage 2: Interpreting theory into practice, processing speed, transitions, sexualised symptoms, hyper-fixation, perseverance, confabulation, fluctuating capacity, differentiating personalised plans, providing strategies to consider to support the spectrum; digging deeper into the practical considerations with case study reflection.

• FASD Informed™ Residential Team Stage 3: Supporting forward planning and anticipated divergence of needs, digging deep into 'switching' techniques, looking outside the box to meet emerging needs, planning well ahead for developmental stage appropriate transitions.

• FASD Informed™ Residential Team Stage 4: FASD NICE Quality Standards, OFSTED good practice informing 'FASD Responsive' Practice; personalised care, fluctuating and environmental capacity, risk assessment, safeguarding, reflection and case management; involving a wider multi-disciplinary team.

'FASD-informed practice' acknowledges the need to see beyond an individual’s presenting behaviours, to consider symptoms and to ask.....

‘What does this person need?’

 rather than

‘What is wrong with this person?’

We dig deep to tune into the child/ren or young person that you support where we tailor our programme around the child or young persons individual needs. We offer practical application of therapeutic strategies to support the indoor and outdoor environment where we tune into the brain injury and central nervous system damage of children who have been exposed to alcohol in the womb.

FASD continues to be a frequently misunderstood condition, those who are not appropriately trained or knowledgeable can often make inaccurate 'assumptions' due to the fact that many individuals with FASD can superficially present as more able than they actually are, due to their spiky cognitive and neurodevelopmental profiles.

With up to 428 co-occurring neurodevelopmental conditions common to FASD, spanning across 18 of 22 chapters of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) -10. The most prevalent disease conditions include congenital malformations, deformities, and chromosomal abnormalities, mental and 'behavioural' disorders..... we consider the 'symptoms' and look for a positives ways to interpret and scaffold needs.

All participants will receive 'FASD Informed' certification, resources and membership of our network of 'FASD Responsive' Professionals.

We tailor our online bespoke 'FASD-Informed' sessions around the needs of the child, young person or adult that you support; every session is unique because we consider carefully your organisation and how you support personalised care.

'Personalised training at its very best.... the course was completely tailored around the young person that we support where there was a full review of all assessments and an informal conversation with parents.

Fabulous! We learnt so much and really feel that we know so much more about the young person we support where we see things completely through the lense of FASD. We will definitely 'tune in' to prenatal alcohol exposure with every child we support in the future.

Sincerely I say this, where it has been a gamechanger for my team. Thank you.'

Registered Manager, Residential Home, Wiltshire

'FASD Informed' (TM) Education delivered by a strong experienced qualified team, tailoring a bespoke service to support your team in becoming FASD Responsive(TM)

To book a placeholder diary date please email us: info@fasdinformed.co.uk

We can stay with you after the course where we also offer a 1:1 consultation service and attendance of meetings for stuck or complex cases requiring out of the box thinking to consider the spectrum of needs and to look towards finding a way forwards.

Section 181 of the Health and Care Act 2022 (the 2022 Act) introduces a requirement into the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the 2008 Act) and regulation 18 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 (the 2014 Regulations) that, from 1 July 2022, service providers registered with CQC must ensure their staff receive training appropriate to their role. The NICE Quality Standards for FASD & SIGN 156 echo this requirement in stating that all professionals that support those with FASD should be trained.

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Image with kindest permission of our FASD Friend @Charlie Mackesy