David Carter

A little about BEST Consultancy

BEST Consultancy specialises in delivery of training and consultancy for organisations that provide care or education to children and young people who have difficulty in managing their behaviour in acceptable ways. (Teachers, social workers, social care workers and by negotiation, directly with families).

"I have spent 25 years as a teacher in a school setting, teaching, supervising and providing programmes for and working with at-risk youth, young people with Severe Emotional Behavioural Difficulties and their families. Since 1998 I moved into a management position as Principal/ Director of St Paul's Youth Encounter Project, Finglas, Dublin 11 and I am still there at present.

As associate trainer of TCI since 2001, I have worked on the implementation of TCI and adapting it to a school setting and have provided training to new and existing staff since that time.

I have given presentations and training on managing challenging behaviour and collaborative problem solving at several educational settings, within mainstream and special schools at both primary and secondary levels. I have also been an associate trainer with Polaris HR presenting workshops on Working Effectively with Groups and on Stress and Time Management for County Councils to local groups.

I am particularly excited in the recent development of TCI for Schools and welcome the invitation to join with TCI Ireland in providing training. You can visit their website by clicking here."

Training Menu

Therapeutic Crisis Intervention

The TCI system was developed at Cornell University, New York. The purpose of the TCI system is to provide a crisis prevention and intervention model for organisations that will assist in:

  • Preventing crises from occurring.
  • De-escalating potential crises.
  • Effectively managing acute crises.
  • Reducing potential and actual injury to young people and staff.
  • Learning constructive ways to handle stressful situations.
  • Developing a learning circle within the organisation.

Positive Behaviour Management: preventing and managing challenging behaviour

Positive Behaviour Management involves having a range of approaches and strategies to help prevent, de-escalate and process incidents of challenging behaviour

  • Self awareness.
  • Interventions and Approaches.
  • Nonverbal Techniques and Nonverbal Behaviours.
  • Communication Techniques.
  • Active Listening.
  • Positive Behaviour Management Techniques.
  • Options in Handling a Potentially Violent Situation.
  • The Follow Up.
  • Handling Physical Violence.
  • Individualized Approaches & Plans.

Dealing with Violence in the schoolyard

A Whole School pro-active preventative approach identifying types of violence, possible causes, analysis of incidents and devising preventative and management techniques for dealing with violence between pupils in the schoolyard.

Punishment & Consequences

Reflection and discussion on the value of sanctions and consequences and their use. The implementation of school policies and Code of Conduct .

Collaborative Approach to problem solving

An approach for understanding and working with easily frustrated and inflexible children.

Whole school approaches and systems

This programme helps to examine systems and approaches to positive behaviour management from a whole school perspective including:

  • school ethos and environment
  • behaviour policy and expectations
  • rewards and sanctions
  • classroom management
  • responses to bullying
  • support networks for staff, pupils and parents

Setting SMART targets : assessing, observing, recording and monitoring behaviour

This programme focuses on the process of setting positive and achievable targets for pupils with SEBD based on assessment and recording. Involving the pupil in the management of their own behaviour and moving from co-regulation to self regulation.

Promoting self esteem

This programme will examine the relationship between self-esteem, learning and behaviour. and focus on how children and young people can be supported to develop a more confident and realistic sense of themselves in relation to others.

Dealing with Anger and Aggression in a school setting

This programme provides a range of approaches and strategies to help prevent, de-escalate and process incidents of challenging behaviour

  • how to identify and clarify feelings
  • how to connect feelings with behaviours
  • how to rehearse ways of behaving and managing feelings in new ways
  • how maintain relationships
  • how to deal effectively with conflict

Dealing with "Difficult" Parents

How to manage conflict with Parents:

  • Establishing an inviting atmosphere
  • Actively listening
  • Communicating and managing conflict
  • Closing the meeting

Stress Management

Considering different types of stress, symptoms and coping strategies. Self care and self help mechanisms.