Solution Revolution

11/01/2026

I was back to work on Monday after two weeks off, with time to properly switch off and reflect on the year. That pause felt important after a full year of work and learning.

Returning, I had the opportunity to deliver solution focused training to eight PSHE leads (Personal, social and health education) from eight different schools within a local academy trust. For most, it was their first introduction to solution focused practice. It was a real privilege to notice their curiosity, thoughtful questions, and the moment when they could begin to see how this way of working might make a difference within their school communities.

Thank you to Annabel Wilmot for the invitation. I’m feeling hopeful about the conversations now opening up in more schools, and quietly excited about how solution focused approaches may continue to grow across Bath and North East Somerset and beyond.

07/09/2025

🌍 From Bath, UK, to the wider world: Beechen Cliff School’s solution-focused story is now shared in a brand-new book.

In June, a wonderful book was published, edited by the incredible Marcella Stark and Linda Metcalf — and I was honoured to write a chapter alongside Edwin Choy telling the story of Beechen Cliff School in Bath, UK. It captures a six-year journey of embedding the solution-focused approach. It’s a remarkable story of growth, commitment, and creativity, and it was such a privilege to tell it alongside this inspiring team.

Do take a look to discover what we did and how it works in practice. 💫

30/07/2025

I’ve been working a lot more with families lately, something I did in my very first solution focused social work job back in the early 2000s. I was reflecting with my clinical supervisor, who was also one of my old social care managers, on the difference that the solution focused approach can make to our everyday interactions with children and young people.

What I notice again and again is the good intentions of parents and caregivers. Their hope for their child or young person to be at their best. To have opportunities beyond the ones they had. To be able to cope and manage with the complexities of life. These hopes come from a place of deep care. But sometimes they’re delivered in a way that just doesn’t work for children and young people.

As they grow, become more independent and move towards being autonomous young adults, they often want something different. A different kind of dialogue. A shift in how conversations are held. A sense of being listened to rather than managed.

Inviting parents and caregivers into a space where they can gently tweak the way they communicate and express their hopes can make a huge difference. I’ve had the privilege of being in spaces where parents and young people come together. I ask them to think about what they hope for from the conversation, what they want to be heard, and what they hope to take from it.

Sometimes, it’s the smallest of things that make the biggest difference.

A parent sitting back and listening instead of giving their opinion.
A to-do list created together rather than handed over.
A shared plan.
An alarm clock in the young person’s room so they can manage their own time, instead of a parent calling up the stairs each morning.

The ripple effect of these tiny changes can be huge. As one young person said to me,
“It’s helped us have better everyday conversations and made it easier for me to be more open with my parents.”

06/06/2025

“Can we do the session on the trampoline?”
Of course we can. That’s where the magic happened.

We bounced our way through what had gone well that week. We added in their sparkling moments. Their mum joined in too, sharing what had gone well. We played, we noticed, we celebrated.

The egg game was new. I’d just learned it, and it fitted beautifully into the rhythm of the session.

Not a typical meeting. Not sat in chairs. But full of connection, laughter, movement and meaning.

Because when a child invites you into their world, through play, a question, or a trampoline, you go there. ❤️

09/05/2025

Double whammy in our house with GCSEs and A-levels.

Leaning into the solution-focused approach to do our best to support them!

Here are some question ideas!💡

What are you pleased to notice, no matter how small?

What might be a useful or okay question for me to ask after your exams?

What do you need to just keep doing because it’s working?

Suppose you were feeling more confident for the next exam. What might that look like?

Power to all the wonderful young people.
❤️🙌🌅

24/03/2025

I have the unique privilege of having three final-year University of Bath Social Work students on placement with me at the moment. They have had intensive training in the solution-focused approach and are carrying out one-to-one sessions and group work across five schools.

It’s been fascinating to hear their feedback and what they’re noticing. As you all know, I talk a lot about the solution focused approach and using it in our interactions with children and young people. I believe in it so much because it meets children and young people where they are. It sees them as experts in their own lives.

The Social Work students are asking questions about what’s wanted and what’s working. They also make it clear that if there’s anything young people don’t want to share, they don’t have to—there’s no expectation, only choice and permission. And yet, this openness actually leads to more sharing.

The disclosures, insights, and moments of connection have been profoundly important. To truly support young people, we need to be invited into their world. We need to trust them, allow them to be experts, and listen to what they want.

And believe me, their hopes for themselves are not so different from the hopes we have for them.

09/02/2025

Something for Parent's to share with their young people -

Understanding Your Amazing Adolescent Brain 🧠

What’s Happening in Your Brain?

Your brain is developing in incredible ways during adolescence (roughly ages 10–25). It’s growing, changing, and becoming more efficient to help you make decisions, manage emotions, and plan for the future. This process is exciting and sometimes challenging, but understanding how your brain works can help you navigate it with confidence!

Key Changes in the Adolescent Brain

🧠 The Prefrontal Cortex (The Thinking & Planning Centre) – This part of your brain, responsible for decision-making, problem-solving, and self-control, is still developing. That’s why you might sometimes act on impulse or find it tricky to make long-term plans.

⚡ The Limbic System (The Emotion & Reward Centre) – This area develops earlier and is responsible for emotions, motivation, and seeking rewards. It’s why you might experience strong emotions and feel drawn to excitement and new experiences.

🔗 Neural Connections – Your brain is strengthening important connections through a process called synaptic pruning. This means the connections you use the most get stronger, and the ones you don’t use fade away—like trimming a tree to help it grow better!

How This Connects to Solution Focused Thinking

Solution focused thinking helps you use your brain’s strengths while navigating challenges.

Here’s how:

🌟 Focus on What’s Working – Your brain is wired to learn from experiences. By paying attention to what’s going well and what helps you succeed, you reinforce positive neural pathways.

🔄 Small Steps Create Big Change – Since your brain is still developing, every time you practice problem-solving, self-control, and resilience, you strengthen those skills. Even small improvements can make a huge difference over time!

📈 Scaling Helps You See Progress – Your brain responds well to clear, measurable progress. Solution-focused questions like “On a scale of 0 to 10, where are you now?” and “What makes you that number and not lower?”, help you recognise growth and keep moving forward.

🎯 Future-Focused Thinking – The adolescent brain loves imagining possibilities. Solution focused thinking encourages you to picture your best hopes and build on what’s already helping you get there.

Your Superpower: Your Growing Brain! 🧠

Even though your brain is still developing, that’s actually a superpower! It means you have an amazing ability to adapt, learn, and create your future. By using solution focused thinking, you can shape your brain’s development in a way that helps you feel more confident, hopeful, and in control of your journey.

What’s one small step you can take today to move closer to your best hopes?

06/01/2025

As you will have seen over the past few days here in Bath we have launched a 'Hub' of local solution focused practitioners. The hub is a collective of experienced SFP's in the Bath, Wiltshire and Bristol area.

https://www.solutionfocusedhub.co.uk/

The main hope of our work is to offer the solution focused approach to more schools in our area and further afield. As well as offering private practice to children, young people, families and adults.

Each of the members of the Hub have been trained by Solution Focused Trainers CIC and are accredited by IASTI (http://www.iasti.org/).

I am now excited to deliver our (Naomi Whitehead, Stephan Natynczuk, Anne Boulton, Jan Turner and John Wheeler five-day Certificate in Solution Focused Practice next month.

The hybrid course is accessible to anyone in the World and suitable for both beginners and experienced practitioners. Still, spaces for my course starting on the 11th of February and other Winter/Spring courses if you would like to join us ❤️

Email us via our website - https://solutionfocused.training/

Solution Focused Hub: Bespoke solutions for individuals, groups or organisations. Co-Creating dynamic change.

26/12/2024

Where Hope takes Action: At the Solution Focused Hub we invite clients to explore what they hope for, what they want to change, whilst building on what is working already. Start your journey with us in 2025.

https://www.solutionfocusedhub.co.uk/

Cally Smart Graina Pedersen Paola Venables Anita Campbell Alexandra Bond Polly Netto Susie Ingram

25/12/2024

Happy Holidays! 🌟

May this season bring you peace, joy, and the space to create a brighter future, whilst noticing what is already working in your life. 🔮

We're excited to introduce a new solution focused service for to co-create your preferred future. 🌅

Alexandra Bond, Paola Venables, Susie Ingram, Graina Pedersen and Cally Smart

# happyholidays #2025

Solution Focused Hub: Bespoke solutions for individuals, groups or organisations. Co-Creating dynamic change.

07/12/2024

What a bumper couple of Solution Focused weeks at Beechen Cliff School!

We’ve had the pleasure of training more Sixth Form students in the Solution Focused approach and hosting a Parent Information session on how the approach can support both students and families with the wonderful Susie Ingram and school senior leader and SEN lead Jo Blair.

A real highlight was delivering a Solution Focused reflective exercise to 160 Year 11 students. It was an invitation for them to quietly reflect on what they were pleased to notice about themselves this school year so far, as well as their personal best hopes for the journey ahead towards their GCSEs. With a gentle focus on them not being defined by exams and their recent mocks, and to invite them to believe that they are enough, whatever they achieve.

It was also a moment for us to let them know that their efforts have not gone unnoticed, that we care about every one of them, and that we hope they can be proud of their efforts. Thank you to their head of year Patrick Macdonald for suggesting this! It's wonderful to work with a pastoral team and school that cares so greatly for their students.

Thank you Ursula Bühlmann for your Solution Focused folded paper exercise that you shared at a workshop in Sheffield hosted by Naomi Whitehead some years ago. 160 Year 11 students doing this quiet reflective exercise was quite something!

Looking forward to our second staff training session on Monday!

24/10/2024

This week, another 14 teaching and support staff attended solution-focused training at Beechen Cliff School. It’s been six years since we introduced this approach, and the ongoing enthusiasm for the impact it has on everyday interactions continues to inspire me. Witnessing the difference it makes to both staff and students reaffirms our commitment to fostering solution-focused environments.

Looking forward to training students and parents next month! ❤️