Herefordshire Council is launching a new service next week which will offer a package of support to parents across the county.
Being a parent is challenging and as society changes, the support and advice passed down through extended families and generations isn’t always there for everyone. Balancing work, the school run, keeping everyone healthy, making sure the kids do their home work, monitoring their development, managing budgets during recession and keeping everyone healthy and happy are just some of the challenges many face. But a particularly big challenge relates to behaviour and this is where many parents have worries or concerns.
Now, thanks to the council setting up this new service, hundreds of parents across the county will be able to receive one-to-one or group support from a new team of fully qualified and experienced staff.
The new service, Herefordshire Parents Matter, will be launched during national parenting week (19-25 October) and has been developed and funded by the government in a drive to support parents across the UK.
Herefordshire Council’s new team will provide parents with information on how they can promote their child’s development and deal with commonly encountered behaviour issues, many of which are part of normal development but worrying to parents nevertheless.
Group and one-to-one programmes will be up and running from January 2010 in a number of venues across Herefordshire although support can also be offered in family homes. The programmes will be delivered through an approach known as Triple P which covers a range of subjects including; improving child and parent relationships, child development, dealing with poor self-esteem, techniques to use when things go wrong, boundary setting and routines. Dates and venues will be published on the council’s web site. Parents can also email parents@herefordshire.gov.uk with any queries.
In the meantime, the team of parent support advisers will be out and about during national parenting week, handing out flyers and freebies and gathering contact details from parents who would like to get involved.
They will be in Leominster and Ledbury on October 19th, the centre of Hereford on 20th October and Ross on Wye and Bromyard on 21st October.
Councillor Jenny Hyde, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer this new service which is about helping all parents across the county.
“It’s an approach which aims to provide information and support for parents and help them deal with concerns before they become problems, which may affect the child or young person’s well being.
“Being a parent in the 21st century is by no means easy, and the launch of this new service should provide some much needed additional support for Herefordshire parents and carers.”