Dr Suzanne Zeedyk- From ACES Theory to Relational Practice

She’ll be helping us to ask: Why do relationships matter so much for children’s development? Why do they continue to matter throughout life? Do relationships really shape us biologically?

Dr Suzanne Zeedyk is one of Scotland’s leading voices in this area. She has worked hard for more than two decades to help the public understand the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) — explaining why they so easily lead to lasting trauma and also why they often don’t.

In this session, Suzanne will take us on a deep dive into the theory that underpins ACEs, highlighting gaps that often go unnoticed, and that, she believes, have kept us from implementing relational practices as robustly as we might. Guidance documentation being produced by local and national governments, as well as by professional bodies, would benefit from paying attention to these gaps. Decisions made by frontline staff become more assured when given opportunities to interrogate the conceptual choices that researchers have made.

Suzanne has a welcome reputation for making complex scientific ideas feel accessible. She will be illustrating her points in this session by sharing real-life stories of the ways in which staff teams in Scotland have been able to transform their practice, once they felt secure in their ability to champion relationships. Those shifts have solved problems even where money and staff ratios were tight — and where parents were exhausted by the demands of modern life.

You will leave the morning with greater confidence in your ability to advocate for relational practice in your organisation, service or community. The event is relevant for professionals in any sector, as well as individuals with a general interest in ACEs.

Everyone is welcome. All you need to bring is your curiosity.

Please note that only 40 seats are available.