About

Our vision

To empower Local Authority Children’s Services and Voluntary Sector staff to promote emotional wellbeing and alleviate distress and suffering via the provision of inspiring training in Trauma Informed and Compassion Focused Practice.

We intend to gain recognition as a Centre of Excellence for the delivery of the following:

• Trauma Informed and Compassion Focused Training
• Emotional Wellbeing and Resilience Workshops
• Support to Local Authorities to adopt the Really MAD HEART Framework
• Additional needs led bespoke training and service development support to organisations supporting Children, Young Adults, and their Families with a focus on development of positive emotional wellbeing & mental health, youth development, youth crime prevention and contextual safeguarding.

About Gavin

Gavin is a UK registered Social Worker, a qualified Systemic Practitioner and Compassion Focused Therapist, a Workforce Development Trainer and a passionate advocate for Trauma Informed, Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) aware and ‘Compassion Focused’ practice.

He has been Really MAD – ‘Really Making A Difference’ to the lives of vulnerable and ‘at risk’ children, young people and adults both overseas and in the UK for over 30 years. This includes empowering children and adults to develop the knowledge and skills they need to overcome their difficulties and achieve their full potential.

Our Story

Gavin set up Really MAD in 2004 to facilitate the development and introduction of  ‘Minimum Standards for Residential Child Care’ and the provision of practice skills training within the Fijian Youth Justice and Children’s Social Care Provision.

Since then, Gavin has juggled his Social Work career with intermittent bursts of involvement in developing and delivering a range of Really MAD Safeguarding, Youth Development, Working with Young People Skills, Parenting, Emotional Wellbeing and Resilience services in the UK and overseas.

Although Gavin is currently Really Making A Difference in the Channel Island of Jersey, he continues to provide bespoke needs led training and consultancy services and can be contacted at [email protected].

In 2004 after highlighting the prevalence of systemic abuse within Fiji’s Residential Childcare estate, Really MAD were commissioned by Vodafone Foundation to provide consultation to the Fiji Ministry of Women, Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation, to facilitate the development and introduction of child protection legislation and the cessation of a number of abusive practices.

This involved supporting local managers to create a charter of ‘minimum standards’ for residential child care and then planning and delivering a bespoke needs led training programme that ensured all key child care staff developed the knowledge and skills to implement the new standards.

In 2006 Really MAD secured funding from Connexions Southwest England to deliver Residential Youth Development Programmes for young people living in areas of social deprivation in Bristol who were at risk of involvement in the Criminal Justice System.

In 2008 Really MAD were commissioned by South Gloucestershire Youth Offending Service to develop and deliver bespoke parenting training and support to identified parents who were struggling to set and maintain boundaries and to appropriately respond to teenagers’ challenging behaviours.

In 2010, Really MAD were commissioned by the International Women’s Development Agency to complete an organisational audit on the Women’s Action For Change.  

During 2011 Really MAD were commissioned to deliver Youth Development and Emotional Wellbeing training and support services to students from the School of Social Sciences.

In 2009 Really MAD were commissioned to provide training in Solution Focused Brief Therapy to students on their MSc in Social Work and BA in Youth Work degree programmes.

Between 2010 -2012 Really MAD were primarily funded by Adrian Costello with additional funding from the Office of the Chief Justice of Fiji to develop and deliver the following:

• A range of youth inclusion and support, youth development and entry to employment skills and workshops; &
• A family support service (FAST)