“Very informative combining theory and practice. Brilliant training. Good knowledge and thought provoking.”

“…was very inclusive and created a safe space for all delegates. [The trainer] was also very open, honest and transparent which I feel added to the delivery. I feel I learnt a lot from the 4 days of the training and very grateful for the knowledge that has been shared.”

“Amazing training. Delivered very well. The activities were enjoyable and helpful. Good balance of activities and context.”

“Excellent delivery, easy to understand, applying theory to practice, igniting curiosity”

“Thank you so much for a wonderful 2 days of training. It has been the most enjoyable, informative and thought-provoking training I have been on to date”

“I found the course very interesting and really informative/helpful.  Thank you for taking the time to deliver this, as it will be of great use in practice.  Would highly recommend to others”

“Very good training. Essential for all practitioners working with hard to engage families.  Good theoretical models shared, which are useful and relevant in practice”

“Very professionally delivered. Clear explanation of theories and links to practice.  Very child focused. Critical thinking was encouraged. Training was interesting throughout and the trainer was very knowledgeable and experienced.  Trainer was very respectful and thoughtful of the needs of trainees. I am encouraged and inspired to revisit studying Psychology”

“Keep bringing him back. He’s FAB.  Honestly one of the best lectures all year.  Very well explained and presented in a very useful way.  BRILLIANT”

“Very useful, informative, and relevant. Fantastic delivery”

“You took a complex subject and made it easy to understand”

“This was a really great lecture….the material was relevant and the delivery was spot on”

“Very engaging and interesting.  EXCELLENT”

“Inspirational, enlightening, thought-provoking, reflective – LOVED IT!  Thank you”

“Andi’s energy, enthusiasm, knowledge, and skills has been contagious.  This training has been outstanding – one to be remembered!”

“Just brilliant!  Thank you.  I have learned so much and every bit of it was relevant, useful, interesting, but most of all – CHILD FOCUSED!! Thank you Andi”

“The best training I have been on since joining the Local Authority”

“Andi – thanks so much for an amazing course.  You are truly inspirational and your training has been invaluable.  My perspective is re-energised and my approach adapted!”

“The course was brilliant! Andi is very knowledgeable and shares his experiences in such an easy to understand way. I have learnt ‘loads’ and have already put it into practice.  The delivery is excellent!  Given me time to reflect and feel safe…would love more training!”

“Amazing. It has left me feeling excited about my practice and empowered. Andi was engaging and made it easy to apply theory to cases”

“Super engaging. Great teaching, made to feel comfortable. Learnt more about formulation in 2 hours than in the whole course.”

“Andi was very engaging and made sense of theory, bringing it to life with real life examples.  The way in which formulation was discussed has made me feel more confident about the assignment.  It was thoroughly enjoyable.  The practice element was important and useful.”

“Extremely useful and informative.  Engaging and interesting.  Really useful to do the group formulation and gain understanding of youth offenders.  Honestly amazing!!! So well delivered as well.”

“I really enjoyed the group formulation aspect of the session.  Formulation has been presented on the MSc a number of times and today’s approach has been the most accessible for me.  Definitely feeling less threatened by the assignment and passionate about practice.  Thank you.”

“Slides ‘on point’ – appreciated the recent stats and research.  Linked well into what we’ve learned in other lectures.  Delivery engaging, creative, funny, knows how to adapt to set a productive mood/work setting.  Consistent, and provided a comprehensive overall plan of the lecture – AND followed it.”

“This 2-day trauma training has been incredible.  I will take so much away with me and as I currently write this I am completely speechless by its impact.  Complete respect for Andi and Jen – they are incredible.  Such an eye opener, so making me more determined and confident than ever about our role and impact on young peoples’ lives. Ready to challenge the world!”

“Though the content of this course was hard hitting for myself, why are not all frontline services trauma informed?  Being trauma informed can result in staff changing and saving lives.  I will take the training away and hopefully it will make me a better person”

“An excellent, thought provoking course, delivered in a style that helped me to think about cases that come through to YEH more carefully, and how we can improve practice. Acknowledge the journey young people may have gone through in life and how the service needs to shift to support them. Case formulation and group exercise helped to embed learning further.”

“Andi, I cannot put into words how FANTASTIC the actual training was, and the way you delivered it in such a professional manner!  Thank you so very much!”

“The best training I have ever been on”

“Refreshing, high quality training. Thank you for such a fabulous and interesting training day. Loved it!!!”

“Brilliant training! Will be putting all we have learnt into practice. A fab day! Thank you”

“A fantastic day! Thank you!  A really useful course, which has given me lots of ideas to use in my practice, in particular with regards to assessments”

“WOW – brilliant presentation!!! I have learnt so much about today and will it both professionally and personally. 1^st class coaching!”

“Fantastic presentation.  I have learnt so much from this training, and will continue to use this in my work”

“Very engaging and the day flew by!  I learnt a lot of new information and hope to put it into practice.  Many thanks”

“It was captivating, safe space, Andi kept everyone engaged, and provided good theory, research, evidence and evaluation”

“Fantastic training, extremely engaging and relevant.”

“The best training I have ever attended in 19 years of working in this field”

“What can I say – WOW!  This course has been fantastic.  Andi is an excellent trainer; I love his delivery style.  Very charismatic, I was involved from day 1 right through to the end of day 2.  Hope our paths cross again in the future”

“Absolutely brilliant.  3 days of relevant, interesting information. Kept my attention throughout.  Highly recommend this training to others, and will do!  Thank you so much.  Before I open the door to meet with my young people I will think first in a totally different way”

“Excellent training delivered in a very engaging style.  Thought provoking and informative.  Andi delivered the intense material in a positive way and achieved the right balance of humour and information sharing”

“An absolutely incredibly valuable experience!  Incredible training and delivery style that was thought provoking on every level – organizationally, personally, and professionally.  I will certainly be taking all I have learned into practice in my new job. Thank you Andi.”

“Excellent, well delivered training.  Thanks.  Allowed time for reflection and space to rethink how we work with some of our young people.”

“Excellent day.  Very informative, challenged my views! This is the first time I have completed a full day of training and not felt exhausted.  Very uplifting trainer.”

“Andi and Darren are incredible trainers.  The enthusiasm and knowledge they have is phenomenal.  They empower, inspire, and motivate you to be the best that you can be.  They model the model fantastically.  I am leaving training feeling confident, armed with a new toolkit. Thank you!”

“Two of the very best trainers around.  A wonderful learning environment created, and excellent techniques and ways of working explained in an easily accessible manner”

“I want to feedback about your use of roleplay and session activities. I really felt the style that you presented this with was fantastic.  I left on the first day feeling confident and ‘safe’ in practicing these approaches and being observed.  I have very rarely left a training course feeling so positive about my practice, and developing my future practice.  Thank you”

“In 16 years the very best training course ever!!! AWESOME.  I really enjoyed every element, and loved the teaching style of Darren and Andi. Thank you”

“Some of the best training I have ever attended. The trainers were amazing and I felt I learned a lot about myself and my practice!!!”

“As many of us will reflect, we have thoroughly enjoyed the training. Very welcoming, delivered well, wonderful resources, great presenters!  Thank you so much, it really has been a fantastic course, with much learnt.”

“Really informative and transferable learning which I was able to start using/practising from the first session”

“Really helpful training which I will not only use for my own practice but will also try to teach colleagues in multi-agency settings (social workers, schools, placement staff).  My brain has been nourished with ideas to help make lives of young people better!  Thanks Andi!”

“Really useful training – essential!”

“This has been a truly interactive and insightful training package – one of the best that I have attended throughout my years in youth justice and social care.  I have found it especially useful to apply the knowledge in a practical capacity and personally also!  Some of the information should be incorporated into pre-natal/ante-natal courses to enable parents to have a greater understanding.”

“Fantastic training – you have left me feeling very invigorated and that the ‘shackles’ have been released!  Thank you for changing the lives of our young people”

“What a fantastic experience.  Both of you as facilitators were completely in tune with the room, employing reflection in action.  I know that this has been a great experience for the team. Thank you so much”

“The most informative and thought-provoking training I have ever attended. Thank you”

“Really enjoyed the opportunity to take the time to reflect in a ‘safe’ environment. Andi and Jeni – you bought the training to life!”

“This has been the best training that I have received since working with Addaction.  The knowledge of the trainer was exceptional and this has helped change the way I think about my life and the clients I work with. Thank you, Andi”

“Andi is an incredibly motivated and animated facilitator.  His enthusiasm is infectious.  The training has felt essential and I only wish everyone in our team could attend and benefit from such an informed trainer.  I would happily attend any other training provided by Andi”

“This training has by far been the most useful training that I have ever had and I will continue to use this in my practice”

“The best training I have attended in a long time.”

“Probably the best training I have had, not only in terms of the relevance to my role, but also the way in which it made practical, real-world suggestions on how to apply this theory to my practice.”

“Brilliant, energized and inspiring presenter, and a fantastic day that has been extremely useful.  I feel as if I have really gained something positive today.”

“Exemplary training, certainly an eye opener building on my knowledge and making me look at things differently.  Big personal thanks to Andi for delivering this well-informed training so well.”

“Thank you so much Andi – you need to be training ALL trainers!  Engaging, thought provoking and thoroughly enjoyable.  I will be telling everyone about it. I leave with a sense of hopefulness that services across the Borough will engage with children and young people in a more meaningful way.”

“Wonderful training.  Delivered in an interesting and inclusive way.  Considerate of people’s potential anxieties and knowledge.  Made everyone feel comfortable which produced an excellent training environment.”

“Fabulous facilitator, full of enthusiasm and knowledge. Very engaging and fun – a breath of fresh air.  YIPEEE – a very positive change to practice!”

“Great approach for analysis and working with young people that offend.  Need to embed this into paperwork reports.  Knowledgeable facilitator”

“Really enjoyed the training.  Insightful, thought-provoking and genuinely useful to apply in practice”

“Really insightful, made me reflect on my practice and think how I will be applying this in the future”.

“Engaging training that provided me with yet more imaginative information for my youth panel work (plus other voluntary work)”

“Good mix of styles; very clear slides; ‘in the moment’ responses to attendees; humour; staying with difficulties; use of theory and practical examples.  Thank you”

“Helpful and thoughtful discussion to enable the development of panel report and contracts.”

“This training course has changed the way that my team and I work for the better and we are already reaping results just after two weeks”

“The training was an absolute breath of fresh air. It was very positive to see how staff are already implementing aspects of the training. Thank you, thank you, thank you…”

“Very exciting and informative training”

“This training is very necessary and relevant to our work and needs to be delivered to all stakeholders, partners and professionals that are connected in this area of practice”

“really useful training, realistic to everyday practice”

“Very informative and made it exciting”

“Very insightful extremely engaging speaker, thank you”

“Thank you for a very informative, positive, motivating and practice focussed learning opportunity”

“Such and inspirational trainer, I learnt and thought about so much…and enjoyed it”

“Great trainer, knowledgeable and passionate”

“This ranks at the top of all training that I have received in a very long career”

“I just wanted to send a quick email to thank you for today’s training”

“The training was fantastic from start to finish”.

“This was some of the best training I have ever experienced in Camden”

“One of the best training sessions ever”

“Will definitely inform my practice”

“Very inspirational and kept the young person at the centre, not focussed on offending in isolation”

“Outstanding training, really impressed”

“Excellent training, accessible, interesting and applicable”

“This was the best training I have done for years”

“Superb training with lots of food for thought for practice”

“This should be core training. I don’t know how we can do this job without these tools”

“I think this training should be given to all caseworkers”

“By far the most productive training I have attended in the last three years”

“The day was spot on and I was delighted my managers were here to engage with the training and improved practice”

“I just want to take this opportunity to thank you both for the Motivational Interviewing training with the Team in recent weeks and for the Case Formulation discussion. Unanimously positive feedback from practitioners on their training. It was very well received.”

“Thank you once again for your support, the staff thoroughly enjoyed the [desistance} training and the material has clearly had an impact – we’ve had some healthy discussions already about how ARC can improve future service delivery in light of the learning.”

“As always your training was fantastic and I am walking away having learnt something”

“Thank you for your experience shared so enthusiastically and eloquently”

“I just wanted to say that both the case formulation as well as the motivational interviewing have really positively impacted on my work. It has made me see things with far greater depth and so much more understanding. Somehow you have been able to simplify and organise valuable theories and understanding in a way that made so much sense and without losing depth – which is difficult to do!”

“Just to say I have continued to have great feedback from Tuesday (Desistance Theory and The Good Lives Model Coaching Support) – several people have said it was the best training they have had for many years!

I really do get a sense of the morale of the whole service having been lifted – which is more than I could have hoped for.”

Desistance Theory and The Good Lives Model

“Excellent training and trainer. The things that I have learnt will be used in practice. My learning style was considered and overall great training. Thank you.”

“Great training that made me think about my practice from PSR through to intervention completion. I will definitely be making changes to my day-to-day working.”

“Training was relevant and informative. Andi’s presentation is lively and kept the training flowing.”

Psychological Intervention Skills

“Really enjoyed this course. Very interesting and informative. Delivered well and good content. Will look forward to using what I have learnt today and understand behaviours with the people I work with.”

“Very useful in terms of identifying a system to support processes to put interventions in place.”

“Giving us the theories to underpin assessments and interventions. Not ‘death by PowerPoint’, which is good given the amount of theory covered. Enjoyable as always.”

Desistance Theory and the Good Lives Model

“I felt that the training was very engaging and kept my attention throughout. It has allowed me insight and further knowledge in an area of ASSET Plus that I felt I was lacking in knowledge and what I was meant to be aiming for. I also felt that resources were insightful.”

“A really understanding and informative day with really helpful links to theory to practice practical ideas for effective interventions.”

“Really engaging training with good mix of practical resources that are useful for ongoing work with young people. Thought provoking in relation to approach, sequencing and exit planning.”

Desistance Theory and The Good Lives Model

“This training was excellent. Andi was well informed, humorous, really positive throughout. Infectious about the subject in hand. Thank you Andi”

“Loved the enthusiasm. Really engaging. Most productive training I have had in years”

“I don’t say this lightly and I don’t tick excellent as a matter of course in feedback sheets but this has been the most useful and well delivered training I have had in years. I admire your training skills, passion and value base. I have lots to take away and think this has been great for team development. A very balanced view of ASSET Plus for a team that is still getting to grips with the assessment”

Risk Assessment, Analysis and Management

“Fascinating and insightful course on risk assessment. Thought provoking and full of ready to use tools and techniques to enable staff to feel confident in their approach to risk management of our client group. Really enjoyed it”

“Really enjoyed the two days. Very engaging and informative and allowed us to put theory into practice. Useful tools, templates and ideas to take away to consider using. Thank you”

“Very useful, interesting and thought provoking. Plenty of ideas, resources and information to take back and use in the workplace. Excellent delivery style as usual. Thank you very much”

Leadership and Management Skills

“Really lovely facilitation styles which encouraged participation from the whole group. I love the materials and they are of high quality and will definitely be used again. I hope we can enjoy further training from you in future. Thank you”

“This is the second training event I have experienced with WrightLink and they never fail to deliver a perfect training event. Superb!”

“Very enjoyable and excellent delivery. Learnt lots. Feel excited for Monday to implement some of the tools. Feel positive and empowered”

“I hate training days more often than not but this was fantastic. I feel very positive now about the future. Many thanks”

“Brilliant training. Really engaging delivery. Inspirational. Makes me want to improve my practice and challenge the systems I work within”

“Very enthusiastic and knowledgeable trainer. Well-paced. Did not get bored or overwhelmed by slides and PowerPoint. Comfortable learning environment. Very beneficial training and have learned a lot”

“Excellent training. Will be useful for managers to go on this training to look at more therapeutic ways of practice rather than being process-driven. It made me reflect on my practice and motivate me to use my creativity more. We would like Andi back for more training. We would like to do more on narrative therapy”

“This has been the best training I have attended for a very long time. Very knowledgeable trainer. Clearly passionate about this way of working. I feel excited to consider how we can adopt these methods to our front line practice and other forums. Such a positive solution-focused method of working. Thanks for a great day”
“This was as good a training as I have ever attended during my years in YOS. Content was excellent. Trainer superb whose passion and enthusiasm shone through”

• “Excellent training. Will be useful for managers to go on this training to look at more therapeutic ways of practice rather than being process-driven. It made me reflect on my practice and motivate me to use my creativity more. We would like Andi back for more training. We would like to do more on narrative therapy”
• “This has been the best training I have attended for a very long time. Very knowledgeable trainer. Clearly passionate about this way of working. I feel excited to consider how we can adopt these methods to our front line practice and other forums. Such a positive solution-focused method of working. Thanks for a great day”
• “This was as good a training as I have ever attended during my years in YOS. Content was excellent. Trainer superb whose passion and enthusiasm shone through”

“Brilliant. One of the best training sessions in a long time”

“Excellent delivery of the contents and very knowledgeable tutor. Learnt a lot about desistance theory”

“Brilliant training – a definite plus rather than the drudge I expected”

• “Brilliant. One of the best training sessions in a long time”
• “Excellent delivery of the contents and very knowledgeable tutor. Learnt a lot about desistance theory”
• “Brilliant training – a definite plus rather than the drudge I expected”

• “Excellent training and delivery. Very detailed and informative. Felt inspired and energized by the end of the day! Thank you very much and I look forward to working with you again”
• “Brilliant training. Explained clearly in an accessible manner. Theories linked to practice and very relevant to work. Practical examples given and opportunities to put learning into practice”
• “This was a refreshing course and geared towards good and ethical practice. It was realistic and achievable. I would highly recommend for both managers and practitioners”

“Excellent training and delivery. Very detailed and informative. Felt inspired and energised by the end of the day! Thank you very much and I look forward to working with you again”

“Brilliant training. Explained clearly in an accessible manner. Theories linked to practice and very relevant to work. Practical examples given and opportunities to put learning into practice”

“This was a refreshing course and geared towards good and ethical practice. It was realistic and achievable. I would highly recommend for both managers and practitioners”

“Absolutely brilliant. A training course where I learned loads from the facilitator and group and validated my own ideologies. Very good mix of discussions, activities and reflection. Different learning styles were catered for and participants/me felt able to share experiences and look at how the service currently works and what we could do differently in the future. Really enjoyed it. Will definitely recommend. Thank you Andi”

“Andi had an excellent delivery/style. Very engaging. Also has a very good knowledge of the subject and was able to adapt the content to the various staff members on the course”

“Absolutely fantastic training style. A great welcome to the morning. Well explained. Kept a good pace throughout the day. Thanks Andi. It has been a real pleasure to have been trained by you. I hope our paths meet again”

“Wrightlink Ltd provided a professional service from the outset, the move to ASEET Plus has not been easy, and the change in language, processes and theory has challenged some staff and managers alike. On recommendation from another YOS, we commissioned Darren and Andi to facilitate the “Desistance Theory and The Good Lives Model Coaching Support”. From the onset of meeting Darren and Andi, I knew this training would be something different. Staff came away from the training enthused and positively speaking of the ideas and breadth of knowledge Andi shared with the team. They still quote comments from Andi now when we are trying to unpick issues with ASSET Plus processes. We will definitely be using them for training again.”

” Lincolnshire Youth Offending Service have recently commissioned Desistance Training from WrightLink Ltd. Andi’s style of delivery, passion and extensive knowledge of this subject meant that staff were both engaged and enthused in the principles of Desistance Theory from the beginning of the day . The individual feedback gathered at the of the course evidenced that the staff group had really enjoyed the training. The staff group described feeling excited about how they could apply this knowledge to develop service delivery and further embed desistance theory and its principals into work with children and young people. Overall the staff at Lincolnshire YOS felt that Desistance Theory provided a strengths based, solution focused method of working to improve outcomes both for children and young people and those victim’s and communities affected by their behaviours.  Thank you Andi for an inspiring and interesting training course.“

Forensic Case Formulation

“Brilliant! Mind blowing! Really useful for my role and understanding the need to sequence RJ interventions and at what level/type of work to do with the young person.  The challenge will also be in matching the realistic outcomes of the young person with those harmed by the young person.”

“Invaluable training that clearly reflects the importance of focusing on the wider historical picture to truly provide smart interventions for positive success.  Thank you.”

“Supportive and clear training.  Training acknowledged service/personal challenges but encouraged the team to develop analysis skills and feel confident when formulating.”

Team Building Event

“A fabulous day. Andi is an amazing facilitator. What a refreshing change! Would love to attend more training facilitated by Andi. Kept me gripped. Excellent”

“The Transactional Analysis stuff blew my mind and I really want to know more about it. It has also made me want to think more about how I work with and respond to colleagues and young people”

“Thank you Andi, a really useful day packed with energy and enthusiasm”

Working with Young People who Engage in Sexually Harmful Behaviour

“Course was really useful. Clear, intelligently presented. I felt like the trainers have a wealth of knowledge. The course has given me confidence to work with Harmful Sexual Behaviour cases at my YOT. I enjoyed the informal style. A brilliant 2 days. You were both fantastic and managed the group and we learnt well. I feel better equipped to work with very complex cases”

“Relevant, informative training. Useful for this area of work. First time that I have received this training in relation to the nature of behaviour. Experience of both facilitators’ very evident and very confident approach and delivery style. Thank you”

“Really useful for analysis in ASSET Plus and intervention planning. Engaging, fun and open. Not easy on such a ‘heavy’ topic. Excellent, especially the things we can take away and use in practice. You managed to fit in so much into 2 days but importantly we came away with a tool and model to use in practice. Also, shows practitioners that they can work with HSB as they would other offences and they already have the skills to do so. Hope to work with you again”

“The knowledge of the trainer was sound and response to queries and questions well informed. Very good training with opportunity to reflect on practice.”
“Absolute fantastic facilitator who could change our system. The best training I have ever attended. Thank you very much”
“You’re crazy, but your madness is your beauty and skill. Don’t change; just keep helping us to change”

• “Very good training to encourage staff to think about young people and their assessments in a different way. This will promote their ability to understand Asset Plus”
• “Really useful day. Theories in morning gave a good basis to explore individual factors on which to consider Good Lives Model. It was useful to look at an Asset Plus plan, to consider how we can build and develop upon strengths”
• “An excellent facilitator who makes the day enjoyable but gets the aim of the training over in a positive manner. Learnt a lot and found it very useful. Used a variety of techniques to ensure appeal to all learner needs; this included group work, presentations, discussions and visual aids. Excellent. Thank you”

Hampshire Youth Crime Prevention have just completed a 2 day training programme with Wrightlink Training. Both Andi and Darren were a delight to work with. The training was superb, it was relevant and exactly what had been requested. The whole team of practitioners and managers found the 2 days of coaching invaluable and feel confident in using their knowledge to improve and inform their practice going forward. Both Andi and Darren were available and willing to create the required package, their manner and professionalism was reassuring throughout and it felt like the service was provided with a level of warmth rarely experienced. Thank you both very much.

• “The training was, as always, exceptional. It never fails to be pitched at the right level and engage in effective and useful discussion. We look forward to seeing you again soon”
• “Found the day really informative. Had no knowledge of desistance theory prior to training and feel I’ve had a very good introduction and explanation of how to apply it to YOT work”
• “Really enjoyed the training, as well as previous risk training. The course was informative, a good balance of theory and its use in practice. Style of presentation excellent and kept me engaged throughout”
• “Excellent training, liked the balance of theory and case study and the passion of the facilitator as well as the extensive knowledge. This will definitely change my practice. Thank you”

Windsor & Maidenhead YOT have recently completed the two day Psychological Interventions Skills training and one day Desistance training through Wrightlink Ltd. We were recommended the training by our neighbouring YOTs and it certainly didn’t disappoint!

The training was pitched at the appropriate level for all those involved. I cannot praise the facilitators enough; they had a wealth of experience and made it relevant to practitioners on all levels. Andi and his team were engaging, knowledgeable and personable in their delivery style. Feedback received from staff was exceptionally positive and the team came away feeling enthused and invigorated after the three days.

Both Andi and Darren were highly efficient in ensuring that the training ran smoothly from start to finish and even provided additional supporting materials at the request of staff. I would certainly recommend Wrightlink to other YOTs and would not hesitate to use them again in the future.

• “One of the best training courses I’ve been on. Relevant and refreshing. Well delivered. Made the course enjoyable”
• “The training was really useful. Pace was just right and enabled some ‘head space’. Enabled reflective learning to think about structuring/structure to conversation with young people”
• “Colour of handouts was really easy to read. Style was calm and positive. Maintained my interest for 2 days”

I just wanted to let you know how delighted we were with the training provided by the WrightLink Ltd to Sheffield Youth Justice Service in July (2013) this year. Due to a major service restructure and the fact we had not received any Customer Services training as a team before, it was felt the right time to approach WrightLink Ltd to see if they could tailor make some training for us.

Your service from start to finish was exemplary and on a professional, knowledgeable, yet friendly level that far exceeded all other customer services training we have ever attended. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble to you both and we were made to feel that we are an extraordinary team. This training really does need rolling out across the country now and are proud to be the first ones who attended this.

The team really enjoyed the training day and we did get so much out of it. The delivery was pitched perfectly and it was clear you both have such a broad depth of knowledge relevant to our needs. The content was relevant and it has certainly improved our practice. As a result of our training, we have put together a risk assessment form which we are now implementing and the team now feel able to complete risk assessments on whole families competently and much more easily!

The team is really buzzing about the [Assessment, Planning Interventions and Supervision] training. I can’t think of a better event I have been on in 17 years working for Probation and YOT.

Team members commented that Wrightlink APIS Coaching were the best sessions they had received. Andi and his team provided imaginative challenging sessions where case managers were empowered to learn and reflect in an informal environment. The team was left with motivation, drive and self belief to put into practice what they had learnt which has clearly enhanced their engagement with young people and improved the quality and planning of their assessments and interventions. Andi’s genuine passion about what he does and his determination to ensure better practice throughout the work of youth justice is clearly demonstrated in his planning, communication and the delivery of his sessions.

Several of the Case Work Team attended the two day CBT training with Andi. We would thoroughly recommend this training to anyone working with people in all settings. The personable trainers developed a supportive and nurturing environment in which we could learn. The balance of theory and techniques was expertly explored and usefully demonstrated; with the chance for us to practice these techniques under their guidance.

The exercises carried out and techniques explored were all very useful in identifying and understanding the person behind the presenting behaviour and can easily be adapted for us working the secure environment. The ethos of the training helped us reflect and re focus on working with young people and their feelings, rather than becoming overwhelmed with the day-to-day chaos which is often presented to us as workers or being focused solely on the offence that has been committed.

The Team have now embraced the ‘Hot Cross Bun’ formulation plan for new allocations, supervision and de briefs etc which has proved to be very useful in identifying the salient feelings/beliefs etc of the young person and for the worker to have a better understanding of the antecedents to an event, for example. With new cases, as a manager, I can ensure that the case worker skills are best matched to manage the young person’s issues and in doing so, we have seen already stress levels of the team reduce and in turn workers being able to focus on person-centred intervention plans.

The comments regarding the quality of the training delivered have been very positive from the staff group. Brilliant, informative, invaluable, fantastic, for example. The staff who attended felt energised and inspired and that the components of the training, together with the style of delivery, enabled them to absorb the learning quickly. Following the training being delivered, we have seen a service-wide overall improvement in the quality of analytical assessments undertaken. The methods used facilitate easier quality assurance from a managerial position…it was beneficial to have management and front line staff both attending the training.

All staff members, at whatever level, with a wide variety of experience of working in the field felt that the trainer and the support materials provided were excellent. It is a testament to the trainer that unlike other APIS training events, this one has led to demonstrable change in a short space of time.

The services provided by Andi were above and beyond any expectation. From the point of consultation of what the YOT required right through to the evaluation of the service, Andi’s approach was clear, concise and met the needs of the service. The training was insightful and has clearly produced assessments of a much higher standard. The communication was without fail one of the biggest strengths of Andi and Darren, who ensured training materials and information were provided swiftly whilst also ensuring that at every point, the delivery of the service was what was expected by us, as the consumer.

We would highly recommend the services WrightLink Ltd offer.

The APIS Coaching delivered by Andi was of the highest quality, from the pre-course correspondence through to the training materials used on the course, each aspect was excellent. We were impressed by the attention to detail and the changes that were introduced to make the course bespoke to our YOT….it developed staff who are already high functioning at the same time as developing staff who have struggled with these concepts in the past.

One practitioner who has been in the YOT for three years said “The lights have just gone on. I understand it now”. We have noticed a marked change and improvement in the quality of assessments, in particular the confidence of practitioners to analyse the behaviour of young people. The intervention, risk and vulnerability management planning processes have also benefited from this coaching. This coaching has had the biggest single impact of any single training event that the YOT has undertaken and has been wholly positive…Andi’s enthusiasm mixed with a sound practical and theoretical experience makes for an engaging and dynamic mix.

Andi managed to keep the attention of practitioners over the two days partly by the force of his own personality and the quality of the training delivered. He welcomed questions and comment from the participants and this added to the shared learning. We would strongly recommend this package to YOTs around the country; it has improved the quality of the assessments, provided additional confidence to practitioners in analysing the behaviour, actions and motivations of young people and enhanced the whole order case management process.

Quality of support received: To hear staff say, “This is the best training I’ve had” and “I wish I had had this when I started working in a YOS”, pretty much sums it up. Value of support received: In terms of monetary value definitely value for money. This is not just an off the shelf package, but was tailored to the needs of the service. In terms of value for staff development, all staff left the coaching feeling their practice had been enhanced as a result of attending it, with a summary of staff feedback and distance travelled with their learning provided to YOS as well as comprehensive support materials.

Characteristics of service delivery: Ensured all staff participated and engaged, and made staff feel their contributions were valued. Andi used humour and people skills to keep staff focused and involved and did not lecture them. Andi did not just parachute into the service, deliver the coaching and then say goodbye, but came with a good understanding of what the needs of the service were and ensured he was always available for advice and support pre and post coaching.

This course enabled the team to gain the foundations in understanding APIS (ONSET) and the skills in which to undertake holistic assessments and implement a thread through to the delivery of intervention. The coaching has thus enabled my team to develop their skills and implement this into their practice. Throughout the whole process I, as manager of this team, found Andi to be extremely professional, from the initial arranging of the training through to receiving feedback forms.

Andi presents as very enthusiastic and proficient; he is charismatic and as such, has the natural ability to engage his audience. The team as a whole found Andi’s delivery engaging…this, in part, was due to Andi’s presentation style and his ability to connect with the audience. The quality of materials provided to the team was excellent.

The presentation slides were broken down in a way that enabled the team to understand the thread through the APIS (ONSET) model. In addition, the slides provided an awareness of the theoretical basis of APIS. The value of the training far exceeded my expectations as the manager.

APIS was a new concept for the team in terms of their delivery of work and thus, through this training, they gained greater understanding and awareness of its principles. The service focuses on prevention and as such, the value in understanding the need to address key areas of behaviour is fundamental as the service is also voluntary. The team members need to address key areas of young people’s behaviour in order to reduce risks however, as this is based on voluntary agreement, it is fundamental for workers to ascertain the greatest areas of risk at the outset. The APIS training has enabled the workers to develop this skill, which ultimately impacts upon enhancing young people’s wellbeing and, reducing risk to the public and of recidivism. In relation to the quality of the presentation, Andi was clear, concise and thorough throughout his delivery. The team members in feeding back advised their understanding of APIS had much improved and commented that the training was some of the best they had undertaken.

Andi is a highly respected trainer and is clearly knowledgeable within the APIS/Youth Justice arena and I would recommend his service to other teams. The coaching as a whole was very enjoyable and cost effective.

I wanted to thank you both for such a superb day, you are both fantastic trainers and your enthusiasm and dedication is infectious. You work so well together and read your students, which enables you to get the most out of the day for the delegates and as hosts. I have never come away from training feeling so energised and with skills that can be developed to help me at work to become effective and enjoyable. It was like someone had slapped me around the face with some of your strategies and left me thinking, why had I not looked for best choices to problems at work before, why had I continued to do the same to get the same results!!

I went home that night and downloaded Introducing Emotional Intelligence by David Walton and I am trying to find the time to get to the part regarding exercises to learn practical skills, of course the only problem with this media is the impact is lost because I don’t have a Darren or Andi bringing to life in front of my eyes problems and solutions. Thank you once again for a wonderful day.

In 2011, Andi delivered a 2 day APIS coaching package to Sheffield Youth Offending Service’s case managers from the Prevention and Post-Court teams. Planning and delivering training on this scale can be an extremely daunting and a complex proposition. However, Andi’s full involvement ensured that everything ran without a hitch. His impressive array of experience and up to date knowledge ensured that everybody, without exception, engaged from the outset. Despite imposing an intensive and challenging schedule of work, Andi was able to maintain levels of motivation and interest throughout, not least because of his charismatic yet no nonsense delivery style.

The feedback received from all staff has been unprecedented in terms of its positivity. The service also now has a wealth of high quality APIS training materials that can be used for refresher training with existing staff or as part of an improved induction offer for those new to the service.

I would just like you to know how amazed I was at how you handled the work you did for us, your professionalism was second to none and Darren your patience was gratefully received. I would have no hesitation recommending you to other professionals and look forward to working with you again in the near future.

Andi recently delivered two days of assessment, planning interventions and supervision training to a team of case workers and managers, focusing on learning outcomes from our recent HMIP Inspection report. As a management team, we felt that Andi responded to the remit that we gave him in an effective and creative way, delivering a bespoke training package that was targeted perfectly at the specific needs of the service. It can be challenging to provide fresh, alternative ways of looking at assessment, planning interventions and supervision, particularly with an experienced workforce, but this provided a valuable opportunity for practitioners to hone existing skills, reflect on working practice and identify personal areas of development. The feedback from all of the practitioners involved in this training was resoundingly positive. They responded well to the energetic, dynamic style of the trainer and appreciated the use of guidance and tools that can be actively used in their day to day work. We have already seen evidence of these being utilised across the team. Andi’s insight and knowledge of the subject matter was excellent, as was his ability to actively engage all participants.

Highly professional all communication with myself prior to the delivery of the package was informative, inclusive and took fully on board the unique needs of the staff group. All staff rated the quality of delivery of the programme very highly and were particularly impressed with Andi’s enthusiastic and engaging approach…all staff who attended found the programme valuable and said that it would definitely improve their practice. Staff commented very positively on Andi’s enthusiastic and engaging approach. They found this stimulating and enabling and were fully engaged during the whole event. They are very keen to work with Andi in the future to deliver other programmes. As the commissioner of the training, I found Andi to be highly reliable in delivering exactly what was promised, I never had to chase him for anything, he kept me informed at all stages. All materials were delivered well in advance to allow for adequate preparation time and feedback was informative and promptly delivered. I would have no hesitation in recommending Andi to other Services for delivery of the Wrightlink APIS coaching programme and any other training. We have enjoyed working with Andi and my team cannot praise him highly enough.

The training was of a very high quality and, without exception, the team responded very positively to the training and have already started to adopt their learning into their assessments. Andi displayed a very fine regard to both the fundamentals and the nuances of youth offending work and this clear understanding ensured that he was listened to by the team and that his training had an immediate impact on practice. Andi’s training has provided the focus required and also helped the workers feel more professional about their role and how they engage with young people. There was a huge amount of enthusiasm from Andi throughout the two days which was very infectious and any reluctance the workers may have had to having their working practices challenged was quickly dispelled. Andi also has a huge amount of experience and knowledge about youth offending and so his credentials for delivering this training were quickly established. He was able to engage the groups in a variety of different formats individual attention, small group work, more formal presentations. His memory for names is excellent which is so important in being able to involve individuals in the training process. His preparation was extremely thorough and he demonstrated to me prior to the training that he was completely on top of his brief. His materials were of high quality and his ability to mix up the training to ensure maximum involvement of the participants showed an excellent understanding of group dynamics and individual psychology.

The quality of the training delivered was very good/very valuable and the whole team have benefitted from the course. All the handouts were effective and practical…the trainer was engaging and interactive in his approach – it met everyone’s level. The content was such that all areas of potential confusion around rating (i.e. LoR, ROSH) and offence analysis were addressed and clarified.

Our enthusiasm for the training is revealed in our wish to ensure all staff have benefited from it and our intention, if at all possible, is to continue commissioning Wrightlink…vivacious, engaging, encouraging of participation, challenging when needed and conveying a belief of ability amongst those attending that positive change could be achieved in response to the key messages of the training. The quality was reflected in the personality of the trainer which made the day feel safe for delegates so enabling participation; the clarity of the slides and of the handouts used; the pace at which the training was taken; the design of the day with plenty of opportunity to reflect in response to structured exercises; the knowledge and experience of youth justice the trainer had. The value was reflected in the portability of the training the ease with which the key messages may be translated into practice; a clear understanding of the meaning of diversity and how the concept applies to practice with each individual known to YOS; the value base that emanates from the concept of diversity which could be fully grasped; the challenge that each practitioner and manager could make to their own practice; the culture in the service will have been made more sensitive to the individual characteristics and needs of children/young people and their families/carers.

The work Andi did regarding risk was invaluable, and led us to reviewing our whole practice around risk assessment and risk management. We now have much more defensible and robust practice. High quality work which was professional throughout, clear, timely and purposeful. Andi was courteous and helpfully honest in where we could improve.

Andi is well organised, demonstrates good presentation skills and is knowledgeable regarding the performance improvement agenda. He is personable in his approach to the work and established good working relationships with Surrey Youth Justice Service in his role as a Senior Performance Advisor for the YJB. Andi has good communication and listening skills; he has an ability to disseminate information as evidenced by his contribution to our staff conference (December 2009), which highlighted key findings from Core Case Inspections and generated practice debate. His presentation was well received by youth justice practitioners and pitched at exactly the right level.

Having worked with Andi in his role as Senior Performance Advisor for the YJB, I have found him to be enthusiastic and skillful at helping drive performance improvement in a supportive, collaborative and intelligent way, with clear understanding and experience of issues across both youth justice and community safety.

The quality of the training was excellent…tailored exactly to the needs of the service. The value is evident…not only do practitioners record differently they acknowledge that the training also makes them think differently about what they do and how they do it. The training days have also provided a model of peer support and challenge that didn’t previously exist within the organisation. Individuals now also feel happier and more confident to discuss their work and that of their colleagues. Andi’s wealth of knowledge and understanding of the issues provided answers to many questions and gained the respect of a potentially challenging group of individuals…I would not hesitate to use or recommend the services of WrightLink. Andi helped provide the motivation and enthusiasm for a workforce who were feeling battered and bruised, who were disengaging from their work and resistant to change. They returned to the service enthused and invigorated, eager to learn more and improve further.

Feedback indicated that the training was of a high quality and fully matched their expectations…the training has gone a long way to meeting the requirements we set in relation to aspects of our post inspection improvement plan. This training is seen as an important aspect of Medway’s team development post reorganisation in order for it to deliver its services effectively…the trainer presented in a lively and energetic manner, fully engaging the delegates in all activities. We would definitely use WrightLink again.

The quality of service in terms of direct delivery and support has always been first class, pitched at the right level and in a manner that can be clearly understood…very good attention to detail, and a very good critical friend to our service. Andi’s input into the development of the Medway YOT Management Board has been a critical success factor in its rejuvenation and successful performance. Contagious enthusiasm, total commitment to successful outcomes, very supportive and an extremely likable professional. Andi’s enthusiasm and commitment to improving service delivery at all levels are second to none.

Very impressed with the quality of the service that we have received. Feedback was provided on a regular basis…this allowed the piece of work to be tailored to the actual needs of the service, rather than the original perceived need. Andi integrated well into the Team and provided a service which was principled, professional, friendly, motivational and engaging. The approach used empowered staff to develop, gaining their respect and responding to their needs. The APIS coaching delivered to all staff was well prepared and addressed the needs highlighted in the QA audit that was undertaken. The content of the coaching was of high quality with a very innovative and creative approach to delivery, which brought topics to life and ultimately increased the engagement levels of staff. We were exceptionally impressed by the value for money aspect of this contract and would definitely contract with WrightLink again based on the level of service that was received for the contract value. Wrightlink provided a service delivered by highly qualified staff who took pride in the quality of service delivery.

Andi was well received by the participants and of a high standard.   Andi’s attention to detail and enthusiasm was apparent and the objectives that we set for this piece of work were all met. As the service manager, I am very much aware of budget restraints and the need to ensure that services commissioned meet our value for money objectives. Andi gave us the tools to move forward with our business planning and this is almost complete. The team dynamics are also very much improved as a consequence of team cohesion activities provided by Andi. Andi’s commitment and enthusiasm were noticeable. Andi was also very knowledgeable about the subject area and it was apparent that he had put a lot of work into the preparation of the service he provided.

Excellent and user friendly. Andi delivers the course content at just the right level, he manages to engage staff by making the information real and relevant. The feedback has been that the training has been both excellent and useful…Andi manages to engage delegates by keeping the courses relevant and the content diverse. Even with difficult subject matter, Andi is a lively trainer which helps to keep people interested. Andi allows delegates to use the information they have learned and apply it in practical tasks.

• “I hate training days more often than not but this was fantastic. I feel very positive now about the future. Many thanks”
• “Brilliant training. Really engaging delivery. Inspirational. Makes me want to improve my practice and challenge the systems I work within”
• “Very enthusiastic and knowledgeable trainer. Well-paced. Did not get bored or overwhelmed by slides and PowerPoint. Comfortable learning environment. Very beneficial training and have learned a lot”

“I just wanted to say thank you so much! Because of your motivational interviewing training I have just had the most inspirational session with an extremely disengaged young person.

He thanked me for listening and helping him work through the pressures in his life. He left with a smart action plan and stated that he had the confidence to take the first step to helping himself.

Motivational interviewing was the missing technique in my tool kit. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience in a way that front line staff can apply with success.

Keep doing what you do!

Thanks again”

“Southampton has historically had a very high level of re-offending and as a YOS we have been absolutely clear that we were going to address this robustly. Through our involvement in the Youth Justice Board’s Reducing Re-offending Project we were able to develop a much greater understanding of the areas where we needed to have an impact. It has also been necessary for us to have an eye on the future; in ensuring that our team was prepared for the implementation of Asset Plus.

Wrightlink Ltd have been an integral part of our improvement journey. Andi and Darren spent time visiting the service to develop a training package that was ‘tailor made’ to our needs. The feedback from managers and practitioners who have attended the Forensic Assessment training has been resoundingly positive. We have subsequently commissioned further activity to include staff coaching.”

Andi’s feedback from these sessions has been excellent and has informed our understanding of the developmental needs of the service. We can already see the practice change through our managers’ quality assurance work and team feedback. Our staff absolutely ‘get’ the key messages and this is undoubtedly due to Andi’s delivery. Staff confidence and morale, looking forward, is high.

Having now worked with Wrightlink Ltd, we would endorse the organisation as experienced and responsive; with a clear commitment to the delivery of a high quality service.

Buckinghamshire Youth Offending Service (YOS) has been working closely with WrightLink Ltd. for the last five years, delivering training across a range of practice areas.

We had identified a particular issue with high reoffending rates within our “complex” cohort of young people and we wanted to develop practitioner skill and understanding in working with them. This led us to commission ‘Psychological Intervention Skills’ coaching which used a model of case formulation to support working effectively with young people who display offending or anti-social behaviour.

From the first engagement both Andi and Darren very quickly understood both the needs of the service and the staff group they were delivering to, which has led to the delivery of highly effective, tailored provision. All of the training they have delivered has been embedded within YOS practice which is a testament to how powerful this has been and the impact it has had on staff. Wrightlink Ltd. have followed up on training by supporting our service development, including consulting with us on our new case formulation model based on the content of their delivery.

A YOS practitioner fed back that this was, “the most user friendly and informative training I have ever been on. My mind was whirring throughout with cases. Loved the case formulation and really valued the time spent with colleagues to discuss implementation”.