Welcome!

Congratulations! You have taken an important step in building your knowledge and improving your practice based on this element of your personal and professional development. This official Cache Endorsed Learning Programme is designed to complement the invaluable work that you already do, so that you are better equipped to understand the science of early brain development and the impact of continued toxic stress on the brain, consequent behaviour and ultimately, life trajectory. The case studies, questions for reflection and quizzes will help you to make the connection between the science and daily practice.

Prevention is key and your role is integral in enabling better outcomes for children and their families on a daily basis, be this in your role as an early years practitioner, police officer, health visitor or youth worker – this Programme can boost your life-enhancing role.

Accountability

I appreciate that all too often, life can get in the way and thwart our plans. Concurrent deadlines, conflicting priorities and the need to hit that ‘pause button’ can result in individual targets being missed. It will therefore be important for you to devise your personal plan of action as soon as you enrol on this Programme, to ensure your success. This can include:

keeping a notebook in which you write down your days/evenings of study time
deciding how many hours you can realistically dedicate per sitting
knowing whether you will do your wider reading in these sittings or on separate days, to break it up a bit
you will also need to continually reflect< throughout this Programme, to make the links between what you learn and how you can make this applicable in your daily practice. Will you keep a separate diary for this? Your choice – but you need to stick to it!

Entry Requirements

There are no specific entry requirements for this Programme. Your professional expertise will provide a sufficient platform from which to study. You do need to be ready to commit your time and complete all four Modules.

Duration

You can proceed as quickly or slowly as you like, but it is recommended that this Programme is completed in an eight-week timescale.

Programme structure and content across the four modules

It is recommended that all Modules are completed to help you build a holistic picture of the neuroscience informing early brain development and your role in nurturing children’s wellbeing and learning. One of the key messages of this Programme is the importance of your role in early intervention – ensuring that parents at risk of struggling with their young children are supported sensitively and swiftly, so that all babies and children are given the best possible start in life. It is about making the most of those daily interactions with parents and their children, and ensuring that you know the ‘danger signs’ and how to respond to these, to best nurture wellbeing and development.

How to navigate the online course environment

The Programme is designed simply to help you find your way quickly and without unnecessary fuss. The four icons at the top of the screen are all you need to navigate your way through the Programme.

How to answer the ‘reflect on this’ questions

The PDFs are not editable. To answer each question, open a Word document. On this, write the Module number, Lesson number and the question numbers. Then start typing your answers. Save your completed document and email it to Mine at mine@mineconkbayir.co.uk. Feedback will be emailed to you, via the Cache feedback documentation.

How your understanding and work will be assessed

In recognition of your demanding schedules, there is no formal assessment attached to the four Modules. Instead, each Module is assessed through a range of questions for reflection, case studies and short quizzes which are in multiple-choice format. These are designed to build your understanding of the concepts presented and how they can be applied to your specific work with children and their families. While some of the answers can be found in the accompanying text, Early Childhood and Neuroscience: Theory, Research and Implications for Practice, it is recommended that you undertake wider reading around the topics presented, to build your knowledge from a variety of sources. You will find a comprehensive list of resources in the Resources section of this website.

Accreditation

The content of this Programme has been independently certified as conforming to universally accepted Continuous Professional Development (CPD) guidelines.

Certification

On successful completion of this Programme you will be awarded a CACHE Endorsed certificate containing the Programme title, completion date and the learning objectives met. This will be sent to you once you have returned the completed course Workbook.

Who to contact for ongoing support during this Programme

For support with your questions about the four Modules, you can contact Mine Conkbayir at mine@mineconkbayir.co.uk. If you still require support with aspects of the Programme which cannot be otherwise resolved, please visit the Cache website: https://www.cache.org.uk/

Working at Body & Soul, a childhood adversity charity, we see many people who have experienced significant trauma in their early lives. Mine’s research is crucial for understanding the effects of trauma and toxic stress on the brain, and sharing what can be done to transform these effects so that children and adults alike can thrive regardless of their past experiences. Great talk Mine!

Seminar Feedback, Body & Soul Charity, London

Inspirational talk and excellent research from Mine. Mine was an excellent, clear speaker, she spoke with very little crutch words which made her a great talker and clear to understand throughout the talk. I learnt tremendous amounts of information and I will become a much better person from this talk. I have a lot of respect for you. There should be more people like you. You are my new role model!

Seminar Feedback

Wow! Yesterday was amazing and so inspirational x Mine you really know how to light the room with your enthusiasm x All of my team including myself came away feeling empowered and confident to make changes which will have such a positive impact. I really can’t thank you enough. Looking forward to our next meeting!

Jayne Windsor, Manager of Clare House Nursery, Somerset.

Thank you so much for your training on achieving trauma-informed practice. It was incredible, thought provoking, reflective and practice changing.
ALL childcare practitioners/parents – anyone in the wonderful position to be in contact with children NEED to be aware of Dr Mine Conkbayir, her insight and utter brilliance.

Training Attendee

Hello Mine. You gave a talk once at LJMU for Education studies and Early Years students. Ever since, I have been hooked on your work which has inspired me and I would like to thank you.

Seminar Feedback, Student at Liverpool John Moores University

One of the best speakers! Immediate, knowledgeable, determined and fun!!!

Seminar Feedback, LDN Talks | Inside the Brain of a Child

A FABULOUS addition to my bookshelf. Thanks for writing this book Mine. I’ve recommended it to all my students (who are scrambling to buy a copy). A long overdue look at childhood from an evidence-based neuroscience perspective, no pseudoscience, no hype, AND an enjoyable read. You’re my new hero!

Book Review: Sarah McKay, Neuroscientist, TEDx speaker, science communicator and Founder of The Neuroscience Academy

A very engaging and informative presentation. Can’t wait to buy Mine’s book and have a good read of the theory and evidence, to relate it to my own practices. Highly recommend!

Excellent! Listening to Mine made me realise that more people need to be informed about the neurological development of children and the power that love and nurture have!