For Parents

For Parents


Parenting Apart Workshops

In Parenting Apart Workshops parents think about the issues that arise in separated parenting and how best to handle them. There is a mixture of information and exercises, which give plenty of opportunity for participants to learn from each other and share experience.  People find these workshops very supportive.

Parents talk about the impact of separation on children, what to say and how to support children and think through ways of managing communication with the other parent and improving the relationships or situations within their family.

These workshops are run periodically in response to need.

For more information e-mail or call us on 01865 741781


 

Parenting Information Programmes (Court Ordered Contact Activities)

The implementation of the 2006 Children and Adoption Act gave Family Courts more flexible powers to facilitate child contact where it is safe to do so. The Court now has power to direct parents to attend ‘Contact Activities’ aimed at promoting safe contact with children.

Oxfordshire Family Mediation (OFM) is an Approved Provider for two of these contact activities:

  • Mediation Assessment Meetings
  • Parenting Information Programmes

Parenting is challenging enough when parents live together:  it is even more difficult and complicated when they do not. A Parenting Information Programme course may be appropriate when parents have reached the point of court applications. 

The programme is designed to help parents learn more about the challenges of post-separation parenting, including the effects on children of ongoing conflict. It also aims to provide advice and support about how best to help children in this situation, and seeks to enable parents to take steps towards their own solutions.

Most parents that go on the course say they find it very helpful. It is all too easy for parents to feel unsure about how best to meet children’s needs in the overall context.

The course is designed in four one hour modules:

  1. The divorce process
  2. Children’s needs
  3. Communication between parents
  4. The emotional impact of separation

Parents will be enabled to consider where they are in their own ‘divorce journey’. They will see a powerful video made by young people about parental conflict in the family.

This raises key issues for discussion and parents will go on to consider the needs of children in separating families and to identify problems specific to their own situation.

Time is spent looking at ways of improving communication with children as well as ex-partners. Finally, parents will consider the emotional aspects of separation and loss and how they might look after themselves and move forward.

OFM will only report back to the Court about attendance on the programme and will not make any assessment of parents’ responses.

This course can only be delivered by order of the Court and is free.