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Strengthening Connected Relationships

KCA is here to enable people to build and strengthen connected relationships, using evidence from research to improve everyday interactions, everywhere.

Our training and consultancy shares transformative knowledge.

We encourage deep reflective practice, and empower individuals and organisations to make a difference.

We are employee owned

As an employee-owned organisation KCA aspires to be a beacon to those who want to lead sustainable organisations, rooted in their local communities, where employees are active decision makers shaping their future together.

Our highly experienced Trainer Consultants, work alongside strategic leaders, teachers, social workers, police officers, change-makers, teams, and organisations to help everyone to advance their practice, whilst also thinking about the systems change they need to undertake to ensure changes to their practice are sustained.

Our holistic approach will help you strengthen connected relationships to create compassionate and resilient communities and workplaces that work for everyone.

We draw on the expertise represented in our core approaches of ‘Five to Thrive’, ‘Mending Hurts’, ‘Holding Together’ and ‘Creating Connections’, whilst including the latest developments from neuroscience.

Find out more about Knowledge Change Action...

Five to Thrive is a way of understanding how connected relationships are fundamental to human wellbeing, helping to build resilient communities, and how we can promote these attachment bonds

Mending Hurts promotes recovery from trauma by enabling people to notice what they, or other people, do in their most effective interactions with people when they are more vulnerable or traumatized. When we notice ourselves doing something well, we become more conscious of our activity and more competent in it

Creating Connections between human beings lies at the heart of individual and community resilience, and, indeed, at the heart of KCA’s work. Our resilience mapping tools open up conversations about the network around people when they are feeling more vulnerable. This can offer insights that guide intervention and support.

Holding Together offers a systemic intervention to build resilience in the team around a child when they are more vulnerable or traumatised

Wiltshire Council - Attachment Aware and Trauma Informed System

Richard Holmes talks to Sally Johnson from Wiltshire Council about their journey into being a trauma informed and attachment aware system.

Brackenfield SEND School, Nottingham

Susan Blomley talks to Trish Turner and Jess Lacey about their school's "Journey to Learn" through adaption, integration and stabilisation

SOS Children's Village, Czech Republic

Barry Golten talks to Katerina Dunovska from SOS Children's Village about using Five to Thrive

West Sussex and Five To Thrive

I feel that the course was very well delivered, Susan was extremely inspiring and clearly very passionate and knowledgeable, I have already begun to incorporate this approach into my practice
Lucy Galbraith-Edge
11 February 2022

Barry was a lovely individual who was clearly very passionate and knowledgable about trauma informed practise. He kept the training simple which was fab and easy to understand.
Andrea Hector
9 February 2023

It has enabled me to recognise much more clearly how I can support colleagues who are experiencing secondary trauma and the role which I can have as a manager to help them.
Heather Beach
22 June 2019

It was really useful training, the presenter was so knowledgeable and inspiring. Thank you
KCA Course Participant
5 September 2021

I will use strive to use in my work every day but also suggest our behaviour policy is changed to match this as a school now we are all trained
Suzanne Webb
6 March 2024

Sometimes we have completed on line courses and after two hours, feel that we have been told the obvious but not learnt anything. Today we felt we learnt and understood more about why children behave the way they do.
KCA Course Participant
7 November 2023

Most wonderful resources to refer to during the day... and afterwards too - amazing!!
Hannah Knight
1 October 2019

Susan was very confident, warm, inclusive, passionate and knowledgeable.
Keely Franklin
3 November 2021

We have introduced this to the staff and it was very effective
KCA Course Participant
8 February 2024

Amazing and passionate delivery - great resources and good interactive tasks.
KCA Course Participant
3 February 2022

It has given me a better understanding of how the brain functions and how function is impaired during times of stress. I believe this will help me to support my team more effectively both directly and in their work with our service users.
KCA Course Participant
7 March 2023

This training helps me support the Team in their supervisions, and in looking at who the wider Network are that a family has.
Katie Vinnicombe
24 January 2022

It was very interesting to learn new information. I thought having been a police officer over 30 years it would be a bit boring and I would know it already but I learnt lots of new skills
KCA Course Participant , Police
29 January 2021

Very inspiring and thought provoking - ready to incorporate into everyday practice
Elishia Jones
11 December 2020

I think when teaching diverse and ever changing demographics of young people, it is really important to get to know your learners and their backgrounds. My session with Barry further informed me about potential causes of behavioural issues to look for before going down disciplinary pathways.
Derek Andrade
22 January 2023

Our Trainer was fantastic and so relatable and funny, which makes the learning more fun.
Vicky Daniels
12 January 2024

This course made complete sense in many ways, and helped remind me of the reality behind the behaviour and patterns we see (from our young people, and staff) in college. The course also helped support professional reflection on what we (me) do OK with, and what we need to be mindful of for development / improvement. It also gave good examples of what we can include in our day to day working with the young people. It was useful to work in mixed groups, as we could really understand our shared and different experiences; and work as a team with people outside of our immediate daily team. This course is very relevant for me professionally, but also as a parent. I wish this view of supporting our young people was made more of a priority in all education provisions. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and expertise ... quite inspiring!
KCA Course Participant
8 February 2021

I could have listened to Susan for hours!
Alison Mooney
16 November 2021

I thought the trainer was very positive and enthusiastic in delivering the training. It moved at a good pace and the breakout rooms were really good for discussions. I enjoyed it
Chrissie Fay
26 January 2021

Stimulating and thought - provoking.
KCA Course Participant
19 April 2023

The break out facility really helped to break up the content and provide meaningful reflection for our own setting
KCA Course Participant
3 February 2021

Catherine was excellent and had a superb blend of professionalism and presentational skills whilst being real, authentic and down-to-earth in her delivery of training. Very impressive and engaging.
Stephen Cresswell
9 October 2023

Very well delivered, messages were clear and concise, loved some of the simple anologies and phrases - like put your own oxygen mask on first, every interaction matters etc
Joanna Mawer , Wiltshire Council
1 February 2023

Co regulation is crucial in the stabilisation phase. Five to Thrive model- respond, engage and relax are the core blocks for stabilisation Five to Thrive model can be used with children, parents and colleagues
KCA Course Participant
10 January 2024

I learned how relationships are important for human development & how to develop ways to process trauma
KCA Course Participant
25 January 2024