President’s Village staff follow training |15 April 2013

The training in progress

The training is being conducted by Frank Underwood, a trainer in child/adolescent residential care.

Mr Underwood, a Seychellois by origin but who has been living and working in France for many years now, was the director of an institution which looks after about 85 youngsters from 13 to 18 years old from July 1994 to September 2011. He is also a trainer in the training centre for social workers and a member of the jury for the State Diploma in France.

Mr Underwood is accompanied by his French wife Chantal, a social worker of many years, who is also a co-facilitator of the workshop.

The training workshop, which is part of the continuous staff professional development, will help the staff of the President’s Village gain wider knowledge on residential care, and a better insight of the children’s individual care plan and well-being.

At the end of the training workshop, the staff are expected to be better equipped on how to take care of children in their care and to be more conscious of standards and procedures.

The training workshop, which started last Wednesday, is also being followed by representatives of the social services and the Attorney General’s office – partners and facilitators.

The Sisters-in-charge of the Children’s Homes being run by the Roman Catholic diocese are also attending the workshop.

The launch of the training workshop, which took place at the President’s Village, was attended by the chief executive of the Seychelles Children’s Foundation Noella Gontier and other senior staff of the foundation.