Relationships and behaviour: Professional learning

Published 20/08/2025.  Last updated 03/09/2025

Every educational setting has its own context and every setting will be in a different place with regard to their relationships and behaviour improvement journey. This means that each setting will also have different professional learning needs. Below you will find information about a range of resources and professional learning opportunities (most of which are Scottish Government funded). The section below is split into two sections.

This first offers professional learning and resources which support a positive ethos and culture at a universal level and are appropriate for every child in every setting. The second offers professional learning that will support harm and violence prevention and reduction. The contributors therefore reflect the wide range of knowledge and expertise needed to address the diverse needs of educational settings across Scotland. Most of the resources and professional learning are completely free however some of the organisations also offer further professional learning which may incur a cost.

Please use your professional judgement to determine which professional learning best aligns with your settings needs and objectives. As always, please ensure you undertake your own checks as part of your planning process to ensure the suitability and quality of any external professional learning.

Education Scotland: Inclusion, wellbeing and equalities framework

Self-directed professional learning modules

27 free informed and skilled levels modules around 4 themes. They can be delivered at whole school level or as part of individual professional learning.

National programmes

  • Keeping Trauma in Mind: Free bi-annual skilled level programme of 5 twilight online sessions (see our events page). Also delivered as Train-the-trainer programme to local authorities on request.
  • Being Restorative: Free informed level short course (2-4 hours) delivered nationally or locally on request. Appropriate for all practitioners with a focus on establishing a relational and restorative culture in terms of values, thinking and language.
  • Restorative Approaches: Free skilled level train-the-trainer programme delivered nationally or locally on request. Find out more here.
  • Solution Oriented Schools: Free skilled level train-the-trainer programme delivered nationally or locally on request. Find out more here.
  • The Cycle of Wellbeing: Free. Delivered periodically nationally online (see our events page) or on request at local authority level. To find out about local authority delivery please contact us at IWE Team.

Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution

  • Free online conflict resolution training courses and events for practitioners. See SCCR website for more details.
  • Learning and Teaching resource pack for educational settings (Emotions and the Brain)
  • Links to other curriculum based teacher resources available on their website
  • Provides free research-based information for teachers, learners and parents

Scottish Mediation: Peer mediation

  • Free information and resources can be found on their website.
  • Train-the-trainer course for educational practitioners – Online (2x 3.5 hour sessions) or in person (1-day) – Training provides basic conflict resolution skills, knowledge of peer mediation, and the ability to set up/ sustain a peer mediation program within an educational setting. Scottish Mediation will then facilitate in-setting training (two day) for peer mediators (P5/6 children in primary and S5 young people in secondary) alongside newly trained staff. The training is supported by a Peer Mediation Resource Pack. This training has a cost.

Mentor in Violence Prevention

  • Free Train-the-trainer course for educational practitioners to implement the MVP in their settings. MVP is a peer mentoring programme that gives young people the chance to explore and challenge the attitudes, beliefs and cultural norms that underpin all forms of gender-based violence in our society.
  • Training consists of professional learning sessions for staff implementing the programme within their settings and then MVP trainers will then facilitate in-setting training (two day) for MVP mentors (S5/S6 young people) alongside newly trained staff. The training is fully supported by MVP Resources.

To find out more visit Mentors in violence prevention (MVP).

No Knives Better Lives: Violence prevention

Free Online Training (for practitioners)

  • Better Lives: Understanding Violence Prevention and Knife Carrying (3 hr)
  • Restorative Approaches and Hate Crime (1 hr 30 min)
  • Imagine A Man – Building Positive masculinity with young people (3hr)
  • Further bespoke violence prevention courses linked to social media, alcohol, and girls

Access courses through their website.

Scottish Violence Reduction Unit: Bespoke training

  • Free online training specifically for education – Quit Fighting for Likes
  • Bespoke training on Relationship Based Practice. Resources and courses are free and can be accessed on their website.

Community Justice Scotland: Restorative Justice - Hate Crime or Serious Harm

Bespoke in-person training courses:

  • Restorative Justice and Hate Crime – Prepares participants to facilitate RJ interventions
  • Trauma Informed Restorative Justice - Uses case studies to examine – RJ principles to practice.
  • Restorative Justice Serious Harm - Explores the special principles and safeguards of applying restorative justice in cases that are considered serious.

Course and contact details can be accessed on or via their website.

Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice: Working with children in conflict with the law

Bespoke events and roadshows on Restorative Approaches specifically for practitioners working with children in conflict with the law but also useful for anyone working with children and young people in a range of contexts. More information can be found on their website or contact Pamela Morrison at pamela.i.morrison@strath.ac.uk.
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Relationships and behaviour: Professional learning

Published 20/08/2025.  Last updated 03/09/2025

Every educational setting has its own context and every setting will be in a different place with regard to their relationships and behaviour improvement journey. This means that each setting will also have different professional learning needs. Below you will find information about a range of resources and professional learning opportunities (most of which are Scottish Government funded). The section below is split into two sections.

This first offers professional learning and resources which support a positive ethos and culture at a universal level and are appropriate for every child in every setting. The second offers professional learning that will support harm and violence prevention and reduction. The contributors therefore reflect the wide range of knowledge and expertise needed to address the diverse needs of educational settings across Scotland. Most of the resources and professional learning are completely free however some of the organisations also offer further professional learning which may incur a cost.

Please use your professional judgement to determine which professional learning best aligns with your settings needs and objectives. As always, please ensure you undertake your own checks as part of your planning process to ensure the suitability and quality of any external professional learning.

Education Scotland: Inclusion, wellbeing and equalities framework

Self-directed professional learning modules

27 free informed and skilled levels modules around 4 themes. They can be delivered at whole school level or as part of individual professional learning.

National programmes

  • Keeping Trauma in Mind: Free bi-annual skilled level programme of 5 twilight online sessions (see our events page). Also delivered as Train-the-trainer programme to local authorities on request.
  • Being Restorative: Free informed level short course (2-4 hours) delivered nationally or locally on request. Appropriate for all practitioners with a focus on establishing a relational and restorative culture in terms of values, thinking and language.
  • Restorative Approaches: Free skilled level train-the-trainer programme delivered nationally or locally on request. Find out more here.
  • Solution Oriented Schools: Free skilled level train-the-trainer programme delivered nationally or locally on request. Find out more here.
  • The Cycle of Wellbeing: Free. Delivered periodically nationally online (see our events page) or on request at local authority level. To find out about local authority delivery please contact us at IWE Team.

Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution

  • Free online conflict resolution training courses and events for practitioners. See SCCR website for more details.
  • Learning and Teaching resource pack for educational settings (Emotions and the Brain)
  • Links to other curriculum based teacher resources available on their website
  • Provides free research-based information for teachers, learners and parents

Scottish Mediation: Peer mediation

  • Free information and resources can be found on their website.
  • Train-the-trainer course for educational practitioners – Online (2x 3.5 hour sessions) or in person (1-day) – Training provides basic conflict resolution skills, knowledge of peer mediation, and the ability to set up/ sustain a peer mediation program within an educational setting. Scottish Mediation will then facilitate in-setting training (two day) for peer mediators (P5/6 children in primary and S5 young people in secondary) alongside newly trained staff. The training is supported by a Peer Mediation Resource Pack. This training has a cost.

Mentor in Violence Prevention

  • Free Train-the-trainer course for educational practitioners to implement the MVP in their settings. MVP is a peer mentoring programme that gives young people the chance to explore and challenge the attitudes, beliefs and cultural norms that underpin all forms of gender-based violence in our society.
  • Training consists of professional learning sessions for staff implementing the programme within their settings and then MVP trainers will then facilitate in-setting training (two day) for MVP mentors (S5/S6 young people) alongside newly trained staff. The training is fully supported by MVP Resources.

To find out more visit Mentors in violence prevention (MVP).

No Knives Better Lives: Violence prevention

Free Online Training (for practitioners)

  • Better Lives: Understanding Violence Prevention and Knife Carrying (3 hr)
  • Restorative Approaches and Hate Crime (1 hr 30 min)
  • Imagine A Man – Building Positive masculinity with young people (3hr)
  • Further bespoke violence prevention courses linked to social media, alcohol, and girls

Access courses through their website.

Scottish Violence Reduction Unit: Bespoke training

  • Free online training specifically for education – Quit Fighting for Likes
  • Bespoke training on Relationship Based Practice. Resources and courses are free and can be accessed on their website.

Community Justice Scotland: Restorative Justice - Hate Crime or Serious Harm

Bespoke in-person training courses:

  • Restorative Justice and Hate Crime – Prepares participants to facilitate RJ interventions
  • Trauma Informed Restorative Justice - Uses case studies to examine – RJ principles to practice.
  • Restorative Justice Serious Harm - Explores the special principles and safeguards of applying restorative justice in cases that are considered serious.

Course and contact details can be accessed on or via their website.

Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice: Working with children in conflict with the law

Bespoke events and roadshows on Restorative Approaches specifically for practitioners working with children in conflict with the law but also useful for anyone working with children and young people in a range of contexts. More information can be found on their website or contact Pamela Morrison at pamela.i.morrison@strath.ac.uk.
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