Structured Family Sessions

Every week, we offer daily structured family sessions on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The family sessions are run in small numbers with up to a maximum of 8 families attending each session. We offer a 2 week timetable so that we can support as many families as possible.

The Structured Family Support sessions provide an opportunity for parents to socialise and make friends with other parents who have children of a similar age whilst enjoying a hot drink (and biscuits).  We have a well-equipped play room, messy room and a lovely garden for children to play, learn and explore.  The sessions are very relaxed and the team have time to listen and offer emotional and practical support to parents.  Our Senior Family Support Workers model the parenting techniques and skills taught in all our parenting courses and are available for on–the–spot help and advice.

If allocated a structured family session, you will be offered one session which you can attend once every fortnight, either in the morning (09:45am-11:30am) or the afternoon (12:45pm-2:30pm). These sessions fit around the school pick up times for any older children in the family.

Drop-in with agency clinic

We invite other agencies of interest to come in and for parents to receive guidance on a range of topics in a place where they feel comfortable.  To date, the Citizen Advice Bureau and Department for Work and Pensions have provided benefits and housing advice, We are Beams have supported families with children who may be on the Autistic/ADHD pathway, MEGANCiC have provided emotional and wellbeing support, others include Homestart, Domestic Abuse support, Single Asian Parent Network, Dandelion Time and Adult Education. We are always open to parents’ suggestions and will approach other agencies our parents would like to hear from.

Baby Steps

The Baby Steps session runs every week on a Thursday afternoon (1:00pm-2:30pm) and is specifically for parents with babies up to a year old – or confidently walking, whichever comes first.   After moving on from Baby Steps, families can access a family session.

Information Leaflet

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Peer Support Groups

We offer a number of support groups.

Bump to Babies – providing an opportunity to meet other soon-to-be parents, to enjoy refreshments and talk about your thoughts, feelings and experience.  

Emotional Wellbeing: We are proud to be working with MEGANCiC to offer a social and emotional wellbeing group to support parents and provide coping strategies to maintain positive mental health, provided with a creche.

Stepping Stones:  a support group for parents suffering with symptoms associated with Post-Natal Depression. The session, called Stepping Stones,  is facilitated by staff experienced in supporting parents’ emotional wellbeing and mental health.  The group is small, with up to 8 parents attending, all of whom are experiencing similar feelings.  Stepping Stones is run every Wednesday morning (09:45-11:15am.

The creches for these services are designed by the Senior Family Support Workers to be very engaging for babies and small children. The staff are very experienced and using the creche is something that can be built up to if parents are feeling anxious when they first come along to the group.

Information Leaflet

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Counselling

Parents can receive up to 6 weeks counselling depending on need. A creche is provided so that parents are able to attend and receive the time and support that they need.  The creches are designed by the Senior Family Support Workers to be very engaging for babies and small children and also help children to acquire the skills necessary for them to make a smooth transition to nursery and school.

There is a waiting list for this service and parents must attend other services for more than 3 months before a counselling place can be offered. 

Psychotherapy

Parents can receive up to 8 weeks psychotherapy depending on need. A creche is provided so that parents are able to attend and receive the time and support that they need. The creches are designed by the Senior Family Support Workers to be very engaging for babies and small children and also help children to acquire the skills necessary for them to make a smooth transition to nursery and school.

This service is funding dependent.  There is a waiting list for this service and parents must attend other services for more than 3 months before a place can be offered. 

Information Leaflet

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Bach Flower Remedies

Bach Flower Remedies is a gentle, holistic way of using flower remedies to tackle various emotional problems.  Our therapists, Alison and Liz, arrange to meet with individual parents once every 3 weeks. At the consultation, parents can share how they are feeling and Liz and Alison will listen and create a bespoke remedy.  There is a small charge of £6 per bottle but each bottle lasts 3 weeks.  A creche is provided so that parents are able to attend and receive the time and support that they need.

Information Leaflet

Please follow this link for our information leaflet in PDF format. It will open in a new window, close it to return to here.