SCARS Bermuda

Strongly recommend this training and retraining for those entrusted with other peoples children. Retraining reviews are very important. (BSOC Aug 2022)

This three hour training course provided me with an understanding about child abuse and prevention that I previously did not have. It is a critical course that all adults should take and will benefit from and thus will help children. It was facilitated with expert knowledge, compassion and understanding. As a mother of two girls, age 6 and 9, I found it very difficult to hear the testimonials, but I am so grateful to all who shared their experiences in this training course, as they have given me the starting tools to look out for and care for my children and all other children. Thank you SCARS for the incredibly important work that you are doing. (SOC Aug 2022)

I was very pleased to see that it was local professionals sharing their stories and points of view in this recertification training. This definitely helped to keep me more engaged. (June 2022)

Facilitators were highly efficient knowledgeable and were warm and receptive to all the attendees’ comments/questions. (SOC Aug 2022)

This training should be mandated for all who are in contact with children - Teachers, Pastors, Healthcare workers etc. (Feb 2023)

“My Training was an excellent experience and provided a safe space for me to be in when I felt triggered.”

This has brought light to lots of examples to watch for. (July 2022)

Thank you for your valuable time and patience. While I have never experienced abuse of any kind. Attending this training for the second time makes me more aware of what is happening in Bermuda and I hope that I can help make a difference to protect children and vulnerable and potential victims. Thanks again. 🤗🌷🤗 (June 2022)

"I am so thankful for this eye opening opportunity. This training is of utmost importance to create consciousness around our community to understand how child abuse can be so easily hidden without the proper understanding of how to identify the warning signs. This training needs to reach every parent and caregiver, SCARS is doing a phenomenal job. Thank you." (March 2022)

A great reminder to always reference policy to help us govern ourselves and help others. Great references to social media and it was great to see locally produced content. (BSOC Aug 2022)

Presentation was informative, well-paced, and interactive. (July 2022)

I think your services and programs are very beneficial for Bermudian families and young people, and makes us - adults who have to work alongside these young people - better equipped and informed. Thank you for what you do! (BSOC Sept 2022)

It was an excellent presentation. I was particularly encouraged that the training has been adjusted to represent Bermuda's population and inclusive of a wide section of organizations along with survivors. The Bermudian involvement makes it far more relevant and I applaud you for making it our concern as a country. (June 2023).

This was a great refresher! It allowed my mind to start ‘ticking’ and thinking about things within my classroom space and the importance of my students and their bodies. (July 2022)

I am going to be honest I thought this might be just a repeat of the first training we did. I was mistaken. It was so well presented and I was captivated. Thank you to Debbie and Helen for making it a very worthwhile course. (Jan 2023)

Thank you for offering this recertification online with different date options. This made it easier to find a time that would work for my teaching schedule. (Feb 2023)

Such a difficult and challenging subject handled so carefully and professionally. It is amazing what you are doing at SCARS, really changing things in an impactful way! Thank you! (Aug 2023)

"Although this is my third certification training in SCARS, I thoroughly enjoyed the training and my flame has been relit.”

"This session was thoroughly worth the 3 hours. The virtual environment was so calm and organized. The facilitators were so professional. During the whole experience, I learned a lot. I appreciate the virtual training kit, so much information. I think the Scars Training is an excellent program and should be implemented world to all who will work or enteract with children." (March 2022)

Very professional presentation that was welcoming and non-threatening. (May 2023)

"I really loved this training and wish that it was mandatory for everyone on the island to bring awareness and a safer environment. Thank you Helen and Debi!!! I really appreciated today and the words you said resonated with me. Knowing that I am not alone meant a lot and I will remember this for a very long time."

The training awakens my awareness on all the ways how to provide support for children. Also, it reminded me of how to implement policies about safeguarding children. It also reminded me of the red flags to look out for in various situations. (Jan 2023)

Great refresher!! Continue to do the great advocacy work that you do. Much appreciated. (BSOC Aug 2022)

Really valued the options for dates to choose from and level of organization offered. Thought Debi's incorporation of chat comments was great and allowed for a variety of perspectives (BSOC Sept 2022)

Any community member and especially parents can absolutely benefit from this knowledge. 3 hours went quickly and was absolutely not wasted! Cheers to your continued efforts. (Feb 2023)

I found the injection of Bermudian voices across several different realms a meaningful addition. Tailoring the training for Bermuda made all the difference. (BSOC June 2022)

I'm happy I made the decision to be trained with SCARS. I am the father of a nine year old son and I function as a single parent, and I would do everything within my power to keep him safe. My biggest takeaway: the benefits children gain outweighs any risk I must take to protect them. (July 2023)

The videos were effective in providing different perspectives from various community advocates. (July 2023)

This SCARS training was really impactful and important. I have done several safeguarding courses over the years as a teacher in the UK but they were not nearly as well done and impactful. It was so important to learn about sexual abuse on its own rather than group all forms of abuse together as it allowed the depth and understanding to come from this. It was very well run and Debi and Helen were brilliant. Thank you very much (June 2022)

The SCARS Beyond Stewards training was informative, relevant, and engaging. We are very appreciative of the time and energy that Debi & Helen invest in this important and necessary training and the impactful work they do in our community to make it a safer and healthier place for everyone, but most importantly our Island’s youth. There are several key takeaways that we learnt as a result of this meaningful training which we will action to enhance our safeguarding policies and our procedures. Thank you! (July 2022)

This virtual session was not only informative but very educational. A country is only as strong as its children, and it shed light on how important it is to not just nurture but prepare for the unfortunate events of life. (Feb 2023)

Despite being 3 hours long, I felt that the content necessary to give deep understanding to participants and adequately prepare them for the protection of children was condensed excellently and discussed in a way that allowed the information to be concise and meaningful. well done and thank you! (July 2022)

As I sat and listened, I was soberly reminded of the situations and things that we innocently and trustingly did as children and as parents. Mercy.... Continue on your quest to educating adults and future parents to save our children from this awful trauma. (BSOC Sept 2022)

Keep up the good work! Thank you for keeping us informed and putting our children's safety and well-being first. (BSOC Sept 2022)

I am happy I understood the different form of abuse and also that speaking up for children and protecting them is my responsibility. (Aug 2023)

The stories told were real eye openers and it made me view a lot of my troubled students differently as far as their behaviour. I would like to better understand them and be more lenient with them just in case they are secretly hurting from trauma. (SOC Sept 2022)

This course was very informative and as a teacher, the topics discussed are areas I need to be aware of and will help me (and any child) in case I come across any suspected abuse. (BSOC Aug 2022)

The case studies/simulations and discussion were extremely helpful in identifying options and minimizing opportunity. Especially when I wasn't sure what to do. I would suggest a short 2 minute break timer in the middle. Pacing was excellent, just needed a pause. (July 2022)

I was unable to pick the date I completed training as it wasn't available. I completed it yesterday morning (Saturday, July 16, 2022). I I also really enjoyed the fact that the recertification now has videos that are relevant to Bermuda. I believe it makes it more personable and held my attention more. Thank you again for an informative and critical learning experience. (July 2022)

Recertification included sufficient information and reminds you of the factors to look out for and remain vigilant in protecting children. (July 2022)

Thank you for this PD! The online version is great as it allows SCARS to continually share the valuable information within a professional format. Establishing your expectations prior to the Zoom Meeting was great as well! (BSOC Aug 2022)

I particularly enjoyed the local component to the training this time and it made the presentation more relatable to Bermuda. (BSOC Sept 2022)

Thank you for your continuous effort to protect our children. I like how you have continued to upgrade in the different phases presented. A lot has happened in developing SCARS training from the beginning. Congratulations. (BSOC June 2022)

I thoroughly enjoyed the refresher certification course. It was insightful, thought-provoking and a fantastic presentation. As a middle school teacher, it was very difficult to listen to some of the information because I did find myself having flashes of different students who had suffered abuse. It also caused me to reflect on my own children and were they always protected and in safe environments. I was very surprised on how heavy I actually felt after the presentation. I think as an educator/teacher you can experience some sense of trauma or trauma from the experiences of your past students who suffered abuse. Fantastic presentation - thank you! (BSOC Aug 2022)

My wife and I got Scars certified back in 2014 before we had kids. Now that we have a 4 and almost 7 year old, I think it's vitally important that anyone in the same position be Scars trained. I had to get recertified because of a youth sports organization where I volunteer, but the training really resonated with me as a parent. I am already approaching certain things differently. (Feb 2023)