The Children and Families Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Resource Collection

The Toolkit for Child Friendly Spaces in Humanitarian Settings

The Toolkit for Child Friendly Spaces in Humanitarian Settings provides a set of materials to assist managers and facilitators/animators in setting up and implementing quality Child Friendly Spaces (CFS). These resources have at their core the protection of children from harm; the promotion of psychosocial well-being; and the engagement of community and caregiver capacities. The CFS Toolkit contains: 1. Operational Guidance for Child Friendly Spaces in Humanitarian Settings: It summarises key approaches in the protection of children and in the promotion of their psychosocial well-being. It is directed to CFS managers and facilitators/animators. It has four chapters, addressing the following aspects of setting up and implementing a quality CFS: introduction to CFS, setting up a CFS, information for CFS facilitators/animators and working with caregivers and community members. 2. The Activity Catalogue for Child Friendly Spaces in Humanitarian Settings: It provides materials for facilitators and animators responsible for implementing activities in a CFS. It features a wide range of easy-to-use resources, including sessions to open, close and review a programme of activities. It has a set of seven themed workshops which relate to key aspects of children’s psycho-social well-being. These resources provide structured activities that can be used in a sequence over a period of time, but are flexible too so that they can be used as standalone sessions if CFS modalities vary and/or attendance fluctuates. Activities are generally intended for children from 6 up to 18 years, with some additional resources provided in the annexes for activities targeted to younger children, older children and adolescents. 3. Training for Implementers of Child Friendly Spaces in Humanitarian Settings: This is a three-day training for CFS managers and coordinators that addresses the challenges of setting up and implementing quality CFS in diverse circumstances. Using various case scenarios, participants in the training are exposed to realistic demands and equipped to find practical solutions to challenges faced in the field. The training draws on resources from the Operational Guidance for Child Friendly Spaces in Humanitarian Settings and the Activity Catalogue for Child Friendly Spaces in Humanitarian Settings. 4. Training for Facilitators of Activities for Child Friendly Spaces in Humanitarian Settings: This training manual complements the Training for Implementers of Child Friendly Spaces in Humanitarian Settings. It provides practical training for facilitators on the Activity Catalogue to support the effective implementation of the structured activities for children in different contexts. Ideally, this should follow on directly from the three-day implementer training.

Traditional Games for Child Protection

The Traditional Games for Child Protection manual collates 20 traditional games which are organized by age group, and teach life skills to children to foster resilience and self-protection. It uses the Movement, Games and Sports (MGS) methodology which champions 'learning by doing' and puts child participation at the heart of the learning process. The manual explains the psychosocial and protection related benefits of games for children, highlights the lessons from each game, and provides follow up questions for the children. It was developed for animators, teachers and protection workers.

Stress Busters

Stress Busters is an activity resource developed to address stressful situations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a collection of six simple drama based relaxation exercises that an adult can engage in with a child or a group of children to help them relax and release muscle tension from possible exposure to stress.

Our Toolkit – Story-writing with communities affected by conflict and disaster

This user-friendly toolkit was developed with Armenian psychologists supporting refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh and has a focus on creating safe spaces for creative writing with children. This resources have a list of books for refugees, therapeutic stories and co-created children's books. It also contains a set of tools, advice for facilitation and worksheets.

The Resilience Programme for Young Men: A Psychosocial Handbook

The Resilience Programme for Young Men: A psychosocial handbook is a resource for programme managers and trainers in providing psychosocial support for young men living in vulnerable or unstable situations. The handbook provides guidance on managing psychosocial support programmes and sets out a two-day training workshop with psychosocial activities specifically designed for young men living in difficult conditions. The activity catalogue suggesting relevant activities can complement the handbook but also be used separately. It includes guidance for programme managers on integrating resilience building into a variety of youth programmes.

Safeguarding in Sport and Sport for Development: A Practitioner’s Guide from Policy to Action

The Safeguarding in Sport and Sport for Development: A Practitioner’s Guide from Policy to Action provides a useful guide on how governments, sports confederations, organisations, clubs and individuals working in sport and Sport for Development can develop policies, guidelines and implement measures designed to safeguard children and vulnerable adults. The Safeguarding in Sport practitioner’s resource is a toolbox for organisations, facilitators - those who teach, coach or lead sporting activities, for parents and guardians and communities in Africa. It provides comprehensive guidance on developing safeguarding policies and practice in sport and sport for development contexts and is an important training resource for athletes, coaches and sports officials. Sport and Sport for Development is not just about the games. Sporting activities are used as a tool to engage target populations in programmes that work towards development goals such as peace promotion, gender equity, education, inclusion and health. To achieve this, effective safeguarding measures are essential to ensure that the right to participation in sport and physical activity in a safe and harm free environment for enjoyment – regardless of age, gender, origin or ability is fulfilled. This practitioner’s guide on Safeguarding in Sport and Sport for Development (S4D) Contexts is a product of an intensive and inclusive process that comprised a wide range of stakeholders. It has been developed in accordance with recognised best practice but with the African context in mind.