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Frequently asked questions
The Solutions Toolkit is the first comprehensive model designed specifically for the youth work sector. It provides a principle-based approach that can be easily adapted to individual personalities and organizational structures. Unlike traditional training, which often involves an intense two-day information dump, The Solutions Toolkit uses an "absorb and practice" model. This method allows you to learn and apply skills gradually. With lifetime membership, the Toolkit stays with you even if you change jobs.
Despite evidence suggesting that outcomes for young people improve with a working model, such a model was previously nonexistent in youth work. 'The Solutions Toolkit' was developed to fill this gap. It was initially designed around a number of varied therapeutic roles that demanded a flexible approach, one that could not be loyal to any particular working model. The result is a flexible, universally applicable framework that supports youth workers in their roles, regardless of their previous training, experience, or the regime they operate under.
Traditional training often involves various forms, which are discussed within the course. Absorb and Practice is a new way of learning skills. First, you absorb information or an idea by watching a session. Then, you practice this idea in your work environment. Finally, you return to the next session with insights on how it went and whether any adjustments are needed. The Absorb and Practice model has four stages, which I call MAP OUT:
Meet: Watch the session as a group
Absorb: Discuss and internalize the idea
Practice: Apply the idea in your work environment
OUT: Evaluate and enjoy the new outcomes
The Solutions Toolkit uses an "absorb and practice" model, which involves short, focused sessions that are practiced before moving on to the next. These sessions can be integrated into regular team meetings. This approach is highly effective, and presenting the course live would not provide the same value.
The main benefits are as follows:
Consistency - The 'Toolkit' provides a roadmap for youth workers that is consistent within the team.
Better Outcomes - The data suggests that a working model is responsible for 15% of any positive outcome.
Personalization - The toolkit is personal and adaptable; it will travel well to other working environments.
Universal - It standardizes working practice on an individual level while being flexible enough to encompass previous training and experience.
Security & Safety - It offers a consistent approach when dealing with young people, resulting in a feeling of security and safe boundaries.
Through my own experience in a long and varied career, I discovered an uncomfortable truth :
Most traditional training does not seamlessly transfer into a youth work environment.
Most training of this kind is delivered live over one or two days, after which the information is often difficult to apply in a real-world setting. The Solutions Toolkit is delivered online and offers lifetime membership. The Absorb and Practice model allows sessions to be rewatched or repeated, and new team members can receive the same training as their peers. Developed from the best change techniques, it is adaptable, allowing you to adopt, adapt, or abandon the lessons or ideas as needed. Additionally, there are no added costs for moving staff around, hosting in expensive rooms, or travel, making it budget-friendly.
A.C.M.E. is an acronym that explains the structure of the training:
A: The three A’s—Adopt, Adapt, or Abandon, which allow you the freedom to build your toolkit.
C: The three circles of youth work—You, Your Clients, and Your Tools.
M: The three M’s—Mobility, Membership, and Money. These represent the barriers overcome by this training model, such as the inconvenience of moving people to training venues, allowing lifetime access and material updates, and offering an economical way of working.
E: The three E’s—Everyone, Everywhere, Every time. This reflects the belief that everyone should have access to this model.
Together, this acronym provides a clear overview of the benefits of The Solutions Toolkit.
The Three C's represent the three circles of the training: You, Your Client, Your Toolkit.
Each represents a separate part of the whole.
Circle one represents 'You' as the individual role or profession. This circle includes the BIG Four and the Separate Six, elements that make residential youth work unique.
Circle two, 'Your Clients,' encompasses the 8 laws of client interaction, a set of assumptions designed to underpin all other tools. The first two laws are considered almost immutable.
Circle three involves the tools themselves, an ever-evolving set of dynamic techniques referred to as the tools.
This framework emphasizes the interconnectedness of the worker, their client, and the tools at their disposal, ensuring that interventions are personalized and effective, fostering a holistic approach to support.
These elements address the common obstacles to making training and resources universally accessible: The Three M's stand for Mobility, Membership, and Money.
Mobility ensures training is delivered online to keep staff in place.
Membership guarantees ongoing access to training for all team members, both old and new.
Money highlights the cost savings achieved through the efficient use of resources.
Michael has overcome these obstacles by offering a unique form of delivery.
The Three E's stand for Everything, Everyone, Everywhere. This principle underscores the toolkit's goal of universal applicability and accessibility, ensuring that every team member can access the training and resources they need, regardless of their location or the timing of their employment.
This approach promotes inclusivity and comprehensive support coverage.
The philosophy of the toolkit is to recognize the young person as the expert in their own world, allowing workers to become 'curious inquisitors' who enable young people to find their own solutions.
This approach is mirrored in the training itself, acknowledging that youth workers are the experts in their jobs and working environments. By applying this concept at both levels, we foster the idea that individuals hold the keys to their own change.
This empowers youth workers to, in turn, empower their client group. Teaching teams to view young people as experts in their own experiences, the toolkit promotes a collaborative and empowering approach.
This philosophy encourages innovation, flexibility, and partnership between workers and youth, ensuring interventions are person-centered and effective.
The course was designed to be absorbed rather than simply learned. Each short video and discussion session can be completed as a team after a meeting. Each session can be completed in around 30 minutes, but the real experience comes in the following week or two through real-life practice.
After this, each session can begin with a quick roundup of successes from the previous session. I strongly encourage a slower approach to absorbing experiences rather than binge-watching.
Michael has spoken about his own perspective on the three tiers of education:
Academic - This involves long-term study leading to a specific qualification, such as a degree or a vocational certification in fields like plumbing or social work.
Generic - This refers to studying specific models or methods, for example, Solution Focused Brief Therapy.
Secular - This category includes courses that provide general insights into behaviors or patterns, such as understanding behaviors of children who exhibit abusive tendencies etc.
The Solutions Toolkit does not fit neatly into any of these categories because it does not offer formal qualifications, does not adhere to a single methodological model, and does not generalize or diagnose specific groups or problems.
Instead, it provides a training program that complements and supports these educational tiers, making it applicable and useful to individuals at any level of professional development.
The program requires no homework or study beyond practical application or personal choice.
Your full membership is indefinite, granting you access to the latest additions, so there is little need to cancel. However, if you change industries, you can cancel your membership. Should your circumstances change in the future, please inform us by email, and we will reinstate your membership to the same email address.