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Understanding the Impact of Animal-Assisted Interventions in Care Settings
£40.00 GBP
Taxes included.
Course overview
This course is designed for professionals working in care settings—whether residential homes, hospitals, or community services—who want to enhance wellbeing through the human-animal bond. It explores how interactions with animals can improve emotional and physical health and provides practical guidance for safely and effectively integrating Animal-Assisted Interventions into practice. Participants will gain an understanding of the science behind the benefits of animal interactions and receive tools to ensure sessions are ethical, safe, and tailored to the needs of the people they support.
What you will learn
By the end of this course, participants will understand the principles of Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) and how humans respond emotionally, psychologically, and physiologically to animal interactions. They will learn the key psychological benefits, including reducing anxiety, lifting mood, supporting social interaction, and promoting emotional regulation, particularly for clients with dementia or mental health challenges.
The course also covers the physiological impacts of AAI, such as lowering blood pressure and heart rate, encouraging movement, and triggering hormones like oxytocin and dopamine that enhance relaxation and wellbeing.
Participants will gain practical skills for measuring and demonstrating the impact of their sessions using both qualitative and quantitative methods, while also learning to identify considerations and contraindications, including allergies, phobias, cultural preferences, safeguarding, and ensuring animal welfare. Through this, learners will be equipped to deliver safe, effective, and evidence-informed AAI in care environments.
Who this course is for
This beginner-level course is aimed at social workers, carers, SEND specialists, and professionals in care settings who want to develop a foundational understanding of Animal-Assisted Interventions and learn how to integrate them safely and ethically into their practice.
Next steps
Strengthen your understanding, build your confidence, and put Animal-Assisted Interventions into practice safely and effectively. Enrol now and take the next step toward enhancing emotional, social, and physical wellbeing for the people you support, while creating meaningful, ethical, and impactful interactions with animals in care settings.