Frequently asked questions

Birth parents, adoptive parents, kinship carers, foster carers and anyone caring for a child who wants to understand behaviour and build connection.

Yes. The foundation course is free. You create an account with your name, email and a password. We do not ask for payment details.

No. The course is written for parents and carers, not professionals. You do not need to be a therapist, and the course will not ask you to become one.

The foundation course has six modules. Each one is available as a lesson on this website and in the free downloadable workbook. Every module has learning objectives, short Learn sections with words to try, then Try (one small thing to practise), Reflect (questions to think about) and Apply (a short task for your own situation). The course also includes worked scenarios and optional activities. Your reflections stay in your own workbook or notebook. You can tick off modules and take a five-question knowledge check for each one in your learner dashboard.

No. The foundation course is self-paced online learning. The workbook includes optional role-play activities that a support group, foster carer group or staff team could choose to run themselves with a facilitator, and every activity has a solo version.

Yes. The workbook suggests one module a week, with time in between to try the ideas, but you can take longer. There are no deadlines.

PACE stands for Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy. It was created by Dr Dan Hughes, a clinical psychologist, as a core part of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP). This course introduces PACE for parents and carers. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Dr Hughes or the DDP Institute, and it is not official DDP training.

No. These courses provide education and practical information. They are not therapy, diagnosis or a substitute for individual professional advice. If your family needs individual support, your GP, your child’s school or your local family support service can help. In an emergency, call 999.

Certificates are not available yet. If they are added, a certificate of completion would simply record that you have finished the modules. It would not be a regulated qualification, professional licence or assessed award.

They are three optional further courses for parents and carers, which follow on from the free Foundation course. Level 1, Understanding Trauma (6 modules, about 6–7 hours), helps you understand what stress and trauma can do to a child. Level 2, Putting Trauma-Informed Parenting into Practice (7 modules, about 7–8 hours), is about everyday skills: listening, helping children settle, kind boundaries and repair. Level 3, Developing Confidence with Complex Needs (8 modules, about 8–9 hours), is for families facing repeated or long-lasting difficulties and working with services. The level names describe stages in this learning pathway. They are not regulated qualifications, and none of the courses is therapy.

After Level 1 you should be able to explain your child’s alarm system in simple words and look beneath behaviour for needs. After Level 2 you should have tried practical ways to listen, settle big feelings and put things right, and have your own family plan. After Level 3 you should feel more confident with patterns that keep coming back, working with school and other services, and knowing when to get professional help. Every family is different, so we cannot promise particular results.

The courses are being finalised. A launch date has not been set yet, so they are coming soon. If you would like to hear when they open, you can register your interest through the contact page.

Not yet. The courses are being finalised and are not on sale. Regular prices will be Level 1 £49, Level 2 £69 and Level 3 £99, with 12 months’ access from purchase. Planned launch offer: £10 off each level for the first three calendar months after the official launch date. The launch date has not been set yet. During that offer the prices will be £39, £59 and £89. You will also be able to buy all three levels together as a bundle: £149 during the same early bird period, then £178. If you already have one or two levels, the bundle costs the bundle price at the time minus what you paid for the levels you still have. Each course page shows the modules and a free sample. You can register your interest through the contact page.

No. Further courses are entirely optional. The foundation course is complete in itself.

Please use the contact page for course enquiries. The contact route is not monitored as an emergency service.