Parents and practitioners will soon have access to a new package of training and online resources designed to reduce parental conflict. The package, which is being rolled out across many parts of the country, is set to boost help for families and provide a sustainable workforce training programme.
Earlier this year, local authorities in England were invited to apply for funding from the government’s Reducing Parental Conflict (RPC) Workforce Development Grant to support their work with parents and provide better outcomes for children.
So far, 35 local authorities in England have chosen OnePlusOne’s training and digital packages to equip practitioners with the skills and tools they need to help more families.
Our expert team of trainers will be training over 2,000 practitioners, equipping them with the knowledge and confidence to help parents manage conflict and communicate better. They will also learn how to use a selection of evidence-based online resources, either to work through with parents or encourage parents to explore themselves.
The local authorities now working with OnePlusOne will receive access to three online courses for use with families in their area. These are:
- Me, You and Baby Too. Helping new and expectant parents cope with changes to their relationship when they become parents and learn how to cope with stress and conflict constructively.
- Arguing better. Raising awareness of the impact that parental conflict can have on children and helping parents develop better ways of managing stress and arguments together.
- Getting it right for children. Supporting separating or separated parents and helping them to avoid the harmful situation of their children getting caught up in the middle of their conflict.
Also available is a selection of Getting on Better cards, to be used with parents to encourage them to think about different aspects of their relationship and the impact of their behaviour.
Verity Glasgow, co-director of OnePlusOne, said:
“Research has shown that children who are exposed to intense, poorly resolved arguments between their parents can suffer long-term damage to their mental wellbeing and development. Supporting families to get on better is one way to help secure the best possible outcomes for children. And for all of us, our relational capability – how we get on with others – is central to the quality of our everyday lives.
Parenting can be challenging regardless of whether parents are together or apart. The past 18 months have placed even more pressure on families and those working to support them. We’re excited to be providing a sustainable training solution to help local authorities continue their reducing parental conflict work at a time when it is very much needed. Adding our digital resources – packed with advice and engaging videos – to their toolkit will help to increase the ways they can offer support to families.”
In addition to providing training in the use of the online courses, OnePlusOne is also delivering Train The Trainer sessions to a number of local authorities, equipping practitioners with the skills to cascade knowledge within their organisations.
This builds on OnePlusOne’s existing work with all 22 local authorities in Wales. Funded by the Welsh Government, every family in Wales can now receive free access to all three digital courses.
Nicole Brownlie, RPC Lead for Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, said:
“Our aim is to support families to develop healthy, productive relationships, positive communication strategies, and better ways to resolve conflict, ultimately ensuring resilient children and parents. Families come in all shapes and sizes, from different backgrounds and cultures, and with different lived experiences. Whatever the circumstances, we want to offer all parents effective support so they can create the kind of family environment where children thrive.
OnePlusOne’s package of training for our practitioners and online resources for parents will further our abilities to ensure parents receive timely, responsive parenting support. Parents are often impacted by barriers such as time pressures, and work-life balance can be a juggling act for many. The online tools and resources mean they can access support and advice at a time that suits them, while being supported by our practitioners.
We believe that improving relationships between couples and co-parents (as well as the parent-child relationship) will improve the long-term life chances of our children and young people. These new resources mean more support for families to ensure children’s futures aren’t negatively impacted by prolonged conflict. We can work with families to understand their experiences of family life and areas of difficulty and help them learn new coping strategies to calmly resolve conflict and improve the outcomes for their children.”
Families interested in any of the online courses – Me, You and Baby Too, Arguing better, and Getting it right for children – should contact their local authority to find out what is available in their area.
To learn more about the training and digital resource packages offered by OnePlusOne, please visit https://www.oneplusone.org.uk/what-we-offer/digital-resources
For further information, please email info@oneplusone.org.uk.
