Parental support

Parents often feel overwhelmed by the demands of parenthood and  welcome the opportunity to meet with other parents, discuss common parenting issues and build on skills they already have. The Parenting Support Team support agencies throughout the borough.

The Parenting Support Team offer a number of courses which aim to:

• Enhance the quality of family relationships
• Offer parents an opportunity to meet and discuss common parenting issues
• Value skills that parents have and support to develop further skills
• Increase parents' confidence and raise self esteem for parents and children
• Help parents create positive frameworks for family relationships
• Increase parents' awareness of stages of child development and the effects on behaviour presented
• Encourage parents to find assertive discipline techniques without the use of physical punishment
• Help parents develop effective communication techniques
• Support parents in finding appropriate methods of coping with stress
• Promote the importance of identifying and recognising positive behaviour.

What do the courses involve?

The courses run for 6 or 12 weeks, one session per week, and each session lasts for two hours. See below for timetables through to July 2008.

The sessions are delivered in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere using a person centred approach. The sessions are structured in a way that allows parents to build on their knowledge and skills from week to week. There is no reading or writing involved and sessions are mainly discussion based.

Parents are given an extensive range of handouts and booklets to keep for their own reference.

Who delivers the courses?

The courses are delivered by a range of professionals from education, early years, health, social services and the voluntary sector. All the course facilitators have undertaken additional training on working with parents, delivering parenting courses and the evaluation process.

This inter-agency approach not only ensures the course is high quality, but also that parents are offered up to date consistent information and are introduced to a wider range of professionals in a relaxed informal atmosphere. These professionals create a wider support network for families.

Courses for parents

Current courses available:

Parenting Courses April - July 2008 (45kb pdf file)

Managing Children's Behaviour

This six week course offers parents who are experiencing difficulties in managing children's behaviour a chance to get together to support each other and look at developing further skills in coping with difficult behaviour. This is a relaxed, informal course, which is mainly discussion based.

Positive Parenting

This course offers parents a chance to get together as a group where you will be valued for the skills you already have, and supported to make any appropriate changes you want to make. During the six weeks we will look at issues around parenting, behaviour, confidence building, stress and relaxation. The group is discussion based and relaxed and friendly with no written work although written information is available. This course is delivered in partnership with Health.

Surviving your Teenager

This is a 12 week course that offers parents who are experiencing difficulties in managing their teenagers behaviour an opportunity to get together and support each other and look at developing further skills in coping with unwanted behaviour, mood changes, puberty and the transition from primary to secondary school. This course is discussion based although videos and booklets are also used. 

Survival Skills for Families

This 12 week course has some exciting ideas about how to manage children's behaviour and their changing developmental needs. It gives ideas for play and how play can be used to develop positive relationships and confidence. Parents are supported and encouraged to recognise positive behaviour and how through praising these behaviours we can get the behaviour we want to see more of. This course is based on material written by Dr Caroline Webster Stratton and has been extremely successful in America in reducing anti-social behaviour and conduct disorder. 

How much do the courses cost?

All the parenting courses are FREE OF CHARGE and have free crèche facilities attached to each class. Free refreshments are also provided.

The feedback from parents who have attended SAPNA courses has been very positive. Some of the comments on “How has the course helped you?” were:

• "Talking openly in a group learning how to be calm and dealing with difficult situations"
• "I found it to be very helpful not only for handling my child, but my own feelings too"
• "I would recommend this course to anyone who has children"
• "Seeing the techniques discussed were working".

How to book

Parents can book a place by ringing 0845 226 5533 or by talking to their Health Visitor or childcare setting.

Courses for professionals

One day workshop on the Webster Stratton Principles

This workshop is based on The Incredible Years Programme developed in America by Dr Caroline Webster Stratton. It gives any childcare professionals working in the childcare field evidence based practical strategies that can enable them to promote positive behaviour and decrease negative behaviour in their day to day work.

The workshop also provides a consistent approach for staff working with children whose parents have attended a parenting course. This workshop has had excellent feedback and has been undertaken by all Sure Start staff, School Health Practitioners, Learning Mentors, SENCOs and Teaching Staff.

If you require more information on any of the above courses, please contact the Parenting Support Team.