Parenting support

Parenting support aims to give parents and carers the skills to support their child’s education and to deal with issues that could affect a child, young person and family’s well-being. This could include advice, support and guidance on a range of issues and help for families to find other learning opportunities, such as parenting programmes, or family and adult learning where children can learn with their parents. Schools should also hold information sessions for parents, for when children move on to primary or secondary school.

Parent Support Advisers

A Parent Support Adviser (PSA) works to support the needs of all parents and families of school-aged children, as well as those that need a little more help. Sometimes family life can be demanding, so when it gets the better of you a PSA is there to offer a listening ear, friendly advice, and support.
PSAs encourage parents’ involvement in their child’s learning through a range of events and training. They work in partnership with families, schools and other agencies to provide support and impartial advice on a wide range of issues. The work of individual PSAs will be shaped by and reflect the needs of each school community.

How can a PSA help?

PSAs can offer advice, support and guidance on a range of issues, including:

• Help to identify local and national agencies/services that can offer information, advice and support
• Offer access to appropriate parenting, family and adult learning sessions and support to attend
• Help to get you more involved with your child’s learning
• Support to help you with your child’s behaviour
• Support to improve your child’s attendance at school
• Support at key transition points, such as joining and moving through to school and on to secondary school
• Directing parents to the appropriate services for support on health, housing, debt, bereavement, family separation, returning to work, childcare and activities, etc

How might this be provided?

PSAs will offer different activities depending on the needs of parents. These could include:

• Informal coffee mornings, parent forums
• One-to-one support for individual parents/families
• Family events
• Group workshops