2012 Incredible Award Winners

This year the following were awarded:

Incredible Team Member

Margiad Williams, Research Project Support Officer, CEBEI, Bangor University.

Nominated by Dilys Williams, Administrator, CEBEI.

Margiad has worked with the University CEBEI team since her undergraduate days when she came on a GoWales summer placement. Since then she has worked on our newsletter, undertaken a survey of group leaders, completed a Masters Degree researching a new scoring system for the Schedule of Growing Skills and fulfilled an incredible array of roles around the Centre. She has worked on research projects, undertaken administrative work and co-authored a number of our publications.

Incredible Educator Team

Huw Davies, Deborah Lloyd, Ceri Long and Amanda Brown, Neath Port Talbot

Education Development and Inclusion Service.

Nominated by Professor Judy Hutchings, Director, CEBEI.

Building on a successful NBAR grant application, Huw, Deborah, Amanda and Ceri have pioneered the introduction of the IY Teacher Classroom Management programme in Neath Port Talbot. They have trained and resourced thirty staff from eighteen schools and supported a whole school TCM strategy in eight schools, with eight more schools coming on board during the last summer term. They have also trained sixteen staff from eight schools to deliver Small Group Dina with six groups run to date and a further three running currently.They are also assisting a special school in planning its parenting group and have established parenting groups in another two primary schools. Not content with introducing the teacher and child curricula, the team are now building links with local Flying Start and Looked After Children’s services and partnering with a number of agencies to deliver the BASIC and School Readiness Parent programmes in a variety of settings.They are a beacon for other Authorities across South Wales and are sharing their experience by co-ordinating peer support for services across South Wales that are using the TCM and Dina programmes.

Incredible Parent Group Leader

Deborah Roberts, Specialist Health Visitor/Behavioural Practitioner, BCUHB

Nominated by Liz Phenna-Williams, Colleague

Deborah has co-led 38 groups across Conwy (BASIC, Advanced, Toddler and School Age) and is a brilliant role model for the rest of us! She has worked with local CAMHS using IY for parents of children with ASD, and has carried out six month and two year follow-up of parents after completion of IY and has published an article about this that is available on the website. On a personal level,

Deborah has been very supportive both intellectually and emotionally over the last seven years, and a great peer support in this work.

Incredible Parents

Nikki Piggott, Parent

Nominated by Dr Sue Evans, Consultant Child Psychologist, Powys THB.

Nikki Piggott is an ‘Incredible Parent’. Nikki first attended an IY parent group in 2005 and hasn’t looked back. She has three children, two with identified individual needs, and has, with her husband, used the IY principles enthusiastically and effectively. She describes eloquently how she and her husband have been able to make and maintain very positive changes for their family. Nikki has attended two further IY groups, the most recent being the School Age programme in Autumn 2011. Her aim was to refresh her skills and look at how the principles could be applied with her growing children.

Nikki appeared on the TV programme “Living with Alex” to talk about her experience of the IY programmes in supporting her son. She was also filmed for the Powys promotional video about Incredible Years partnership working, talking about her experiences. A case study about Nikki’s family also featured in the Powys One Plan.

Kay Smith, Tutor/Public Procurement Specialist

Nominated by Dr Helen Healy, Clinical Psychologist, BCUHB

Kay was an active participant in an IY programme which I ran last year for the Specialist Children’s Service.

Her contributions and shared experiences were very much valued and appreciated by other group members and by the facilitators. Kay kindly attended another group that I have run for our service and, in her capacity as a carer/service user, has provided very useful information to parents about the benefits of attending IY groups. She has also written very eloquent pieces for other support forums about implementing strategies she has learned with IY. Kay is an excellent ambassador for this intervention and her enthusiasm and commitment reflects this.

Incredible Family Support Team

Sue Hobbs, Family Support Officer and Mel Davies, Family Support Assistant

Nominated by Yvonne Hayes, Multi-Agency Parenting Co-ordinator, Torfaen CBC.

Sue and Mel have been dedicated in delivering a rolling programme and have given incredible support to dads in particular. They have run a group every term since being trained in 2010. They have been flexible in the venues chosen to accommodate the needs of the group. They are caring and understanding while giving full fidelity to the course and its materials. Whatever the size of the group they treat everyone as an individual and personalise the programme accordingly. A truly dedicated pair, who have a good rapport with each other and with the groups they run. They are always willing to take support and attend all of the termly Facilitator Forums that are held in Torfaen by myself.