What are the benefits of attending a course?

The Parent Centre courses take you on a journey that explores misbehaviour, encouragement, discipline, talking, conflict management and relationships with children of all age groups. We offer fresh ideas that help when you’re feeling stuck, give you practical strategies that will move you through a frustrating phase. Help you with goal setting and support you through changes that will make you and your family happier.

What evidence do you have that your courses help parents to be better parents?

There is extensive evidence from research that parents benefit from attending a coaching course. Our courses have been extensively evaluated with positive results. Copies of evaluations can be requested by contacting The Parent Centre.

Why would ordinary parents with ordinary children attend a course?

Parents who attend a coaching course are not bad parents, they attend because:

• They are aware of the impact they have on their children and want to know more and want to    get it right.
• They are aware that they use strategies learned from their own experiences of being    parented and that sometimes these do not work for them or their children.
• They are struggling with a particular problem and want to explore in a supportive and positive environment , their own needs and the needs of their children.

Will attending a course ensure that I will not have any problems with my children or the children in my care in the future?

Being a parent or caregiver is not easy and there is no one solution. Courses are not prescriptive but instead give parents and caregivers a set of strategies or principles that they can use in their own way, in their own families or settings.

The course covers:

• Encouragement and listening - the key skills in parenting and coaching

.•Positive communication.

.•Conflict management .

Helping you to:

• Reduce tension, squabbling, fighting and tantrums
• Create a framework of discipline and respect in the family
• Establish clear parenting guidelines
• Make children happier and more responsible
• Build respect and friendship between all members of the family.

Why do I have to fill out a questionnaire before I can attend a course?

It is important to find the right course for you and the course you attend will depend on the ages of your children. We do our best to tailor the courses to the particular needs and circumstances of each parent and it is not possible to do this without the appropriate information.

What is an online course?

An online parenting course can be run by use of email and telephone contact and can also include meeting in a web video conferencing room. The format of the course will be agreed with the parent at the time of booking and the parent handbook will either be posted or emailed to you before the start of the course.

How is a course run using a video conferencing room?

To participate in this course you are required to have a computer and a webcam. When you have completed the questionnaire and agreed to the terms and conditions of The Parent Centre and booked a course. The Parent Centre will contact you by telephone to discuss the course with you. Instructions about how to access the web meeting room and the password for the six session course you have booked will be given to you. Courses are usually run in the evening when the children have gone to bed but can also be run during the day for parents who find day-time courses more convenient.

The course is interactive but is more formal than meeting parents face to face. The advantage is that you do not physically have to travel to a venue. This type of course is ideal for parents who are unable to access a course in their neighbourhood. One telephone call during the week is also included in the format of the course.

Is the video meeting room secure and what about confidentiality?

The video meeting room is secure but I cannot guarantee 100% security because I have no control over participant’s computers. However no one can enter the room without the name and the password for the specific course. Each meeting will have a different name and password. On the question of confidentiality; when you book a course you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of The Parent Centre which include responsibility for security and confidentiality. In addition ground rules for the course are agreed at the first session and one of the ground rules is about confidentiality. The only reason we would have to break that confidentiality would be the disclosure of a child protection issue because child protection issues can never be kept confidential.