Parenting Support
Children don't come with an instruction manual, so when it comes to parenting, how do you know what’s best and what works? In Hull, we recognise that bringing up children is one of the hardest jobs in the world!
You as a parent or carer do a fantastic job, but there are times when some extra support may be needed to help you raise children who can reach their potential.
As part of the support available to parents in Hull, we offer a variety of sessions to help parents of children of different ages.
Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities (SFSC)
These sessions run for 13 weeks, 4 hours per week.
The sessions provide strategies to manage children’s behaviour, positive family relationships and other life skills that can support parents to bring up their children to become responsible and happy young adults.
These sessions are suitable for parents or carers with children aged around 3 to 19 years old who either live with their children or have regular contact with them. Parents attending the sessions often say that it’s good to be part of a group and to know you are not alone.
Supported Separated Families (SSF)
These sessions run for 8 hours which is usually spread over 2 days.
The group sessions are for parents who do not have children in their care at the moment and would like support to improve relationships with their children and the professionals around them.
The sessions will explore various parenting strategies and will offer discussions around -
- supervised contact
- working with professionals
All children aged 0 to 18 years old can attend.
These sessions can also be used to promote and evidence engagement with services whilst you are working with -
- courts
- social workers
- other professionals
Family Links Nurturing
These sessions run for 10 weeks, 2 hours a week at your local Family Hub.
The group sessions aim to help adults understand and manage -
- feelings
- behaviours
becoming more positive and nurturing in their relationships with their children. The sessions encourage an approach to relationships that gives children and adults a healthy start for their lives and learning.
These sessions are suitable for parents or carers of children aged 2 to 11 years old who are living with them or involved in regular contact and parenting.
Incredible Years
These sessions run for 16 weeks, 2 hours a week at your local Family Hub.
Incredible Years sessions are aimed at improving -
- relationships
- controlling emotions
- modelling social skills
- child directed play
They enable parents to understand and manage challenging behaviour.
These sessions are suitable for parents or carers of children 2 to 8 years old who are living with them or involved in regular contact and parenting.
To book, speak with staff at your Family Hub.
Positive Parenting Programme (Triple P)
These sessions run for 8 weeks, 2 hours per week.
Triple P is an approach that aims to help children develop to grow up to be healthy, responsible teenagers and adults who feel good about themselves. It is a parenting and family support system designed to prevent, as well as treat, behavioural and emotional problems in children. It aims to prevent problems in -
- the family
- school
- community
before they arise, and to create family environments that encourage children to realise their full potential.
These sessions are suitable for parents or carers of children aged between 2 and 11 years old.
Access to book or speak with staff at your Family Hub.
HENRY (Health Exercise and Nutrition for the Really Young)
This programme runs for 8 weeks, 2 hours per week either at your local Family Hub or online.
HENRY explores everything from parenting skills and strategies to managing stress, looking after yourself as a parent through to giving your children the best start in life.
HENRY helps parents and carers think about how they can help their families to be healthier and more active in a relaxed way. The group sessions encourage parents to support each other.
As part of the HENRY programme, you can also take part in shorter workshops over an hour or 2 that cover -
- starting solid foods – know when to introduce new, first and finger foods to your little one, exploring different foods you might try, sharing ideas with other parents
- healthy teeth – understand the affect of sugar in foods and snacks, explore healthier options that children will love and receive oral health information
- eating well for less – explore cost effective ways to shop, budget and provide healthy alternatives for your family that won’t break the bank
HENRY covers 5 main themes -
How we parent
- behaviour
- routines
- choices and praise
- meeting needs
How we eat
- role modelling
- exploring eating habits
- family routines
What we eat
- exploring family meals
- snacks
- healthy recipes
Being active
- family activity
- what you can do locally
- ideas to do at home
Emotional wellbeing
- managing your feelings
- stress
- emotions
HENRY has 2 programmes that are suitable for parents or carers or grandparents or family members with children between the ages of either 0 to 5 years old or 5 to 11 years old.
To book, email healthylifestylesteam@hullcc.gov.uk or speak with staff at your Family Hub.
Online parenting guides
Children do not come with instructions or a handbook. These free, handy parenting guides are full of top tips and advice for -
- expectant parents
- parents
- grandparents
- carers
Guides include -
- understanding your pregnancy
- understanding your baby
- understanding your child
- understanding your teenagers brain
- understanding your child with additional needs
are a set of 5 online guides with useful hints, tips and support for life stages from pregnancy through to when your children are aged 18.
You can book on the In Our Place website and use code ‘FREEDOM’ for free access.
Each module only takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete. You can complete at your own pace. There is indefinite access once you have used the code. Your login details will not expire and you can access the guides for years to come, as your child grows.
The online guides are accessible -
- at home via a mobile phone
- tablet device
- laptop
- in any Adult Education Centre
- library
- Family Hubs across the city
Coming Soon
GroBrain Baby Course
The GroBrain Baby Course is for parents of babies pre-birth to 12 months. It focusses on bonding and brain development - the vital part parents and carers play in ‘wiring up’ the connections in their baby’s brain in the first 1001 critical days of life. This ‘brain wiring’ lays the foundation for emotional wellbeing and the way emotions can be in later life.
Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) Workshop
The workshop will run over 2 weeks, 2 hours per session.
It will provide information about -
- Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC)
- Sensory Processing Differences
- the impact ASC and Sensory Processing Differences have on children's behaviour
The workshop will also provide information on services that can provide support to you and your child or children.