Reducing Parental Conflict Training

These courses, all designed to encourage practitioner confidence and skills in identifying, exploring and supporting parental conflict and healthy parental relationships are provided by Staffordshire County Council with funding from the DWP Reducing Parental Conflict programme fund. The courses will be delivered by Caroline Porter of Foxstones Training and Leaning. Before establishing Foxstones Caroline worked as a practitioner then manager for a children’s service in the North of England for over 20 years and has experience across Youth Justice, Children’s Centres and Early Help.

Caroline was a national trainer on the original roll out of the programme and has continued to develop and deliver bespoke courses to a number of local authority areas over the past 4 years. Caroline has worked closely with colleagues across Staffordshire to ensure the content is relevant and meaningful to the workforce.

To book a place on any of the following courses please email children.families.training@staffordshire.gov.uk with the following information:-

Delegate name, email address, name of course and date

Promoting Healthy Parental Relationships – understanding parental conflict

One day course

This one-day course will give delegates an overview of the keep principles of healthy parental relationships and the impact of parental conflict. It is suitable for people from a range of backgrounds and will provide practical tools and resources to help delegates identify, explore and support parents in conflict.

Target Audience – anyone who works directly with children, young people & their parents including school pastoral staff

Aims

To explore the key research and evidence linked to parental conflict in the UK, the effects on children and young people
To be able to confidently define parental conflict and understand the difference between that and domestic abuse
To understand the key principles of conflict and how it manifests
To have knowledge of a range of practical tools to identify, explore and support parents in conflict.
To consider the importance of our approach and how we build effective relationships with parents
Have an understating of referral and signposting options for further support.

Date	Venue/Virtual	Times
24^th September 2024	Families First Faraday Road, Stafford	9.30 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.
8^th October 2024 FULLY BOOKED	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.
7^th November 2024 FULLY BOOKED	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.
11^th February 2025	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.
25^th February 2025	Families First Faraday Road, Stafford	9.30 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.
20^th March 2025	Families First Faraday Road, Stafford	9.30 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.

Parental Conflict and the impact on children – for schools and settings

This session provides an introduction and overview of the topic of “parental conflict” and what the evidence tells us about how children and young people may be impacted when their parents’ relationship is distressed and / or communication is poor. The research message is clear “When parents get on well, their children do better”.

The session will provide details of how schools and settings can obtain support for parents whose own relationship challenges (whether together or separated) may be negatively affecting their children’s outcomes

Date	Method of delivery	Times
17^th September 2024	Teams	4.00 p.m. – 5.00 p.m.
21^st January 2025	Teams	4.00 p.m. – 5.00 p.m.
5^th March 2025	Teams	4.00 p.m. – 5.00 p.m.

Target Audience:- Schools and Settings

Having Courageous Conversations with parents and carers

Half Day course via Teams

This course provides an opportunity to reflect upon and understand why some conversations can feel difficult. It offers a same space to explore the challenges of difficult conversations and the potential barriers to having open and transparent conversations about sensitive subjects.

Aims

To explore why some conversations are difficult and the impact on practitioners
To consider how a restorative approach can support effective discussion by us having empathy for the other parties position
To explore how conflict can be avoided and minimised
To discover tips to managing difficult conversations and increase confidence

Target Audience – anyone who works directly with children, young people and their families

Date	Method of Delivery	Times
21^stOctober 2024 FULLY BOOKED	Teams	1.00 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.
26^th November 2024	Teams	9.30 a.m.- 1.00 p.m.
10^th December 2024	Teams	1.00 p.m.- 4.30 p.m.
28^th January 2025	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.
4^th February 2025	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.
24^th March 2025	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.

Working with Separated Parents – practical tips

Half-day course by Teams

To provide frontline staff with the confidence and skills to work effectively in meeting outcomes for children where their parents are separated.

Aims

To explore the barriers and challenges in working with separated parents and those in conflict.
To reflect on how we keep children at the centre of our practice
Have increased awareness of tools to work with separated co-parents in conflict
Be aware of the legal context of parental responsibility

Target Audience – anyone who works directly with parents

Date	Method of Delivery	Times
11^th October 2024	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.
22^nd October 2024	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.
18^th November 2024	Teams	1.00 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.
3^rd December 2024	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.
18^th December 2024	Teams	9.30 a.m.- 1.00 p.m.
27^th February 2025	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.
27^th March 2025	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 1.00 pm.

Working with Dads and Significant Males

Half-day course by Teams

To increase knowledge and skills of the vital role Fathers and male carers play in the lives of their children and to promote best practice from the workers supporting those children.

Aims

To Understand the key research pertaining to Fathers and male carers
Be more reflective of their own approach to working with significant males and how their own values may influence their approach.
Have increased knowledge of some of the barriers to successful engagement of male carers
Be aware of best practice when working with fathers and male carers
Reflect upon how effective healthy relationship work with parents requires best practice with dads

Target Audience – anyone who works directly with children, young people and their parents

Date	Method of Delivery	Times
15^th October 2024 FULLY BOOKED	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.
24^th October 2024	Teams	1.00 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.
20^th November 2024	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.
5^th December 2024	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.
27^th January 2025	Teams	1.00 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.
26^th February 2025	Teams	1.00 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.
25^th March 2025	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.

When couples become carers – parental relationships where children have SEND

Half day workshop by Teams

In this session we explore how having a child with additional needs or disabilities may impact on the couple / co-parent relationship and consider what we as professionals can do to support effectively. This course is suitable for anyone who works with children and young people with SEND or significant health conditions and their parents.

Target Audience – anyone who works directly with children & young people who have special educational needs, disabilities, long-term illness or are neurodiverse and their parents / families

Aim

Consider the range of stressors on a co-parent relationship
Explore the research around parental relationships and SEND
Reflect upon the impact on relationships of having a child with SEND
Consider what parents need from us and how we can acknowledge their relationship pressures.

Date	Method of Delivery	Times
16^th September 2024	Teams	1.30 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.
9^th October 2024	Teams	1.30 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.
17^th October 2024	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.
14^th November 2024	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.
27^th November 2024	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.
11^th December 2024	Teams	9.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.
12^th March 2025	Teams	1.30 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.
26^th March 2025	Teams	1.30 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.