Supporting parents
For a number of reasons, parents sometimes struggle to care for their children.
Helping parents do their best for their children
Coram's parenting services offer early support for families so that they avoid reaching crisis point and can provide a loving and secure environment for their children.
In the past year (2016 to 2017), Coram supported more than 300 parents to help them to do their best for their children.
Parenting achievements in Thurrock
Coram offers one-to-one support and group parenting programmes in Thurrock for families with children from birth to 18 years old with additional needs. The service focuses on building family resilience and relationships and strengthening support networks. Parenting programmes employed in Thurrock include:
-
Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities (SFSC) a preventative programme aimed at increasing self-esteem and achieving positive long-term changes in family relationships.
-
Mellow Parenting offered to mothers and fathers at home to reinforce their learning.
In 2016-2017 Coram expanded its services in Thurrock by adding the Incredible Years parenting skills course for parents with children under eight, STOP, a parenting programme for parents of teenagers, and Pit-STOP, a one-to-one version of STOP.
Parenting programmes for adopters
Coram offers two types of parenting programmes tailored to the needs of adopters. Parents of children aged eight and under take part in the Parenting Skills for Adopters programme while parents of older adopted children take part in the STOP programme.
In 2016 to 2017, Coram delivered four parenting programmes in London to 53 parents.
-
94% were satisfied or very satisfied with the programme,
-
97% would recommend it to a friend.
Stay and play
Coram's stay and play events give new adoptive parents and their children a chance to come and play, chat and seek informal support from other new adopters and the post-adoption support team, including a child psychotherapist.
In 2016-2017, 44 families attended stay and play groups with 100% of parents saying they would recommend the service.
Young parents
Coram supports young parents so that they can develop the skills needed to care for their baby and engage in education. This includes a peer education programme in schools where young parents educate their peers about the impact of having a baby at a young age. For more information see Young parents
Assessing families at risk
Between August 2014 and September 2016, the Community Based Assessment project (CBA), a partnership project between Thurrock Council and Coram, provides expert assessment of families with children in need, or at risk of being removed. It is provided via specialist social workers from the Family Drug and Alcohol Court with experience of domestic abuse, substance misuse and mental health.