Bookbug for the Home training

This course is for practitioners and volunteers working in the community to support individual families. The training will enable them to enhance their family support work with songs, rhymes and stories. Bookbug for the Home is a flexible approach that can be used to support mums, dads and carers with sharing songs, rhymes and stories with their children (0-5 years old), particularly where they face barriers to participation due to their personal circumstances. The course provides all of the theoretical and practical knowledge, and resources they will need to deliver Bookbug activities while working one to one with a family, either in a family’s home or digitally. This course is aimed at practitioners and volunteers who do not have a lot of experience with sharing songs, rhymes and stories.

Our interactive training is a balance of practical exercises and researched-based theory about book sharing, music and child development.

Although delegates will participate in songs and rhymes in the group, delegates will not be asked to sing on their own.

Please note that this training course is not for those who wish to run Bookbug Sessions with groups of families. If you are interested in delivering Bookbug Sessions, please see our page on Bookbug Session Leader Training(this will open in a new window). If you are already a trained Bookbug Session Leader, we may not be able to offer you a place on this training course as our funding is limited and we may need to prioritise those who have received no previous training with Bookbug.

Course details

Course objectives

The course will offer a range of learning opportunities for delegates to:

• Build their understanding of the importance of songs, rhymes and stories for both children and families
• Learn and practise songs and rhymes, and consider how to build these activities into their current practice to encourage families to sing and rhyme
• Explore a range of picture books and practise reading aloud
• Signpost families to Bookbug Sessions and online resources

Format & length

5 hours & 30 minutes, comprised of

• 2 x 2 hour live interactive online sessions, a week apart. Attendance is required at both to complete Bookbug for the Home training.
• 1 hour 30 minutes of independent learning tasks (30 minutes of work before the first live session, 1 hour of work after the first live session.)

Cost

Funded at no cost for participants

How to apply for Bookbug for the Home training

Due to high demand, spaces on our public Bookbug for the Home training is awarded through an application process.

Who can apply?

Applicants must:

• Be affiliated with an organisation, either as a member of staff or a volunteer, which will support the applicant’s use of Bookbug for the Home
• Be planning to use the Bookbug for the Home approach to with families with children (0-5 years old), not just to children by themselves.
• Be over 16
• Be a member of the PVG scheme(this will open in a new window)

This training course is aimed at family support workers, early years workers, social workers and social work assistants, members of health visiting teams, speech and language therapists, prison visitor centre staff and other family outreach workers, as well as volunteers who work in such capacities.

What are we looking for in your application?

Your application will be judged on:

• The eligibility criteria listed above
• Indication of need: In order to ensure that our funded places have the greatest impact, we want to know why the place is needed and who your will engage with Bookbug for the Home. For instance, how are you targeting families who are most in need of support with songs, rhymes and book sharing?
• Your commitment to start using Bookbug for the Home within 2 months of being trained
• Your local authority area: We aim to make sure that Bookbug for the Home reaches as wide a range of people as possible and are spread throughout every local authority in Scotland.
• Number of applications from one organisation: if we get multiple applications from one organisation/location, we may need to limit the number of spaces offered to that organisation on our public courses, or if you have a large number of eligible applicants, you can make a request for the course to be delivered in-house to members of your organisation (see below).

Open for Applications

The online application form must be completed in one attempt so it is strongly recommended that the applicant prepares answers to all the questions before attempting to complete the online application form. You can download a copy of the questions below.

This application should be completed by the prospective delegate. If you awarded a place on a training course, this is not transferable to another member of staff - it is for the named person only.

Upcoming application periods in 2021-22

Round 2: For training courses taking place in November & December 2021 (exact dates to be confirmed)

Training dates:

• Monday 8 November 2021, 10am - 12pm & Monday 15 November 2021, 10am - 12pm
• Monday 8 November 2021, 2pm - 4pm & Monday 15 November 2021, 2pm - 4pm
• Friday 26 November 2021, 10am - 12pm & Friday 3 December 2021, 10am - 12pm
• Thursday 9 December 2021, 10am - 12pm & Thursday 16 December 2021, 10am - 12pm

We are open for applications from until 9am, Monday 20 September 2021.

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Round 3: For training courses taking place in January & February 2022 (exact dates to be confirmed)

Open for applications at 10am, Monday 1 November 2021 until 9am, Monday 15 November 2021.

Past Training Round 1: For training courses taking place in September & October 2021

Training dates:

• Wednesday 15 September 2021, 2pm - 4pm & Wednesday 22 September 2021, 2pm - 4pm
• Monday 27 September 2021, 10am - 12pm & Monday, 04 October 2021, 10am - 12pm
• Thursday 30 September 2021, 10am - 12pm & Thursday 7 October 2021, 10am - 12pm
• Thursday 30 September 2021, 2pm - 4pm & Thursday 7 October 2021, 2pm - 4pm
• Tuesday 19 October 2021, 10am - 12pm & Tuesday 26 October 2021, 10am - 12pm

We are now closed for applications for the above dates. If you have submitted an application, you should have been contacted.

Accessing the online training session

Technical requirements

To attend this session you will need -

• A computer, laptop or tablet that has a camera and microphone, as you will need to be seen and heard to participate. If you have the option, a laptop or computer is better. Please note a mobile phone is not suitable due to the format of the training.
• To be able to access Zoom.(this will open in a new window) Before the session starts, please check if your organisation allows access to Zoom using work devices. If it does not, we suggest that you use a personal device if appropriate. Please see our Zoom use and security policy(this will open in a new window) for more information.
• A stable internet connection. If you wi-fi is unstable, you might want to consider plugging your computer directly into your router.
• A quiet space in which to participate in the session. If one of your colleagues is also participating in the session, please make sure you are in separate rooms as your microphones will cause a disruptive feedback loop when both turned on.

What to expect at an online training session

For our online training course, you need to have a device that connects to the internet with working audio, camera and microphone. The trainer and other delegates will be able to see you and speak with you directly and you will be able to directly participate. All attendees must be registered individually on the training course and participate on their on their own individual device. The number of people attending is limited to a maximum of 8 people.

Request an inhouse Bookbug for the Home training course

If you have between 6 and 8 eligible delegates, you can request a fully funded inhouse Bookbug for the Home training course for your organisation. We have a limited number of courses we can offer so we cannot guarantee your request will be successful. Training requests are reviewed in the last week of every month, and we will be in contact soon after to let you know about the outcome of your request.

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More training and information

Sign up for our regular Working with Bookbug(this will open in a new window) newsletter to be notified when the next round of applications are open, or view the rest of our Bookbug training courses(this will open in a new window).(this will open in a new window)

If you have any questions or you need additional support with the application process, please contact the Bookbug team at bookbugtraining@scottishbooktrust.com(this will open in a new window) or 0131 524 0179.