31 August 2009

Dundee to host third International Research Conference in Video Interaction Guidance

*** Photo opportunity - Delegates will be attending a civic reception at the City Chambers on Friday September 4th at 5.30 pm. ***

Hundreds of delegates from around the world will gather in Dundee later this week for a conference discussing the latest research in using video feedback to encourage improved communication in hard-to-reach families so children can thrive.

200 delegates from 14 countries will gather at the University of Dundee for the Third International Research Conference in Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) on September 4th and 5th 2009.

The conference provides a forum for the latest research on the effectiveness of VIG, a technique which uses filming and feedback to help build familial relationships.

Top researchers from the Netherlands will present a recent analysis of the effectiveness of VIG in families and new research with parents and young babies and fosters families with children experiencing attachment difficulties. A research team from Dundee and Portugal will present the voices of Dundee mothers who have turned their lives around while receiving VIG.

“VIG is a technique that aims to enhance communication within relationships,” explained Hilary Kennedy, an educational psychologist and programme leader in the VERoC (Video Enhanced Reflection on Communication) Centre at the University of Dundee.

“It is most typically used for interactions between children and adults, either parents or professionals, although it can also be used within pairs, or even groups, of adults. Its aim is to give individuals a chance to reflect on their interactions, drawing attention to elements that are successful and supporting clients to make changes where desired.

“Having the conference in Dundee is especially apt this year as the City Council’s Social Work department were recognised at the Scottish Care Accolades earlier this year for their work with VIG, which was named the most innovative training programme.”

The conference will feature contributions from researchers conducting cutting edge research on VIG and world-renowned scholars whose academic work can enhance the understanding of why and how VIG works. Among those attending will be academics, psychologists, doctors, teachers, social workers and health visitors who want to develop their knowledge of how and why an intervention based on positive video-feedback can enhance relationships.

The conference takes place in the Dalhousie Building at the University of Dundee on Friday September 4th and Saturday 5th. There will also be a conference dinner in the Apex Hotel on Friday night and a ceilidh in the Invercarse Hotel on Saturday night.

For more information on the conference and the work being done at the University on VIG see:
www.cpdeducation.co.uk/veroc

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk