Training in VIG
VIG has an established UK training and accreditation programme which includes on-going video-reflective supervision, and rigorous accreditation criteria.
VIG has a strong theoretical base: attachment, co-operative intersubjectivity, mediated learning, mentalization, and positive psychology.
VIG training is much more than acquiring skills to deliver another tool in a toolset. Trainees benefit from professional development which increases their attunement to clients, and their interpersonal effectiveness. VIG training can have a positive impact on all working relationships, both with clients and colleagues. Trainees often comment on the far-reaching impact of their VIG training.
VIG training enhances relationship skills
Watch this short video which provides evidence of the impact of VIG training on professional skills
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Initial Training Course
The VIG Initial Training Course (ITC), four half-days, can be a stand-alone course or the first step to becoming an accredited VIG Practitioner.
The ITC introduces practitioners to the background of VIG, gives the frameworks used in VIG training and practice, and provides a taste of how VIG works (practitioners get an opportunity to reflect on their own skills through use of video and experience the impact of strength based, appreciative feedback).
Click the button to see an example of the ITC Programme. The courses vary in how they are scheduled, and can be adapted to suit the organization’s needs.
Click the button to see the AVIGuk Catalogue of ITC courses currently being offered by VIG Supervisors.
The cost of the ITC varies according to the VIG Supervisor leading the course; it is usually around £400.
Practice under supervision
The VIG Initial Training Course (ITC), four half-days, can be a stand-alone course or the first step to becoming an accredited VIG Practitioner.
Once a practitioner decides to pursue accreditation in VIG, then following the ITC, they are able to begin practice under supervision.
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You may have an in-house VIG supervisor who can support practitioners in thinking about the training, and who may possibly be available to provide supervision and other aspects of the VIG training.
Alternatively, practitioners can find a supervisor that suits their needs by searching the supervisor catalogues.
Finally, you can ask AVIGuk for help with any aspects of proceeding with training using this contact form.
From the time the trainee has agreed supervision with a VIG supervisor, the trainee can begin client work. The training will support the practitioner to develop skills in a 13 Item Skills Development Scale (VIG-SDS) which focuses on microanalysis of interaction, looking at the attunement of both the client and the trainee.
All resources required for training are accessed through the AVIGuk Learning Platform.
Reaching accreditation
This section describes the processes, requirements and criteria involved in achieving accreditation
Length of training
Requirements for Accreditation
Training costs
AVIGuk Learning Platform
The training to become a VIG Accredited Practitioner usually takes between 18 and 24 months.
However, the duration of training is not fixed: a minimum of 15 supervisions is required, but the duration depends on the trainee’s client caseload, the trainee accessing regular supervision, and the learning style of the trainee.
VIG is a self-directed training. Trainees are required to take responsibility for their own learning and progress.
The total cost of training (including the Initial Training Course, AVIGuk Registration fee, VIG supervision and accreditation fees) is around £2,000. VIG Supervisors provide supervision independently of AVIGuk, and have their own fee structure. Supervision is arranged directly with a VIG supervisor.
An individual trainee may require more or less supervision to reach the required skill level. The total cost of training and accreditation as an Accredited Practitioner will vary depending on the number and cost of supervisions.
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The AVIGuk Learning Platform (LP) is an excellent learning resource. It provides all the information a trainee needs in order to progress their training on the Trainee Practitioner Path. The Learning Platform gives details about each stage of the process, guiding the trainee from the start, through to their first supervision, to their Mid-Point Review, and finally accreditation.
AVIGuk charges a registration fee for access to the Learning Platform. This is paid after the Initial Training Course, if the practitioner goes forward to start VIG training under supervision. The registration fee is payable again after 3 years have elapsed. It is usual for trainees to have completed their training within 3 years. The association has a facility for financial assistance with fees and uses this to support training in countries where the normal fee levels would be prohibitive or where the use of English language on the platform prevents its use.
Learning through supervision in VIG
“VIG is not a skills-based training that can be learnt by following a manual… The training process... provides an in-depth focus on the developing relationship between professional and client. The supervision sessions.… give space for self-reflection and reflection with the supervisor.”
Kennedy, H., Landor, M. & Todd, L. (eds) Video Interaction Guidance: A Relationship-based Intervention to Promote Attunement, Empathy and Wellbeing (2011, p 39).
The supervisor’s role is to facilitate the VIG trainee to reflect on patterns of interaction. The VIG supervisor aims to become a ‘collaborative explorer’, co-creating meanings and new learning with the VIG trainee.
Attunement permeates across the whole VIG process, from the clients through to the VIG Supervisor.
The VIG Skills Development Scale (VIG-SDS)
AVIGuk has developed a detailed competency framework, the VIG Skills Development Scale (VIG-SDS, 2020), designed to support the development of VIG skills. It is a key tool for training and CPD.
The 13 Item Scale provides a structure for the development and assessment of VIG skills, including the skills of video micro-analysis (selecting clips of attuned moments to share with the client), and the practitioner skills within the shared review (for example, attunement, guiding/scaffolding, and naming and managing emotions).
Training in VIG requires the trainee to become familiar with the VIG-SDS skills, to be able to reflect on their progress, and rate themselves during their training.
In each supervision, the VIG supervisor invites the trainee to reflect on their strengths, what is going well in their work with the family, and their skills in relation to the VIG-SDS; the trainee is also encouraged to identify their ‘next steps’.
This process of identifying strengths and next steps mirrors the end of each shared review, where the client is facilitated to reflect on what is going well in the video clips they have viewed, and what they could do more of.
Using the VIG-SDS in supervision, the trainee agrees with their supervisor when they are ready for their Mid-Point Review, and accreditation.
Going further:
training as an Advanced Practitioner
Once a trainee achieves accreditation as a VIG practitioner, there is an option to deepen and develop skills further by enrolling on the Advanced Practitioner Pathway.
The trainee may wish to:
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increase competence and deepen understanding of attunement, through careful self-scrutiny of Shared Reviews, using all the items on the VIG-SDS;
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extend VIG to work with a range of client groups;
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encourage self-learning, self-development and develop reflective skills;
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prepare for training as a supervisor (Advanced Practitioner accreditation is a pre-requisite);
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develop and deepen competence and skills in complex situations, such as families in the Court arena.
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The total cost of training and accreditation as an Advanced Practitioner will vary depending on the number and cost of supervisions. Supervision is arranged directly with a VIG supervisor.
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Going further still: training as a VIG Supervisor
Once a VIG practitioner achieves accreditation as an Advanced VIG Practitioner, they can progress to train as a VIG supervisor.
The total cost of training and accreditation as a Supervisor will vary depending on the number and cost of supervisions (arranged directly with a VIG supervisor) and the number of training days attended.
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