Groups and courses for parent carers

Courses and groups can be great ways to meet other parents and swap tips, or find out about strategies and resources to help deal with the unique difficulties you face:

• Courses for parent carers
• Groups for parent carers

Courses for parent carers

There are a range of courses for parent carers run regularly by Seaside View, Amaze and CAMHS (the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service).

All the courses listed below are free for local parents.

• Triple P Stepping Stones - for parent carers of under 12s with any special educational need or disability
• Triple P Teens - for parent carers of children over 11 with any special educational need or disability
• Time Out for ASC - for parent carers of under 10s with Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC)
• Exploring ASC - for parent carers of over 10s with Autistic Spectrum Condition​ (ASC) or Asperger Syndrome
• Insiders' Guide - range of courses for parent carers of children according to age and disability
• Mindfulness - meditation and stress reduction course for parent carers

Triple P Stepping Stones

Triple P positive parenting courses are all about making family life run move smoothly and happily by really focussing on how we deal with children’s behaviour. Find out reliable ways to encourage more good behaviour and cut down the less good. Stepping Stones is for parents of under 12s with any special need or disability. It is run by our Parenting Team. The course is made up of six group sessions and two phone consultations, and takes place over eight weeks. To find out about upcoming courses, visit our Parenting support through Family Hubs page.

Triple P Teens

Teenagers bring fresh challenges for all parents around behaviour and how to respond helpfully. Triple P Teen courses will help you stay positive in your approach to parenting your teenager (11 years old and over) with special needs.  Get strategies to help them develop independence without too much risky behaviour. Find out about more about Triple P courses for teens.

Time Out for ASC

Time Out for ASC is for parents of children aged up to 10 years with a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Condition. It is run by Seaside View. The 8 sessions provide parents with the opportunity to meet other parents, gain more information about ASC, share experiences and find strategies to help support their child and family. All parents will be invited to this course after their child is diagnosed at Seaside View, but if you missed it then you can still book. To book call Seaside View on (01273) 265780.

Exploring ASC

Exploring ASC is a group for parents of children aged over 10 years with a diagnosis of ASC/ASD (Autistic Spectrum Condition or Disorder) including Asperger’s Syndrome. It is run by specialists at Seaside View Child Development Centre. The six weekly sessions help parents understand more about their child’s diagnosis, adjust to how it affects family life and get ideas about how to cope and help their child. All parents will be invited to this course after their child is diagnosed either at CAMHS or Seaside View, but if you missed it then you can still book. Call Seaside View on 01273 265780.

Insiders’ Guide

From time to time, Amaze runs Insiders' Guide (IG) courses that aim to build parents' knowledge and wellbeing so they are well placed to enjoy the journey bringing up their children. There are various different IG courses for children and young people with particular disabilities or at particular stages:

• Under 5s with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
• Under 12s with SEND
• Teenagers with SEND
• ADHD
• ASC
• Anxiety
• Severe and profound learning difficulties
• Complex health needs

IG courses offer a mixture of practical skills like dealing with meetings or helping your child have a social life. They also give you time to look at how it feels to have a child with SEND and how to build your own resilience. Insiders' Guide courses are co-delivered by a professional and a parent carer and each course has six sessions. Courses do not run that frequently but if you are interested, visit Amaze's website events listing or call their helpline on 01273 772289 to find out more.

Mindfulness course

Mindfulness courses involve learning practical skills and techniques for better managing low mood, anxiety and stress. Free or low cost courses for parent carers are available via Seaside View and other services across the city and Sussex wide. Research into mindfulness has found helpful outcomes for people with these experiences and it is a recognised and recommended form of NHS treatment. If you would like further information about Mindfulness please contact Seaside View on 01273 265780 or email SC-Tr.BGH-seasideview@nhs.net
 

Groups for parent carers

Parent carer support groups

There are a number of local parent-led groups that are another way to get together with other parents and share ideas and experiences. They may arrange parent get-togethers or family activities. Some groups are open to all, some are related to a specific disability or are in particular local communities. Find out more about parent carer support groups.

Family Hubs and Children's Centres

They offer a programme of groups and activities which may be open to all or by invite. They often offer Triple P parenting groups and courses. Read more about local Family Hubs and Children's Centres.

Schools

Some schools offer parent get-togethers and courses, for example Downs View and Hillside special schools have regular parent sessions on useful topics.

Parenting support

Get an up to date list of Triple P parenting groups and talks running across the city. Call 01273 293545.

BHISS

Brighton and Hove Inclusion Support Service may run sessions specifically for parents and carers. For example, BHISS - ASC team holds regular parent carer coffee mornings with workshops. More about BHISS.