Sleep Training for Professionals
We now offer two OCN accredited sleep training courses with a focus on specialist SEND sleep support.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
Essential Paediatric Sleep Advice Consultant (CEPSAC)
This OCN Level 3 accredited training course will give you an introduction to sleep, and the beginnings of the ability to support children with additional needs with their sleep through 10 hours of online, on-demand learning.
Intermediate Paediatric Sleep Advice Consultant (CIPSAC)
This OCN Level 4 accredited training equips participants with comprehensive knowledge and practical skills to become proficient sleep consultants. This course is designed for professionals to support children with additional needs and their families effectively.
Bespoke training for organisations (CIPSAC)
We can customise the CIPSAC training to suit your specific needs by focusing on education, health, social care or genetic conditions. Your tailored training session can be held at your workplace, offsite or in a virtual capacity. (Minimum of 8 participants.)
Testimonials
Here's what people have said about our sleep training.
This was one of the most informative and enjoyable courses I have done. The content was brilliant and covered all that was needed.
Thank you!
The training was great, it was so good to do it face-to-face. I really missed actually being able to interact with people not across a screen during training.
Yes, I would recommend this training to other professionals. This is a comprehensive programme that puts disability at the heart of the training.
Cerebra Essential Paediatric Sleep Advice Consultant (CEPSAC)
This is an online course - Essential Foundations of Children's Sleep Health and Family Collaboration.
- The course contains online sessions to give you the base learning - approximately 10 hours of active learning.
- It includes five online assessments with support from Cerebra staff including personalised feedback and liaison if needed.
- You will receive an accompanying workbook with practical useable tools for your practice.
- As this is an ‘on-demand’ course, it can be completed whenever you like as all the materials are online.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- understand the physiology of sleep and its stages
- recognise how different ages and developmental stages affect sleep patterns in children
- define and identify sleep problems in children and understand their symptoms and impacts
- assess the consequences of sleep problems on health, daily functioning, and family dynamics
- understand how specific conditions, such as ADHD or anxiety, affect sleep and how to manage these impacts
- define and implement sleep hygiene practices to improve sleep quality for children and collaborate effectively with families.
This course is for anyone who has an interest in sleep and would like to know more.
£495
I’m interested, what do I do next?
If you’d like to receive detailed information and be considered for a place on the Essential sleep training course, please complete an expression of interest form.
Cerebra Intermediate Paediatric Sleep Advice Consultant (CIPSAC)
- Three days of face-to-face learning or a virtual option delivered over four weekly sessions.
- Covers the latest research, social work theory, psychology, sociology, and behavioural theory.
- Includes parental support, assessment methodologies, and practical support plan development.
- Case studies and a detailed workbook to consolidate learning.
- Final assessment with written feedback from the Cerebra Sleep Team.
- Module 1 – Sleep Health and Management for Disabled Children
- Understand the importance of sleep for disabled children, including its benefits on health, cognition, and emotional wellbeing.
- Analyse how sleep issues affect children with disabilities and learn to observe and record sleep patterns, identifying factors influencing sleep quality.
- Module 2 – Sleep Intervention and Family Collaboration for Disabled Children
- Assess and set personalised sleep goals, collaborating with families and healthcare providers to develop tailored intervention plans.
- Integrate evidence-based strategies such as sleep hygiene practices and behavioural interventions, adjusting plans as needed.
- Module 3 – Practical Applications for Furthering Family-based Sleep Support
- Develop effective communication skills to engage with families and caregivers, focusing on empathy and active listening.
- Provide educational support and empower families to implement intervention plans, ensuring collaborative decision-making and ongoing support.
This course is ideal for individuals who are passionate about supporting children with additional needs, including:
- School nurses, health workers, family support workers
- CAHMS and mental health teams
- Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, counsellors
- Nursery workers, nannies, maternity health workers
- Students in relevant fields
Prerequisites: A Level 3 (or equivalent) qualification in a related subject and GCSE English are recommended.
£1,400 per participant.
This includes refreshments and a healthy lunch each day for the face-to-face option, with opportunities to network with the Cerebra Sleep Team and fellow participants.
- November 11-13, 2025 – Birmingham (Face-to-face)
- March 2-23, 2026 – every Monday 9.30am - 1pm (Virtual)
We also offer in-house, bespoke training packages that can be tailored to your specific needs. See below.
I’m interested, what do I do next?
If you’d like to receive detailed information and be considered for a place on the Intermediate sleep training course, please complete an expression of interest form.
Bespoke for Organisations (CIPSAC)
This training can be made bespoke for education professionals, focusing on how sleep difficulties impact learning, behaviour, and emotional wellbeing in children with additional needs. It will explore how sleep-related issues may present in school, and how staff can work with families to observe patterns and support consistent routines. Content can be tailored to help staff recognise sleep challenges within SEN concerns and contribute to EHCPs. There will be an emphasis on practical classroom strategies and strengthening home–school communication around sleep.
This training can be tailored for health professionals to focus on clinical and developmental aspects of sleep in children with additional needs. It will emphasise incorporating sleep into routine assessments, understanding medical and behavioural influences, and applying evidence-based strategies. Scenarios will reflect clinical practice, with a focus on effective communication and integrated care planning across services.
This training can be adapted for social care professionals, with a focus on the family and environmental factors influencing sleep. It will explore how housing, stress, and safeguarding concerns affect routines and how professionals can support families in developing practical, collaborative sleep plans. The course will emphasise empathetic communication, family empowerment, and integrating sleep support into wider care planning.
This training can be tailored for professionals working with children who have genetic conditions, such as Cri du Chat syndrome. It will focus on how specific genetic profiles influence sleep—addressing factors like hypotonia, communication difficulties, sensory sensitivities, and high levels of night-time waking. Using Cri du Chat as an example, the course can explore common sleep challenges such as frequent waking, difficulty settling, and the impact of developmental delay. Strategies will be adapted to suit the child’s communication needs and physical profile, with an emphasis on building consistent routines, sensory-informed environments, and clear, visual sleep cues. Training can also be adjusted to reflect the family’s emotional support needs and the importance of working across health, education, and care systems.
I’m interested, what do I do next?
If you’d like to discuss creating a custom CIPSAC training session for your organisation, please email us.
