Lauren and Ruth attended the KESS 2 awards event in Cardiff, where CEIT was presented with an award for being shortlisted for the business sustainability award. CEIT partners with CEBEI to provide Masters and Doctorate scholarships with KESS 2.
The partnership with CEBEI and KESS have provided opportunities for continuing development and evaluation of interventions to promote children’s wellbeing. CEIT has the goal of improving outcomes for children across Wales and achieves these goals by selling training, resources and consultation in using evidence based programmes.
These studies undertaken by CEIT work to promote the social, emotional and academic development of children primarily targeting the needs of children living in poverty and at risk of poor outcomes with a focus on early intervention in the pre-school and early school years. Early onset behavioural problems are frequently associated with patterns of parenting behaviour. Unresolved these problems predict major challenges during the teenage years, and longer term mental health, unemployment and criminality. These problems are particularly likely to occur within families living with social disadvantage.
PhD and Masters students have evaluated early book sharing programmes to promote children’s language and communication skills that are often deficient in children with high challenge aggressive behaviour. Several PhD students have evaluated aspects of group based parenting programmes, including with foster carers, targeting children with significant behavioural problems and identified the essential programme components and other essential fidelity components. A number of students have evaluated a school based anti-bullying programme for which CEIT now holds the UK dissemination rights.
The broader CEIT goals of promoting the social and emotional development of children have meant that there are a range of beneficiaries. Staff from the public sectors of health, education and social care and from NGOs have received skills training in evidence based interventions to promote children’s welfare. Results of studies with parents and children have shown significant benefits in terms of improved positive use of parenting strategies and young children’s behaviour and social skills. The evidence suggests that their chance to live fulfilling lives and contribute positively to Welsh society have been enhanced. The school based antibullying training and provision of resources for school staff has upskilled a range of school staff and shown significant reductions in victimisation and bullying perpetration benefitting both staff and pupils again improving the likelihood of children having fulfilling lives.
During the awards there was an opportunity to meet with the Minister for Economics and talk to him about the work undertaken by CEBEI and CEIT.
