Intervention Pocket Coach

A practical toolkit for relational, trauma-informed care

- Developed by Act for Change

Toolkit visual - hands, paper, pen, child and adult

The Intervention Pocket Coach is a hands-on guide for practitioners working with children, young people, and families experiencing complex needs. Whether you’re in education, social care, youth work, or mental health, this tool helps you respond earlier, with greater confidence and clarity.

Grounded in the DATIS model—Development, Awareness, and Trauma-Informed Systems—the Pocket Coach equips professionals to navigate emotional and behavioural challenges through clear frameworks, reflective tools, and case-based strategies.

In fast-paced environments where thresholds for crisis are high and time for connection is short, the Pocket Coach shifts the focus: from reacting to symptoms to understanding the systems and stories behind them.

The Pocket Coach tackles common dilemmas:
Over-reliance on thresholds
Confusing trauma responses with defiance
Power imbalances in practice
Lack of systemic clarity
It helps practitioners hold both parts of the picture: the inner world of the young person and the wider systems shaping their experience. The result? More ethical, effective, and relationship-centered interventions.
The AFC Certification Pathway: Honouring Practice, Supporting Change
The AFC Network and Certification Pathway are being developed as supportive tools for practitioners—not more red tape. Designed with those on the ground, this approach aims to celebrate real-life wisdom, promote trauma-informed work, and reassure commissioners about quality and ethics—without adding to burnout.
It is not a test—but a mirror. It helps you reflect on your practice and grow with confidence.
It signals quality. It shows commissioners and partners that trauma-informed values are embedded.
It is flexible and fair. Tiered levels (Foundation, Practitioner, Advanced) with space for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
It is built on what you already use. Tools like the Pocket Coach, Awareness-Action Tracker, and Quadrant Maps are at its core.
It is peer-powered. Assessed by practitioners, moderated by peers—no top-down gatekeeping.
It is evolving with integrity. It’s being co-designed with those doing the work, tested before scaling, and always guided by lived experience.
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