Testimonials

“The National Pica Advisory Service has made me feel supported and that I am not alone. The support they provided has been empowering, tailored and informative. The support group has aloud me to gain a better understanding of my daughter’s needs and tips from other parents going through similar experiences with their children.” – Kira.

“I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the PICA National Advice Service for the incredible support and guidance they have provided. Their team has been a true source of strength during a challenging time, offering professional, compassionate, and clear advice that has made a real difference for me and my daughter, Jasmine. Knowing that we had someone to turn to who truly cared and understood our situation gave us both comfort and confidence. The support we received was not only practical but also deeply reassuring.” – Anonymous

“Hi I just wanna show my Appreciation for the support and uplift I have received from the PICA advisory service.

They have kicked butt, and I don’t know where I would have been right now if I wasn’t for the support and help they have gave me in many ways than one.. For just being able to ring up when I’m liturally at breaking point or the advice and guidance in the right defection for both me and my children. I can not say as many thank yous without this being a literal essay but just know when I say “Thank You” I couldn’t mean it more from the bottom of my heart and I hope that everyone else new or old to the group can share in my appreciation for the Magic and Resilience that happens here.

Much love Beautiful People” – Chantel

“We were fortunate to participate in a comprehensive training session delivered by the National Pica Advisory Service on understanding and managing Pica, a complex and often misunderstood condition. The session was exceptionally informative, professionally delivered, and grounded in the latest research and best practice. The training provided a deep dive into the clinical, behavioural, and cultural dimensions of Pica, helping our team to better understand the diagnostic criteria, risk factors, potential health complications, and intervention strategies. The real-life case studies, especially that of James Frankish, brought home the importance of early recognition, tailored intervention, and multi-agency collaboration. Particularly valuable was the exploration of behavioural strategies, sensory alternatives, redirection techniques, and medical approaches, equipping our staff with practical tools to manage Pica safely and compassionately in our setting. The trainer Tolu Osho was knowledgeable, empathetic, and responsive to questions—making a sensitive topic feel approachable. Her lived experience and genuine passion for improving outcomes for people with Pica shone throughout. We now feel far better equipped to support individuals with Pica in a safe, person-centred and proactive way. We highly recommend this training to education providers, residential settings, health professionals and social care staff who may work with individuals at risk of Pica-related behaviours. Thank you to the National Pica Advisory Service for a vital and eye-opening learning opportunity” – Rachel Carli

“My many thanks to you both though, for listening, supporting and coming up with potential interventions if they were needed!! Your support alone means so much when, as a parent, you just feel stuck with these unusual behaviours.

If there is anything I can to do to support your amazing work and just being there for us parents – please do let me know.

From a very relieved Mam” – Jen

“Training was informative and clear, the use of real life examples and case studies was extremely helpful. I had very little knowledge on pica, but now I have a clear understanding of the background and symptoms as well as to support the child. Also the training facilitator was very clear when answering questions and it felt like a safe space.” – Sophie

”I found the training interesting and informative as I know very little about this subject (Pica) beforehand. It was very helpful to hear about personal experiences around Pica and how this genuinely affects families. I thought that the redirection ideas given is a very good way to help with our younger children. I feel the course will help me to identify needs in children and to know how to best help them. The course was very easy to understand and I feel well equipped to pass it on to others.” – Anonymous

“Thank you so much for all the information today! Veryenlightening about the different types and some shocks atwhat is being ingested. You are gorgeous and very easy to listen to! I feel far more able to identify and support the youngpeople we work with.” – Anonymous

“Very informative. I had heard of PICA and knew that it was regarding the consumption of non-edible items but that was about as far as my knowledge stretched. We have a child due to start with us in September who is showing signs of PICA in the nursery setting and so this training will be very useful to feedback to the staff that will be working with the child in their class. Particularly useful to consider the ‘swap box’ in class to provide the child with an alternative and to have a bank of ideas as to what could be included” – Anonymous

“Really enjoyable, interesting, informative training. I have learned lots and I am very grateful” – Sarah

“Lots of new ideas to support children with Pica and PDA. Knowing the signs and symptoms of Pica. It was interesting to know the different types of Pica there is. I also realised that I practice some of the strategies in the classroom” – Anonymous