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Welcome from Policy Director/Deputy CEO
Welcome to the Autumn edition of the Children in Wales magazine which throws a spotlight on parenting in Wales. We are delighted to share with you many practice examples, including from parenting and family support services which have been shared with us from across our membership and wider sector.
National Parenting Week in October is a significant highlight in the global calendar, providing an opportunity to both celebrate and shine a light on the crucial role parents play in our society and the skills and knowledge required to raise, nurture and positively shape children lives and development. When we refer to ‘parents’, we use this as an inclusive term to include all parents (mothers and fathers), grandparents, foster parents, adoptive parents or anyone else with parental responsibility.
Parenting Week also enables us to highlight the challenges and barriers faced, as well as the rewards and lifelong impact of nurturing positive relationships between children and their parents. Parenting practices should of course always be enshrined in a commitment to realise children’s rights. The United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) recognises the crucial role parents and carers play in protecting and caring for children and enabling children to access the full range of rights throughout their childhoods.
Packed across the following pages you will see for yourself the incredible amount of work being undertaken in the parenting space as this edition of our magazine showcases some of the great work being delivered across all parts of Wales.
Much of this work takes place within the context of challenging cost-of-living pressures impacting on children and their families, alongside unprecedented high demands being placed upon public and third sector services, doing their very best to provide essential preventative and crisis support. This was most recently documented in
our State of Parenting and Family Support Sector report where services report being unable to meet increasing demand and complexity of need, sharing concerns in their ability to deliver early intervention and prevention services which they are primarily funded to do.
Over the summer and since our last magazine landed, the Welsh Government has appointed a new First Minister and refreshed their Cabinet. Eluned Morgan MS and Huw Irranca-Davies MS have taken on the roles of First Minister and Deputy First Minister, and we were delighted to welcome both to our stand at the National Eisteddfod in Pontypridd back in August. We also have a new Minister for Children and Social Care in Dawn Bowden MS who has responsibility for children’s rights and many of the policy areas which impact on babies, children and young people, including parenting. After many years of campaigning, we are relishing the fact that we now have a Minister for Children in name, and we’d like to give thanks to our members who campaigned alongside us to ensure that children have the recognition and profile they deserve around the government table.
We are delighted that the new Children’s Minister has taken time early in her new role to reaffirm the Welsh Governments commitment to ensuring that all babies, children and young people thrive in their families and communities, setting out the policies and interventions which support children and families to make this a reality. You can find out more about the actions Welsh Government are taking in our lead article.
Our heartfelt thanks go to those of you who have contributed to this magazine, and to others equally committed to supporting parents and families to help enable all children to access their rights and entitlement.
Enjoy your Autumn
Sean
‘We
want to have a voice and be heard’
Parents Connect Wales: The Journey so Far
Fatiha Ali Development Officer, Children in Wales
In a world where policies often shape the lives of families and children, it’s crucial for parents and carers to have their voices heard and valued. Parents Connect Wales (PCW) is a project led by Children in Wales and funded by the Welsh Government that aims to do just that. By creating a Wales-wide platform, PCW offers a space for parents and professionals to engage in meaningful discussions that influence policy development.
The Need for Parental Engagement
Parents want to play a meaningful role in the development of policies that impact their children, not just as participants in a “tick-box” exercise, but as valued contributors from the start. The project has been designed as a “twoway approach,” ensuring that parents’ voices are not only heard but acted upon, with feedback provided at each step.
Upholding Children’s Rights
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) guarantees every child the right to grow up healthy, happy and safe. At its core, PCW supports the principles of the UNCRC, particularly Articles 3, 5, and 18. These recognize the role of parents and families in protecting and caring for children. The project emphasizes the importance of parents as duty bearers in ensuring that children’s rights are upheld. It encourages parents to understand these rights and advocate for them.
Children in Wales | Parents and children’s rights
Laying the Foundation
In November 2021, PCW began its journey with a scoping exercise, survey, and report. The findings were clear: parents felt it was crucial for them to have opportunities to share their views, ideas, and
opinions. They directly told us that this is important because:
‘We want to have a voice and be heard’
‘We are raising the adults of the future”
‘We represent our children’s voices”
“To give children the best start in life – we must all work together’
Building networks and resources
Since March 2022, the next phase of the project has made significant progress, establishing:
• A Professionals’ Forum with over 100 members from various sectors that work in parent participation.
• A Parent Advisory Group that brings diverse parent representatives together to guide the project.
Both groups offer valuable expertise and meet quarterly to shape the project’s direction and ensure it stays responsive to families’ needs.
Additionally, the project has set up:
• Local representatives in all 22 Welsh local authorities to capture and communicate parents’ perspectives.
• The Parents Connect Wales Online Hub, a central resource offering information and materials on parental voice for parents and professionals.
Involving everyone
PCW is dedicated to engaging parents from diverse backgrounds. They’ve formed strong partnerships with groups that work with parents of care experienced children, fathers, ethnic minorities, Welsh speakers, children with additional learning needs and parents involved in child protection and social services. PCW has also translated its project resources into five key community languages, using them to run workshops on children’s rights for parents in these communities.
Capturing Parenthood through a visual journey
The project has also used creative methods with parents who may be unable to engage in traditional consultation methods such as surveys or focus groups. This could be due to a language barrier, underdeveloped literacy skills, learning disabilities and many other reasons.
The project introduced an art-based consultation process, inviting parents and carers to create artwork that reflects their experiences of parenthood using visual methods. It also invited parents to capture ‘Life as a Parent’ and submit photos with captions.
The artwork and photos were used to create a colourful online gallery that showcases the joys and challenges of everyday family life across Wales. They reflect the lived experiences of parenting and how they define parenting, providing professionals with a valuable resource to better understand families.
Current work
PCW’s current work includes:-
• Consultation Toolkit: PCW is developing a toolkit for local organisations to effectively gather and feedback parents’ views. This is in response to a need identified by parent organisations who were enthusiastic about participating in consultations but lacked the skills to do this.
• Supporting Welsh Government consultations: Gathering parents views to feed into Welsh Government consultations and policy direction.
Welsh Government also offer support for parents via their programmes: Teulu Cymru and Parenting Give it Time.
• Parent-led support: Research shows that parents often seek advice from family, friends, and peers. As a result, PCW will continue to expand community and parentled support, including existing parent champions in Wales
• Training package for parents and professionals: PCW is developing a training package focused on parents’ voices, participation, and children’s rights. It will raise awareness of the UNCRC and emphasize the importance of parent involvement.
• A UK-wide collaborative approach: PCW has formed a partnership with parent participation organisations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and England. Together, they will make collective calls to the UK Government, amplifying parents’ voices from across the UK.
Looking ahead
By focusing on authentic engagement and the promotion of children’s rights, Parents Connect Wales is working to ensure that parent’s voices are at the forefront of decision-making for years to come. For professionals working with families, PCW offers an invaluable resource—a platform to connect with parents and understand their concern. For parents, it’s a chance to be heard, valued and, most importantly, to make a difference in the policies that shape their children’s lives.
Dawn Bowden MS Minister for Children and Social Care
How parents should be supported to meet the needs of children throughout their childhood
I was delighted to be appointed as Minister for Children and Social Care. I firmly believe supporting parents and families is essential to providing every child in Wales with the best start in life and throughout their childhood. My role is to ensure we take a children’s rights approach to everything we do, ensuring services are geared around the needs of the child in accordance with the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Parenthood can be deeply rewarding, but it’s not without challenges. Many families face additional pressures like poverty, poor housing, mental health and neurodivergence struggles, which make it harder to provide a nurturing environment for children and young people. It’s important we support parents and families early so babies,
children and young people feel happy, safe and well; and ensure the right conditions for them to grow and achieve their full potential.
Our vision is no matter where children live, children are supported to remain with their families, with fewer children and young people entering care. We aim to minimise the time young people spend in care while meeting their needs.
By intervening early, we can help keep families together, reduce the pressure on social care services, avoid needs escalating and reduce the risk of children entering care. Day in, day out, multi-agency teams provide universal, targeted and intensive support for parents and families with a range of needs.
The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are especially important. A good start in these early years can lead to better educational outcomes, stronger relationships, and better mental and physical health in later life and children are less likely to become involved in crime or antisocial behaviour, and adopt health-harming behaviours during adolescence, which is good both for them and for wider society.
Exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences or trauma may have long-term impacts on children’s life outcomes. That’s why our parenting and family programmes, delivered in a trauma-informed way, are important in tackling childhood adversity and supporting the development of more resilient children.
Our NEST framework supports mental health and wellbeing, encouraging cross-sector working, sharing principles and approaches that support babies, children, young people, and their families. This framework will be reinforced by our forthcoming Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy. Meeting the needs of neurodivergent families is one of our key priorities and support is offered for parents and carers through the National Neurodivergence Team.
The last few years have been tough for everyone, particularly for more vulnerable families. The pandemic and cost-of-living crisis have exacerbated challenges for families, with some facing more complex problems than ever before. Families who haven’t previously sought help may now need assistance. Our flagship Flying Start programme is so important in offering vital services to some of our most disadvantaged communities which, alongside our phased expansion, continues to support child development and help families lay strong foundations for a healthy, happy childhood.
Our multi-agency Families First programme focuses on early help, prevention, and support. The Team Around the Family approach positively impacts children’s lives, helping prevent problems escalating towards crisis and fostering resilient, independent families.
By placing an emphasis on early help and prevention, our approach to assessing and
tailoring support for parents themselves and the whole family can make a real difference. Family Information Services are often a first point of contact and play a crucial role in providing advice, information, and signposting to relevant services.
We recognise that affordable, available and accessible childcare enables parents to work, our Childcare Offer seeks to assist our efforts to tackle poverty and reduce inequalities.
We want to ensure families have access to information, advice and support, enabling them to choose the most positive approach to raising their children. Our Parenting. Give it time campaign, provides parenting information, advice and support for parents with children up to the age of 18 years of age.
This, in conjunction with our recently launched Teulu Cymru platform, points parents in the right direction for different sources of practical and financial support. From parenting tips and expert development advice, to help with childcare costs – Teulu Cymru makes it easier for parents to find support in one place through our social media channels and web landing page.
We’ll continue to seek and listen to the views of parents and families to ensure our services, advice and support continue to provide the help they need.
Communication is another crucial part of early development. Our Talk with Me programme helps families and childcare professionals foster positive interactions during a child’s first 1,000 days, promoting emotional and social development.
In addition, our Healthy Child Wales and Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales programmes support families to lead and maintain healthy lifestyles.
Our work relies on collaboration across sectors and communities. Together we can build stronger, more resilient communities, where children and young people look forward to a future filled with hope and possibility. We can make Wales a wonderful place for all babies, children, young people, their families and communities to thrive, both now and in the future.
Dawn Bowden MS Minister for Children and Social Care
Supporting parents to give their children the best start
Dinah Ellis, Cymraeg i Blant National Manager & Mari Gwilym, Mudiad Meithrin’s Manager for Learn Welsh Schemes
Ever since their beginning, the Cymraeg i Blant and Clwb Cwtsh schemes have been supporting parents and their children across Wales to use Welsh and to consider Welsh-medium education.
‘I’m worried that two languages will confuse my son’; ‘I won’t be able to help my child with his homework’ - These are two common concerns our officers hear every day from parents who are considering Welsh-medium care and education.
It is important to remember that some parents will feel worried and uncertain when making decisions about their family’s language. Therefore, it is necessary to offer opportunities and support to
those parents who wish to discuss their concerns and ambitions, as they consider speaking Welsh with their child.
It is necessary, not only in the context of the Welsh government’s target to reach 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050, but also when remembering that only a little over 40% of families where one parent speaks English and the other Welsh actually pass the Welsh language on to the child.
Several research reports note that supporting parents in the early years is advantageous to the young child in both the short and long term. Linguistic support is one of those key areas where a parent’s support can make a world of difference.
How does Cymraeg i Blant and Clwb Cwtsh support parents?
Parents and extended families from every linguistic background receive a warm welcome in our groups and sessions. Cymraeg i Blant groups offer a welcome to fluent Welsh speakers, parents who aren’t confident speaking Welsh, as well as Welsh learners. Parents in the ante-natal stage are also welcome to drop in for a taste of what will be available to them after the birth.
The Cymraeg i Blant officers offer baby massage, baby yoga, story, sign and song sessions, as well as the Fi a Fy Mabi sessions, all for free. Some sessions are held outdoors, weather permitting. Emphasis is placed not only on introducing Welsh and offering practical support, but also on creating a strong early attachment with the young child. Most importantly, the groups are fun, and an opportunity for parents and grandparents to make new friends and give their child the best start in life.
Information is shared about the advantages of introducing Welsh, and parents are encouraged to consider Welsh-medium care and education. Parents are introduced to the local Cylch Ti a Fi, Cylch Meithrin and Welsh-medium school. Over a cuppa and a biscuit there will be plenty of opportunities to discuss Welsh, as well as an opportunity to share concerns, good practice, as well as personal success stories.
Clwb Cwtsh offers a series of eight learn Welsh taster sessions that focus on the language used by parents and carers while raising small children. The sessions each last one hour and are suitable for new learners. The sessions are fun and lighthearted and each week covers a specific theme, focussing on language patterns relating to the child’s everyday home life; for example play time, dinner time and story time.
In some areas the sessions are delivered face to face, and a variety of virtually delivered options are available right across Wales. Babies and small children are welcome to join in the sessions; this is a golden opportunity for learners to use their Welsh immediately with their children, with the officer present to encourage correct pronunciation and to increase their confidence.
Information is shared during the groups and sessions about useful materials such as apps and S4C programmes, as well as opportunities to continue learning Welsh locally and online. Parents are encouraged to attend the local Cylch Ti a Fi (Baby and Toddler groups) and then the Cylch Meithrin (Welsh-medium Playgroups) which is part of the children’s natural language journey towards growing into confident bilingual individuals.
So, if you’d like to meet parents with the same aspirations as you, want an opportunity to discuss the Welsh language, or an opportunity to become more confident speaking or learning Welsh, then a warm welcome awaits you in a local Clwb Cwtsh or Cymraeg i Blant group.
For more information about the Clwb Cwtsh or Cymraeg i Blant services, go to:
@Cymraeg i Blant / @Clwb Cwtsh
www.meithrin.cymru/cymraegiblant
Clwb Cwtsh - Learn Welsh for free with Mudiad Meithrin
Early Years Voices Forum – Newport
Nicola Davies, Deputy Team Manager
Early Years Newport
Newport City Council’s Early Years team have recently been reviewing their participation strategy. As a result of consultation with staff and the public, the Early Years Voices Forum for Newport has been established. The forum has been developed so that parents and carers have a safe place to share their thoughts, ideas and experiences to help shape Early Years Services in Newport.
Families with children aged 0-7 years now have a platform to share their ideas on how to make Newport the best place for our children to learn and thrive giving them the best start in life. With National Parenting Week coming up, we want to take this opportunity to highlight how parents should be supported to effectively meet the needs of children, both in the first 1000 days and throughout their childhood. On 7 October 2024 representatives came together for the first time to discuss what matters the most to families with regards to accessing support services for parents in Wales.
Top of the list for those who attended was access to affordable childcare options, when parents return to work when baby is around 9 months old. Discussions highlighted how juggling working hours around school hours is challenging and that more wrap around services for school drop of and pick up would really help. They also wanted to see more local free activities/groups that ran throughout the whole week including weekends.
Consideration was given to support for single parents and how this can be increased as well as what support services are available for fathers, that focusses on becoming parents. Those who attended were asked to discuss where parents go to seek advice and guidance, with all stating that they sought advice from the internet, through speaking with their health visitors, and via their family and friends.
The good news is that the Early Years Team are already addressing some of the points raised by working with childcare providers in Newport to increase available spaces, expanding the Flying Start programme through Welsh Government guidance, promoting the Childcare Offer for Wales that entitles those eligible families to up to 30 hours funded childcare. The team are also directing services to support the most vulnerable
families with assisted places which is a financial assistance scheme to access childcare and through Flying Start outreach.
Working collaboratively with Newport City Council’s Community Development Team, men’s groups are being developed that will support fathers locally with parenting support and advice.
Male staff members have been trained to deliver a Circle of Security parenting course, and they will be able to offer this group to dads in 2025. Before the groups are offered, the team is working hard to engage with those who are least likely to engage with support by building relationships and growing trust between them.
Holiday provision in Newport is now joined up across all children and young people’s services to offer free provision for pre-school children all the way through to youth provision, which can support young people up to 25 years. The Early Years team works with the Youth and Play services to provide a suite of activities for all children and young people across the city during every school holiday.
Our next steps are to continue to engage with the Early Years Forum to demonstrate how we have listened to their thoughts and ideas, and to remain focussed on ensuring that we are actively undertaking true participation by exploring opportunities for co-production.
First 1,000 Days Outdoors
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority
Now, more than ever parents face a bewildering array of choices and sometimes, conflicting priorities when it comes to meeting the needs of their child, particularly in those first 1,000 days of life. Managing the financial burden of raising a child, ensuring they stay healthy, providing a balanced diet, facilitating interactions with other children, the list is endless.
A consideration of how much time you should set aside for outdoor play with your child is unlikely to come close to the top of any parent or carers priority list. Yet, there is strong evidence to suggest that outdoor play really can make a difference in those early years, positively contributing to meeting the needs of children in this phase of their life.1
However, increasingly there is a disconnect between children and nature, and in general terms children lead less active lifestyles when compared to previous generations.2
In 2022, in response to a Welsh Government’s initiative focusing on tackling inequalities in the 1st 1,000 Days of a child’s life, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority (PCNPA) launched their own 1st 1,000 Days outdoors project (1st 1,000 days project - Pembrokeshire Coast National Park).
The project seeks to connect families with nature and the outdoors, highlighting the value of wild spaces and outdoor play in contributing to the wellbeing of young children and their families. Our target audiences for the work have been
in some of Pembrokeshire’s most disadvantaged communities with relatively high rates of child poverty.3
The project delivers programmes of outdoor play based around neighbourhoods and local open spaces, supporting families who do not regularly access open space, building confidence, awareness and the motivation for parents and children to spend time outdoors. The project also works alongside Pembrokeshire County Council’s Early Years team, supporting settings including Flying Start centres to develop their use of the outdoors.
As part of our work we have spoken to parents about the barriers they experience in spending more time outdoors. Unsurprisingly the weather is a consideration, coupled with concerns about children getting dirty. A lack of suitable clothing and footwear limits opportunities, but there is also a perception amongst some parents that the outdoors is an unsafe place, possibly re-enforced by well publicised incidents covered in the media.
In both rural and urban communities ‘safe routes to play’ are limited, with busy roads and poor quality footpaths and pavements limiting accessibility even where play spaces exist. All of the above result in a lack of confidence amongst parents when considering time spent outdoors with their children.
More than anything else, the time spent outdoors needs to be fun for both parents and children –although our observations suggest children take more easily to muddy play than parents! We hear about and see evidence of great outcomes for those taking part in our outdoor programmes
even when the weather is less than perfect. Both structured and free play activities allow children who struggle in indoor settings to thrive in the outdoors. An outdoor environment can provide space to play and can also be a place to develop social skills and develop interactions with peers. We have been told that parents also relish the social experience in an outdoor space, particularly if it includes a cup of tea around a campfire.
A lack of opportunity for outdoor play is likely to have a disproportionate impact on children from disadvantaged backgrounds as those from more well-off backgrounds may take advantage of outdoor spaces accessible by car or nursery settings where ‘forest school’ activities are part of the everyday experience.
In communities across Wales there is the opportunity to make more of our open spaces for children and parents. However, local authorities and other statutory agencies need to be supportive, not just in promoting the value of outdoor play, but in considering the future development of our communities and the spaces that surround them so that they remain (or become) inviting settings for outdoor play.
Graham Peake is the Learning and Inclusion team lead for Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority
Kelly Davies is Outdoor Play Worker for the 1st 1,000 Days project
References
1 Play in Nature: Fun, Safe Outdoor Activities for Children (pathways.org)
12 benefits of outdoor play (and tips for helping kids reap these benefits) (parentingscience.com)
Nature nurtures children Summary Report FINAL.pdf (wildlifetrusts.org)
2 WHAT IS NATURE-DEFICIT DISORDER? | Children & Nature Network (childrenandnature.org)
3 Nearly a quarter of Pembrokeshire children living in poverty (msn.com)
“Our house is a calmer place now”
Barnardo’s Cymru
Just a few months ago Louise was feeling at her lowest ebb, struggling to cope with her son’s ADHD and not knowing how to get help.
Today she and husband Sean are much more confident parents to 11-year-old Charlie. They are armed with knowledge of how the world can appear to a neurodiverse child and with a toolbox of techniques to help him.
Thanks to family workshops run by Barnardo’s Cymru in Caerphilly they have been able to meet other parents who have faced similar challenges and realise they are not alone.
“It was so wonderful to be able to talk about things with other parents like us. I would never talk about the problems I was facing at the school gate because there is a stigma around struggling as a parent.
“Now we know that parenting a neurodiverse child is different and we have a greater understanding of things that can help,” said Louise.
After Louise and Sean were referred to Barnardo’s Cymru they began attending a Talking Teens course and were then offered the chance to attend a series of neurodevelopmental behavioural
support workshops that the service was offering in partnership with the Halcyon Service.
Louise said: “It was a lovely group of parents and professionals, and we felt we were in a safe environment where we could talk openly about our struggles. Within half an hour I had a lightbulb moment because I realised our problems were because of Charlie’s neurodiversity, not because I was a poor parent.
“Previously I would have been offended if someone had suggested I attend a parenting course, but it was an invaluable opportunity to learn different techniques to help with a neurodiverse child.
“I came away from every session feeling lighter and empowered.” Sean said: “The course was amazing. It gave us permission to parent in a different way.”
The couple learnt how their son could feel unsafe with traditional parenting methods. They discovered that rather than remove his phone or iPad as a punishment for poor behaviour, the use of technology can calm him and help him regulate himself.
They also realised that they need to give him time to calm down before trying to reason with him.
“There will still be rubbish days, but ours is a much calmer house now. It’s definitely a work in progress,” said Louise.
Barnardo’s “Confident Parents Stronger Families” service supported more than 300 families across Caerphilly last year, mostly with general parenting skills.
The family workshops have been run in response to demand from parents needing help with children showing neurodiverse behaviour, most of whom have yet to receive a diagnosis of autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Barnardo’s Cymru was able to obtain funding from Caerphilly Families First, to offer pilot workshops, and brought in facilitators from the Halycon service who have personal experience of bringing up neurodiverse children.
Fiona Fry, Team Manager with Barnardo’s Cymru, said: “The parents who came along found it very empowering. Until that point, some of them felt they were very much on their own.
“Having a child with challenging behaviour can be very isolating for parents and they can feel judged by others who just see ‘naughty’ behaviour.
“Neurodiverse children may not respond to traditional parenting techniques. If we can give alternatives which work with their children, it can really help. That support can also boost their own
mental health, build their resilience, allow them to better manage their children’s behaviour and to roll with the bad days.”
Among the areas covered are:
• Regulation – how parents can help children to regulate themselves when they are feeling overwhelmed, through the use of ‘safe spaces’.
• Communication – keeping instructions short and allowing processing time.
• Recognition – acknowledging that children will often express their needs through behaviour rather than words.
• Validation – traditional parenting strategies may not be effective for neurodiverse children and parents who may feel they are failing can develop more successful strategies through understanding the way their child sees the world.
Families can self-refer or be referred by a professional. As well as the workshops the charity offers one to one support, is working in schools and signposts to specialist services tailoring the support to the needs of families.
“It’s about nurturing parents too. We give them wellbeing resources which recognise the difficulties lots of parents face daily,” said Fiona.
Wales’ Childcare Crisis: Time for Action to Support Parents in Poverty
Sarah Rees Head of Oxfam Cymru
Across Wales, a silent crisis is unfolding. Families are grappling with high, unaffordable childcare costs and a lack of Welsh Government-funded childcare provision, that not only threatens their financial stability but also puts dreams of expanding families and progressing careers out of reach.
The harsh reality is that the current childcare system is failing parents, particularly those living in poverty. With the cost-of-living remaining painfully
high, many are left with a stark choice: pay for childcare or provide for their family’s basic needs.
Last year, Oxfam Cymru’s research revealed how high childcare costs are pushing Welsh parents into poverty. For parents, this isn’t just about money; it’s about hope, stability, and the future. Paying childcare workers fairly is vital, but for families, when childcare eats up a significant portion of their income, it creates a cycle of stress and despair that can be difficult to break.
The Welsh Government has implemented programmes like Flying Start and its flagship Childcare Offer, which provides limited, funded childcare provision, targeted at specific, though different, groups of parents of under-fives.
Both schemes are falling short.
Flying Start offers just 2.5 hours a day of childcare, in designated settings, to parents of two-year-olds living in certain postcodes. The Childcare Offer, meanwhile, offers access to 30 hours of funded childcare, usually split between two settings, for three- and four-year-olds of eligible working parents.
What use is 2.5 hours of childcare to people in or seeking work? And can you imagine anything more impractical than having to leave work in the middle of the day, in order to shuttle your child between different childcare settings? Not to mention how unsettling being shuttled between different places is for young children.
This patchwork of provision just isn’t cutting it.
The Welsh Government has been promising to roll out funded childcare to all two-year-olds for years; making a specific commitment to do so in its Cooperation Agreement with Plaid Cymru. But what it is doing instead is rolling out the childcare element of its existing Flying Start scheme, warts and all, at a glacial pace with no publicly available roadmap of how and when Ministers plan to widen this provision to all two-year-olds.
As parents and providers know all too well: Wales’ childcare sector is already creaking due to chronic underinvestment. Yet the Welsh Government chose not to use the additional money allocated to it by the UK Government as a result of the additional spending on childcare in England on expanding or improving childcare in Wales. Instead, the funds - a reported £180m - were used to help fill the budgetary blackhole facing Welsh Ministers, along with underspend from the existing Childcare Offer.
Of course, it’s mainly women who are paying the price for Welsh Ministers’ decisions and opaque delays, with mothers forced to either reduce their working hours or give up work entirely in order to care for their children.
Childcare is basic economic and social infrastructure, which, if designed and delivered well, can help Ministers deliver on both their antipoverty ambitions and commitment to running a feminist Government. But right now, Wales’ childcare system does neither.
There are some immediate, clear steps Ministers could make, such as making Flying Start accessible to all parents across Wales, and ensuring there are no restrictions on which settings Flying Start provision can be used in.
But simply widening Flying Start isn’t enough. We also need to consider innovative models like the Family Childcare Promise, suggested by campaigners and researchers at Pregnant Then Screwed and the New Economics Foundation, with support from Oxfam Cymru.
The Family Childcare Promise offers a more flexible approach to childcare, ensuring that parents can access affordable and high-quality care without breaking the bank. Through this model, childcare costs would be capped at 5% of family income. By empowering families with choices and support, we can create a system that works for everyone, not just those who can afford it.
The message is clear: the Welsh Government must act and assess the credible alternatives on the table. Parents have waited long enough for solutions that truly address their needs. Delaying action only perpetuates the cycle of poverty and stifles potential. By creating a robust childcare system, we are not just helping families; we are investing in the future of Wales.
Cecilia Corbetta Head of Parenting at Place2Be
How Place2Be is helping parents build strong foundations for children’s wellbeing
In 2023, around one in five children and young people aged between eight and 25 had a probable mental disorder. Generalised anxiety, attention difficulties, low self-esteem, mood swings and social interactions were the top five most common presenting issues for the primary school aged children who received individual counselling support at Place2Be during the year.
Place2Be has always worked in close partnership with parents and carers as part of our ‘whole school’ approach to mental health. Parents can refer their child for targeted assistance in our partner schools and receive support on parenting challenges from our family practitioners.
Common concerns shared by parents include how to spot signs children are struggling with their mental health, and what strategies can be put in place at home to help a child deal with difficult feelings.
As part of our commitment to constantly improve outcomes for children, young people and their families we fully reviewed our parenting offer in 2021.
We consulted with parents and carers in Place2Be schools to learn more about what kind of support would be most useful. This showed us parents want accessible, evidencebased and practical advice.
Parenting Smart is a free website full of practical advice and tips for parents and carers of primary school age children, including short videos to demonstrate how to put guidance into practice.
Since 2021, we have seen more than 130,000 visitors to the site. The most viewed articles focus on supporting children with anxiety, anger and self-regulation.
Parents and carers who have a child that attends a Place2Be school also have access to the Parenting Smart Online Course, which we developed in partnership with South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. The course is based on tried and tested techniques to deal with parenting challenges and help build strong connections with young people.
Our family practitioners also offer Personalised Individual Parenting Training (PIPT) to parents and carers looking for specialist support in building on their skills and managing behaviour. PIPT involves six to 10 parent/child sessions, during which parents can learn new skills with the support of a trained therapist.
Our aim is to support and equip parents and carers to foster resilience and good mental health in their children.
Outcome data from all our parenting interventions show positive impact both on the parent/child relationship and across parental confidence in managing behaviour, with a parent commenting: “I feel a lot calmer in my heart and I’m excited to spend more time at home with my daughter”. Another said: “I feel more confident in knowing I am using helpful strategies and have noticed her behaviour change in response to my own”.
We know positive parenting can have a major impact on a child’s outcome. Yet there remains a stigma attached to accessing support, with parents often quick to blame themselves.
It is important we normalise that any parent may need help during their parenting journey. Parents and carers deserve the best support to build their confidence, resilience and wellbeing so they can help their children thrive.
Learn more about the Place2Be parenting offer
Improving support for parents with a learning disability in Wales
Samantha Williams, Policy and Communications Manager, Learning Disability Wales
It is estimated that approximately 40-60% of parents with a learning disability have their children taken into care1. We do not have accurate data for Wales but given that we have a higher rate of looked after children, it is likely that a significant number of parents with a learning disability in Wales do not live with their children.
Evidence shows that children whose parents have a learning disability and are in contact with children’s social services have high levels of need2. Effective joint working across all agencies, particularly children’s and adult social services, is
essential to ensure positive outcomes for children and their families. However, this is often patchy or non-existent. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is paramount and this must apply equally to the children of parents with a learning disability. However, these families have specific needs that require specialist knowledge and skills to enable professionals to provide a fair and equitable service.
Many social workers do not feel adequately equipped to provide the specialist support parents with a learning disability need, especially within
the child protection process. Children’s social workers often lack the skills and experience to work effectively with parents with a learning disability while adult social workers may not have sufficient understanding of the child protection process to effectively support them. There are also issues around whether parents meet the eligibility criteria for support from adult services.
Failure to provide adequate support to parents with a learning disability is likely to be detrimental to the children’s welfare and could potentially be a breach of both the children’s and parents’ rights.
Under Article 23 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, people with a learning disability have a right to relationships and family life. They have the right to choose who they live with, including a partner or spouse and any children they may have. Disabled people also have the right to:
• “have access to age-appropriate information, reproductive and family planning education”
• “appropriate assistance […] in the performance of their child-rearing responsibilities”
Parents with a learning disability must therefore be given every opportunity to demonstrate that they can parent safely with appropriate support. They are entitled to equal access to services, including parenting support and information services.
Public bodies have a duty to “advance equality of opportunity”3 and to make reasonable adjustments to policies, practices and procedures where necessary.
A lack of adequate specialist support for parents with a learning disability is often a contributing factor in the removal of their children. Many of the very few specialist services that existed in Wales have been lost in recent years due to lack of funding, including the Action for Children Ymbarel project and specialist advocacy projects in Caerphilly and Bridgend.
Many local authorities only offer generic advocacy services, but for parents with a learning disability this is often insufficient. They need an advocate with specialist knowledge of the child protection
system as well as a good understanding of how to support their specific needs.
What does good support look like?
In 2023, the Welsh Government published guidance for social workers on working with families where a parent has a learning disability4. This important guidance sets out how parents should be identified and supported to look after their children, with the aim of reducing the number of children taken into care.
The guidance covers several key issues including:
• Values and principles
• Identification
• Communication
• Independent advocacy
• Assessment
• Effective support
• Joint working
Training for professionals
Any professional who works with families should have an awareness and understanding of the needs of people with a learning disability. Staff providing direct support to families or carrying out assessments should have more in-depth training on how to support parents with a learning disability. Training should be provided by learning disability experts, including parents with a learning disability themselves wherever possible. The training should cover a range of topics including:
• Stereotyping and negative societal attitudes
• Barriers to inclusion and understanding
• Legislation and guidance
• Accessible information
• Neurological differences
• Communication issues
• Behavioural and social challenges
• Abuse, hate crime etc
• Friendships, relationships and sexuality
To find out more, visit our website and join our network on working with parents with a learning disability: www.ldw.org.uk/project/parents-with-alearning-disability/
References
1 Wilson and colleagues, 2013
2 Good practice guidance on working with parents with a learning disability (2007)
3 Public Sector Equality Duty
4 Guidance for social workers for families where the parent has a learning disability
Family Fund
Bethan lives in Glamorgan with her daughter, Isabelle, who is seven and was diagnosed as severely autistic at age two:
“Isabelle is non-verbal and can be aggressive at times. Visiting public places and loud crowds can be overwhelming for her due to sensory issues, so we don’t get much opportunity to go out together as a family.
As a parent carer, I support Isabelle with toileting, hygiene, dressing, and sleeping. In terms of eating, Isabelle will only eat dry savoury foods like nuggets and pizzas. It’s difficult at times but I’ve learned to be more patient.”
Bethan applied to Family Fund a few years ago, to receive grants and wider support:
“Isabelle received funding towards sensory items. We used the money to purchase sand timers, beanbags, and other equipment to support her sensory needs. The sand timers have helped her a lot with her patience. Even in school, Isabelle now knows that she must wait until the timer runs out before it’s her turn again to do something.
Isabelle also received a grant towards a swing. She absolutely loves it and even stays on it until bedtime. It provides her with a chance to exercise. Before the swing, Isabelle wouldn’t even go into the garden.
Family Fund are an amazing charity. The whole process is easy.”
Apply for a grant today
Families raising disabled children or young people in Wales are urged to apply to Family
Fund between Tuesday 8 October and Monday 4 November.
Parents and carers can apply for a wide range of items, including kitchen appliances, like a fridge, cooker, or washing machine; clothing or beds and bedding; sensory or play equipment; technology items such as tablets and laptops; or a family break.
Read more about who can apply, on Family Fund’s website here.
More support for parents and carers
Alongside grants, Family Fund can help families find, and access, other support available across Wales. This includes information and resources on where to go for help with money and benefits, budget planning, children’s education, mental health and wellbeing, digital training and creative workshops. Have a look at Family Fund’s Wider support webpage here.
To work with Family Fund, or get involved, in Wales, please contact Davina, Partnership Engagement Manager for Wales: davina.carey-evans@familyfund.org.uk
It’s
all about shifting the power
Melanie Simmonds Head of Save the Children Cymru
We know from working with parents that when we make time to bring people together and invest in building relationships between professionals and families, we can help make a big difference to their lives.
Nearly one out of every three children in Wales lives in poverty. For many parents, the cost of essential items is unaffordable, made even worse by increasing food and energy prices.
A parent from our Bettws Early Learning Community told us that the “…cost of living is only increasing so don’t see how that can ever get better. It means less money for other essentials such as clothes and food and less fun activities for children especially when you’re trying to entertain them in the school holidays.”
Families’ budgets are stretched to a breaking point, and as a result many fall into crippling
cycles of debt, leading to stress. Poverty also exacerbates the conditions for poor mental health, by causing feelings of stigma and shame for some of the parents and children.
Siân*, a single parent with one child who works as a healthcare assistant, and who participated in our Pause to Play research project, described how the combined impact of her financial difficulties, crippling childcare costs and the feeling of isolation after the pandemic felt like “hitting a brick wall.”
“When I had to use the food bank for the first time, I was crying my eyes out because I was so embarrassed. I’ve always been independent, bought my own house. It just knocked my pride big time; it really affected me. I’ve worked hard! And I have to go to a food bank!”
We want to help children and families in poverty by making sure their voices are heard when decisions are made. We want services to be able to work together better and for more financial help to reach the pockets of families.
Children and parents consistently tell us that they want to have a say on things that matter, and they want to make a difference to their community. At Save the Children we have been exploring ‘Collective Impact’ approaches, where communities are supported to come together around a shared agenda for change, joining up efforts and pooling resources to make use of the skills and capacity already available.
Over the coming months we are excited to further develop and showcase the work of our Communities of Practice projects in Cardiff and Neath Port Talbot through funding from the Welsh Government’s Child Poverty Innovation and Supporting Communities Grant.
The involvement of children and parents is at the core of the project. We will work to support partners to work in a different way to engage parents and children in mapping community strengths and needs and to find creative solutions to the inevitable challenges.
Collaborative working is also at the heart of our vision for the future as we prepare to work with various organisations to combat child poverty.
We’ll push the Welsh Government to keep their promises and make decisions based on real experiences.
It’s all about shifting the power and being led by the voices of children and parents.
10 week course
Expert led sessions
Psychology sessions
Nutritional advice
Mental health support
Free gym membership
Parenting advice
Sign up now and scan the QR Code.
For Dads by Dads
Jacob Guy, Sports Development Officer
Torfaen County Borough Council
For Dads By Dads is run by Jacob, from Torfaen Sports Development and Gareth, from Torfaen Early years. The programme is a FREE 10 week program aimed at new and expecting dads. It gives dads a safe space to learn about fatherhood through the power of workshops aimed at this targeted group.
The sessions are 2 hours each and there are 2 programs per year. There are exit routes to other dad initiatives including ‘circle of security’, ‘daytime dads’ and ‘dad & me’ sessions.
There are opportunities for the men to learn about perinatal mental health, child and infant first aid, psychology, parental/father support and target setting, to name a few, via workshops.
We work with a number of partners including Aneurin Bevan UHB, Dragons in the community, Newport County in the community, Torfaen Leisure Trust, 4minds, Tidy Butt and many others.
For more information, please contact Jacob.guy@torfaen.gov.uk.
For Dads, By Dads | Torfaen County Borough Council
Mens Health Awareness Month by Torfaen Talks CIC Community Podcast (spotify.com)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxvmM_dPojk
Dads’ programme leads to friendship | Torfaen County Borough Council
Parenting with Vision Impairment
Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)
Asked to consider what challenges a new parent with vision impairment (VI) might face, one could assume it’s practical tasks - like being able to decipher the small print on medicine bottles or locate the right products in the baby aisle of the supermarket - that cause the most problems.
In fact, some of the biggest challenges aren’t practical ones at all. Technology is constantly evolving to help people with sight loss live independent lives. Apps such as NaviLens, which recently teamed with SMA to add scannable codes on all their baby packaging, are helping to make the world more accessible for parents with vision impairment.
Parents tell us that negative assumptions – from family, other parents, sometimes even healthcare professionals – about their ability to cope with the demands of parenting are harder to overcome. These stereotypes can affect their confidence and self-esteem.
“It was extremely distressing for my children when friends’ parents told them their daughter or son cannot come to play at our house because I am blind.” (VI parent)
RNIB’s ‘Parenting with vision impairment’ series aims to address these negative stereotypes, sharing advice and tips from parents with sight loss who have the experience and knowledge to prove that having a vision impairment is no obstacle to being a competent parent.
Key issues that the guides cover include:
• Navigating maternity services, appointments and dealing with professionals.
• Tips for practical tasks from nappy changing and weaning to dealing with homework and planning the school run.
• Talking to your child about vision impairment.
“My kids quickly learnt that to show me anything, daddy needs to see it with his hands.” (VI parent)
Written guidance, whilst helpful, can only provide limited support though. Often what parents need is a peer group that understands them and can relate to their circumstances. RNIB’S VI Parent Group meet monthly over Teams, establishing a safe space where they share stories and ask for advice. It is through non-judgemental interactions like these, chatting about the worries and celebrating the wins, that parents start to feel part of a community and understand that they have the skills and the support network to rise to the challenges of parenting.
Of course, practical challenges do exist within society for people with sight loss and some of these have a particular impact on parents with VI. One example is access to public transport, something which this demographic is statistically more likely to rely on than their sighted peers. RNIB Cymru has been working with Welsh Government on travel and transport issues as well as responding to recent consultations about technology and digital skills, all of which are critical for blind and partially sighted people’s ability to lead independent lives.
For any parent, the financial implications of raising a child are huge however, in 2023, research carried out by RNIB Cymru suggested that blind and partially sighted people were hit harder by increases in the cost of living than the wider population. The research, summarised in the Cost of Sight Loss in Wales report, shows that blind and partially sighted people in Wales are more likely to have experienced increased food, transport and lighting costs – all of which have a direct impact on a family’s ability to budget effectively.
Whilst RNIB Cymru continues to work with Welsh government and local authorities, calling for more targeted support for people with sight loss, it’s important that parents with VI understand and are able to access all of the benefits they are entitled to. As well as RNIB, organisations such as Sight Cymru and Wales Council for the Blind can offer support and advice about benefits for families.
Being a parent is a joyous, exhilarating, lifechanging experience and no one day is like the
next. Every family has its own challenges and its own triumphs and, whilst parenting with a VI can sometimes be daunting, this mum of three has words of encouragement:
“Disability does not equal inability. It just means you do things differently than someone who can see. You can still cook, clean, use a computer take your kids to the doctor, read them books, and, most importantly, you can love them just as much as a sighted mum can.” (VI parent)
References and further support
Sight Cymru: https://sightcymru.org.uk/
Wales Council of the Blind: https://wcb-ccd.org.uk/ support
Parenting with vision impairment guides: https://www.rnib.org.uk/living-with-sight-loss/ independent-living/parenting/resources-for-blind-orpartially-sighted-parents/
RNIB Helpline: 0303 1239999
RNIB CYPFE Service: cypf@rnib.org.uk
For more information about any RNIB services for VI parents, including the monthly VI Parent Group, contact cypf@rnib.org.uk
Professor Judy Hutchings and Dr Margiad Williams, Co-Directors of the Centre for Evidence Based Early Intervention, Bangor University
News from the Centre for Evidence-Based Early Intervention (CEBEI)
The Centre for Evidence-Based Early Intervention continues to undertake research and training to support services in delivering evidence-based programmes, with the focus on three programmes over the last year.
These are:
• The Parenting for Lifelong Health programme for parents of children aged 2 to 9
• The Books Together book sharing programme for parents of children aged 3 to 6
• The Kiva school-based anti-bullying programme for Key stage II children aged 9 to 11
Information on our work with all of these programmes is available on our website
The Parenting for Lifelong Health programme for parents of Young Children aged 2 to 9 (PLH–YC) was initially developed by Prof Hutchings at Bangor University and Dr Jamie Lachman at Oxford University. The programme was designed to support parents and children from low and middle-income countries (the global South) by providing a free resource. It has a creative Commons licence, ensuring that it cannot be used for profit.
The rationale for PLH was that levels of violence against children, often associated with significant
A parent group in Montenegro
poverty and disadvantage, are considerably higher in low and middle-income countries, where up to 60% of children are physically disciplined and where resources are limited.
For over 50 years, parenting programmes to prevent or reduce violence against children were researched and developed in high-income countries but more recently in low-income countries. Programmes based on social learning theory are most effective and this forms the core of the PLH programme. Designed for low resource settings, the programme uses illustrated stories that can be readily adapted by individual countries in terms of things like names and clothing.
Evidence for the transportability of programmes developed in high-income countries suggests that the core principles of social learning theory are relevant across settings, so the adaptations of language, illustrations and other details were predominantly superficial.
PLH-YC was initially developed as a 12 session programme although it has been adapted and delivered in a variety of different lengths. It has evidence from randomised controlled trials across a number of countries, including South Africa where it was initially trialled, the Philippines where it was linked to a cash transfer system for low income families, Thailand and three Eastern European countries. CEBEI has been involved in all of these trials as well as in the Czech Republic, and it has delivered the programme in Wales.
A seven-year project, between Bangor and UNICEF in Montenegro has resulted in the programme becoming embedded there, and achieving government recognition and accreditation. The results have recently been published in Prevention Science.
This project started with training and independent evaluation of the programme, with 79 parents. It produced significant reductions in reported child behaviour problems and maternal depression, as well as increases in positive parenting, including reductions in reported abusive parental behaviour towards children.
Following this success, the government and the agencies agreed to deliver the programme. Now, 97 facilitators, 10 coaches and two trainers
Introducing the programme at a conference in the Philippines
First leader training in South Africa
Example of a caregiver-child interaction illustrated story from the programme (from Lachman et al., 2018)
have been trained and the programme has been delivered to over 1,300 parents.
Given this success and the enormous commitment made by UNICEF Montenegro over the last seven years, an International Collaboration grant was recently awarded at Bangor, to undertake further programme development for delivery with the Roma population in Montenegro, in collaboration with UNICEF Montenegro and the University of Montenegro. Under the work on the new grant, to be completed by March 2025, the programme has been further adapted and simplified, bearing in mind the literacy challenges of many of the Roma population and the bilingual nature of the community (Albanian and Montenegrin languages).
Groups will be run during the autumn term with online supervision for programme facilitators. Independent follow-up data will be collected in January and the results presented by March 2025 following exchange visits between Bangor and Montenegrin partners.
For more information see www.bangor.ac.uk/cebei or email j.hutchings@bangor.ac.uk
Discover your child’s world
Donna Rowley Camarthernshire County Council, Discovering your Child’s World
Parents told us there was a need for groups for those who have worries about their child’s development. They felt this was a gap in the offer and they needed to be with parents who understood them and their experiences. We listened and we responded. By bringing together representatives from various teams within the CCG including our disability service, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language, our ADHD nurse and parenting teams from Flying Start, Action for Children and Team around the Family, Discovering Your Child’s World was born! We already offered an ADHD specific workshop for parents, but they wanted more generalised support for all areas of development. They needed earlier information, easy access to professionals and answers to their questions, as well as information on typical development, how to support their children to thrive and looking after themselves.
Discovering your child’s world is a multi-agency group for parents where teams continue to work together to facilitate the sessions. Although led by Flying Start Parenting it is being adapted for older age groups and training rolled out to more areas. The group takes parents on a journey of acceptance and wellbeing, starting with a safe space to discuss their own feelings of their children’s needs and start to think about how to look after themselves and fill their own cup. Parents often say they don’t have time to do this and we work with this, as a thread through the seven weeks, ensuring the group is a way to fill their cup; a hot drink, healthy snacks or lunch and a break from the stresses of the day. Another hot topic is covered in session two- sleep! It may be the child’s lack of sleep, wakefulness, routine or the parent’s need for sleep that’s important so we cover tips on sleep hygiene and the importance of sleep.
Session three and four are our specialist workshops, one by Occupational Health on sensory needs covering how to refer your child to the
service, how to support your child with universal strategies and the sensory processing needs seen in trauma experienced children and children with disabilities or additional needs. Sensory packs are given for parents with loads of information to take home and try and time for questions. The other specialist session is Speech, Language and Communication, facilitated by a therapist looking at types of communication and supporting communication at home.
The parenting team then take the parents on a journey of play; effective and cheap play with their child in mind. We look at the play cycle and the importance of play and how sometimes accepting our children will play differently is ok. In the next room, their child may be in the mobile childcare we offer every week, doing messy or sensory play. Play ideas are given and we remind them that our Flying Start App has play and craft ideas on there too. The end of group incentive is usually based around this session and what the families will use independently as well as what the children like, learnt by the childcare staff and often adapted to the individual child or family. The penultimate session then focuses on developmentally mapping their child; looking at their developmental areas to see how they are presenting, rather than how old they are. We look at emotional flooding and types of behaviour too. This links in with how we manage behaviours and look beneath behaviours to parent with compassion and connection.
The final session is a Q&A with Tim Camau Bach, our disability service & our Health Board’s ADHD nurse. This is bespoke support with time for oneto-one discussions with parents.
Parental feedback has been overwhelmingly positive; parents love the quick access to specialist services and the practical tips and support they can get on with, while waiting on pathways or specialist support. More importantly they feel
they ‘belong’ with other parents and a growing support network of people who ‘get it’. They feel heard. This group has quickly become oversubscribed as the demand is so high! Parents often then move onto other support on our Parent’s Journey - including our evidencebased courses- so it’s a step into services for our families. But we didn’t stop there! Following feedback, parents told us they needed help with screentime and mealtimes, so we’ve invested in the Parents Plus Healthy Families
course covering this alongside outdoor play, family relationships, healthy living and more sleep… just what every parent needs- so they tell us!
Llygad: Early Years Experience Team
Hannah Newton (Graduate Mental Health Worker), Dr Emma Johnston (Clinical Psychologist & Service Lead), Dr Alice Horton (Counselling Psychologist) & Sarah Halliday (Parent Carer)
Early Years Experience Team (Cardiff and Vale UHB)
The Early Years Experience Team (Llygad) provides psychological support to families with children aged 0-5 who have Emerging Learning Disabilities (ELD), Global Developmental Delay (GDD), and Emerging Developmental Impairment (EDI). Llygad value humanity, connection, curiosity, and relationshipbuilding, striving to support families in a traumainformed, therapeutic manner that goes beyond traditional therapy.
Our goal is to help families experience life differently, allowing vulnerability to be shared and supported so that they can live their best lives. The below was co-produced with parent carers of children with learning disabilities and written in reflection of conversations that are had with families we work with.
A priority for parent carers in Wales is accessing information and resources. Parents need access to
evidence-based information and resources that are shared in a non-judgmental and validating way, ensuring parents are supported without feeling overwhelmed or disempowered by expert opinions.
Secondly, coordinated trans agency work. There’s a need for streamlined, multi-disciplinary support where health, education, and social care services collaborate effectively, reducing repetitive and exhausting needs for parents to explain their situation to different professionals.
Emotional and Mental Health support is another priority. Parents often struggle with their own mental health, including vulnerabilities to anxiety and depression. Access to peer support groups, one-to-one counselling, and specialist services is crucial. Research shows 42% of parent carers have experienced suicidal thoughts, highlighting the
need for support systems that are sensitive to these challenges and provide timely interventions.
Emotional educational support is a priority commonly spoken about. Schools should provide support tailored to individual needs, particularly those with complex presentations or behaviours that may not be immediately visible. Educational systems must be more inclusive and responsive to these diverse needs.
Parents often find it difficult to navigate the complicated systems of healthcare, education, and social services. They face delays, miscommunication, and inconsistencies. There’s a lack of awareness and community support. Parents feel isolated due to lack of understanding and support from communities. Lack of awareness can lead to increased frustration and stigma. Juggling caregiving responsibilities, employment, and family life can lead to significant stress and parental guilt.
Societal perceptions of disability as something negative can further complicate their experience. Parents commonly express concerns for the future, worrying about their child’s long-term prospects, including educational opportunities, employment, independent living, financial stability, social inclusion, and mental health.
What are Llygad doing to support these families?
We offer a parent therapy service. A counselling psychologist offers therapy to parents and couples, providing a safe space for them to express their feelings and make sense of their experiences. The service also supports the broader system through supervision and reflective practice, encouraging psychological thinking and development.
We have a Parent Carer Mentor (PCM) as part of the team, bringing lived experience to the team, influencing support strategies and advocating for systemic changes. Co-production with parents is central to our approach.
We offer Portage and Early Positive Approaches to Support (E-PAtS). Portage empowers parents with tools and skills to support their child’s growth through personalised, child-centered support. E-PAtS offers a family-centered programme for parents of children with learning disabilities, promoting positive behavior and emotional well-being.
Llygad run coffee mornings and specialised groups for dads and siblings. Building a community that understands their unique challenges.
As a team we face many barriers, including financial support. There is a need for increased financial support to sustain early intervention programmes and long-term services. There is a lack of recognition of Early Prevention in LD. The significance of early prevention, which differs from typical developmental norms, needs more recognition. This could reduce pressures on other services in the long run.
Lastly, current services are often fragmented, splitting support between different age groups. A more integrated approach across the lifespan (0-25 years) is necessary for consistent family support and would reduce system trauma.
The early identification of needs and intervention through programmes like Flying Start and Early Years ALN Support is a positive step. However, there are gaps. Funding limitations often cut short promising initiatives. There is a lack of engagement with frontline services to understand their work and needs. The system remains reactive rather than proactive, with a focus on watching and waiting instead of early intervention.
The voices of parents, especially those of children with additional learning needs, are crucial. Their lived experiences provide valuable insights that should be central to shaping policies and services. Efforts must be made to amplify these voices, ensuring they are heard and respected as experts in their own right.
Out of School Childcare Support for Parents
Rachel Tustin, Childcare Business Development Officer
Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids Club
With the approach of National Parenting Week, what better to celebrate then to highlight the importance of Childcare and Play in supporting parents to effectively meet the needs of their children and the impact it has on their working lives.
Out of School Childcare Clubs offer care outside of the child’s full time school day, running before school, after school and during the school holidays for children aged 3 - 11+ years. They enable parents and carers to work and train to improve
their families’ circumstances and are particularly important for lone parent/low-income families and those who work away from the home.
Qualified Playworkers provide experiences that are play rich and child led, boosting children’s selfesteem and wellbeing and helping them develop a range of life skills. Welsh English, and bilingual clubs provide affordable, community-based childcare, offering development and employment opportunities for school staff and community
members. Quality childcare settings tackle poverty and socio-economic disadvantage and improve outcomes for children. Aligned with the Community Focused Schools ethos, clubs impact positively on the lives of family and community members, helping to develop thriving communities that are empowered and connected.
Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs know, from our own research, that parents cite the cost of childcare as being the main barrier to using childcare or using it more. We also know that you cannot put a price on quality play and childcare. Highly trained and attentive staff provide engaging experiences that will form happy childhood memories and enhance children’s mental and physical wellbeing and educational attainment, supporting their future opportunities and potential.
Childcare should be accessible to all families and children. There are financial support schemes available for working families whose children attend a Care Inspectorate Wales registered childcare provision, Support such as Universal Credits, Tax Free Childcare and The Childcare Offer for Wales. Families on a low income or who need help with their living costs can receive financial support up to 85% to cover childcare costs from Universal Credit and may also be able to access up front childcare payments. Even parents earning as much as £100,000 can benefit from support of 20% from Tax-free childcare system. For working and training parents of 3- to 4-year-olds, the 30-hour Childcare Offer allows children aged 3-4 to access 20 hours of childcare for free weekly in term time and 30 hours in the holidays.
These schemes are welcomed for working families, but we still see gaps for the non-working parents whose children do not have the same opportunities to quality play experiences and socializing with children within their community.
We received a donation from The Moondance Foundation which enabled us to deliver our Funded childcare Places Grant project allowing children who would not normally attend, access to childcare and play-rich sessions in Out of School Childcare Clubs with their peers. This project enabled 225 children to attend 1,515 sessions in regulated Out of School Childcare Clubs from May 1st to August 31st, supporting social engagement and children’s
mental wellbeing and early feedback received is showing the positive impact the project is having on children and their families. Out of School Childcare Clubs should be accessible for all and Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs will continue to seek additional funding to support families across to be able to do so.
Wrexham’s Wellbeing Portal – Access to support for children, young people and families all in one place
Lisa Atherton – Assistant Team Manager for Wrexham Family Information Service, Wrexham County Borough Council
In October 2023 Wrexham’s Wellbeing Portal was officially launched, alongside Wrexham’s Prevention and Early Help Strategy.
The Wellbeing Portal is a digital platform that provides access to information, advice and support for children, young people and families and all who work with them quickly and easily, and all in one place. Whilst it is a digital platform, it is digital with human interaction at key points throughout the Portal journey.
The Wellbeing Portal was developed following extensive consultation with families, in which they told us that they often have to approach several different organisations when looking for support. This process often involves re-telling their stories, multiple times, to multiple organisations, in the search for the right support for them. This is then usually followed by multiple referrals being made to multiple organisations before being able to access the support they need, and can lead to frustration and confusion.
The Portal aims to significantly reduce these barriers by providing one place to tell their story, via which they can access multiple organisations, including Local Authority, Health and Third Sector.
Through the landing page for the Portal, individuals have the option of being able to self-serve and access information on available organisations linked to their area of concern via easy access tiles that direct the user through to key topic areas such as support for young people, supporting families, housing and tenancies and many more. This is linked to the DEWIS Wales website to ensure that existing information is used, the information is accurate and current, and to avoid a duplication of efforts.
If individuals are not comfortable reaching out themselves to organisations, or are not sure if they meet their needs, they can complete a straight forward online form and provide some information about the types of support they may need.
Once this form has been submitted, it is reviewed by an experienced worker from either Wrexham Family Information Service, TAC (Wrexham’s Team Around the Family) and Infoshop and a ‘What Matters’ conversation will take place, usually through a telephone call. This more rounded conversation ensures that the full family circumstances are considered and that appropriate support can be identified.
The next stage involves the request being sent to one or more virtual hub areas. These hubs are made up of organisations who provide support in a particular area. Currently these include Disability and Additional Needs, Parenting, Income, Benefits and Debt, Family Group Meetings, Youth Support and Mental Health and Wellbeing. Across these hubs there are 29 organisations who have signed up to be part of the Portal. Some of these organisations will sit on more than one hub area.
The organisations log into the Portal to review the request, state if they can provide a service or not and make contact with the individual.
Whilst the Portal was officially launched in October 2023, it has been live since April 2023. Since this time, 137 requests have been received through the Wellbeing Portal.
The Wellbeing Portal provides a single point of access for families who are trying to navigate the sometimes complicated and confusing world of prevention and early help support. Its aim is to empower families to enable them to choose what support is the best for for their family while also providing them with appropriate advice and guidance.
The Wellbeing Portal was recently named winner of the Digital Achievement category at the Granicus UK Public Sector Awards.
Wrexham’s Wellbeing Portal can be found here
The All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers of People with Learning Disabilities
Grace Coppock, Policy
Officer
The All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers of People with Learning Disabilities is a national organisation that’s core mission is to bring voice and recognition of parent carers at national, regional and local levels.
We work with an alliance of partner networks including parent carer support groups, third sector partners, local and regional forums and Welsh Government. We ensure that learning disability families in Wales are at the heart of any planning and consultation that will affect them in order to help shape their communities and services that support them.
Parent carers differ from other caring roles in that it is a lifelong caring journey.
Many parents will never recognise themselves as a carer but simply as ‘mum’ or ‘dad’. It is important we all prioritise identifying the role of a parent carer and in so ensuring they understand what their rights are and support they are entitled to.
There are many areas that are concerning for parent carers in Wales that many families are struggling with. We feel these issues need to be prioritised at all levels and addressed by co-
producing solutions alongside families. I will provide a brief overview of just some of the main concerns we know families are currently dealing with. Often parents describe “falling off a cliff edge” when their child transitions from adult to children’s services and the lack of support that comes alongside it. When you are involved with children services for your learning disability child’s care and support needs, there are many people around you but when you move into adult services these networks disappear and you are left to chase people yourself which can be exhausting on your own, even more so when added on top of an already overwhelming caring role. There can be an inconsistency of support from services and a “passing the buck” between different professionals involved within your child’s care. Many parents also find themselves having to constantly repeat their situations which can be both physically and emotionally draining.
As we are all aware, there is a crisis within the social care workforce, which is leaving many unpaid parent carers to pick up this load.
Through our Caring Communities of Change project, we are looking at alternative and creative
solutions towards respite and short breaks, transitions and community activity. We know that traditional models don’t work for every family so we are co-producing solutions, to live alongside traditional services, that will meet the needs of families in a way that suits them. Giving parent carers voice, choice and control over the support they need. This is aligned with the spirit of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 that gives unpaid carers their own rights aside from the person they care for.
We understand that respite and breaks look different for every family, and it is important this is understood by all involved in supporting a parent carer to take this break. With our project, we are exploring different methods and models that would give a family the flexibility to have a break of their choice; whether its alone or as a whole family, whether it’s within the local community or outside of it, whether it’s one day, one hour or one weekend. It is really important that a relationship and trust are built when going on this journey.
We also know that not all supported living options work for all families. With our project, we want to explore co-operative housing models that would give families the ownership and support to design an independent living setting in a way that will meet their needs and make them feel valued within this process.
Through the Caring Communities of Change project, we work in co-production with families, third sector partners, the local authority, the local health board and Welsh Government to ensure all voices are included in this design and delivery process.
The Welsh Government recognise unpaid carers within legislation such as the Social Services and Well-being Act, which was mentioned earlier, and with the Charter for Unpaid Carers. The charter was created in recognition that there are huge disparities between the levels of support offered to carers between different health boards and local authorities across Wales. The Welsh Government are committed to working towards a shared understanding of the rights of unpaid carers and the level of service they should receive and remove the post code lottery.
For more information on the All Wales Forum or to get in touch, please do not hesitate to contact me at grace@allwalesforum.org.uk
Grace Coppock Policy Officer
All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers of People with Learning Disabilities www.allwalesforum.org.uk
Bullying is one of the biggest issues that parents face.
Here’s
how to support your child through it
Kidscape
If your child has been impacted by bullying, you are not alone. Research from the Parents Connect Wales project found that, when parents or carers were asked about the issues that affected their children, bullying was in the top five. 22% of parents felt that their child had been impacted by it.
In fact, the Children’s Commissioner 2023 Ambitions for Wales report found that just over 40% of parents and carers reported that a child in their care had experienced discrimination, bullying, verbal/physical abuse or harassment.
The effects of bullying are profound, and they can continue into adulthood. They also impact not just the child themselves, but the wider family. As part of Kidscape’s research with the University of York, parents explained how their child’s experiences of bullying were a source of significant worry, impacted on their work and mental health, and
were a source of strain in the family. These findings echo previous research.
But there are ways that parents or carers can support their child – and get support themselves. Kidscape is an award-winning bullying prevention charity with a Parent Advice Line. Anyone worried about a child in a bullying situation can get free, non-judgemental advice.
As a parent, your role is an important one. Here are some suggestions for tackling the problem:
Learn about the issue: Try to learn more about bullying, its signs, and its impact.
Encourage open communication: Try to encourage an open dialogue at home where children feel safe discussing their feelings and experiences. Active listening and validating their emotions can help children to express their concerns about bullying without fear of judgment.
Build resilience: Teach children coping strategies and resilience skills. Role-playing scenarios can prepare them for potential bullying situations and help them develop assertiveness. Kidscape offer free ZAP workshops to help teach these skills.
Seek professional help: If a child’s emotional wellbeing is impacted, get help from a mental health professional. Therapists can help children process their experiences and develop healthy coping mechanisms.
Collaborate with the school: Work closely with teachers to address bullying incidents. Schools will have policies, procedures and resources in place to deal with bullying, and parental involvement can enhance these efforts. You can get help with talking to the school on Kidscape’s website.
Promote empathy and inclusion: Encourage empathy and kindness by modelling positive behaviours and fostering an inclusive environment at home. Discussing the importance of standing against bullying can empower children to act as upstanders, too.
Be aware of your child’s digital behaviour: It is vital for parents to be informed about their children’s online interactions. Educating children about digital safety, and the consequences of online behaviour, can help create a safer virtual environment. Kidscape has advice on cyberbullying and digital safety.
Lastly, don’t suffer in silence. It can be really tough when your child comes to you about bullying, but help and support is out there. You are not alone.
The Law on Physical Punishment of Children – Resources for Practitioners
Children and Young People’s Rights Branch, Welsh Government
Physically punishing children is illegal in Wales. In January 2020 the Senedd passed the Welsh Government’s Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Act 2020 (“the Act”), to help protect children’s rights and give all children in Wales the best start in life.
To support practitioners in understanding and applying the new law, the Welsh Government and Children in Wales have developed an e-learning resource. This equips professionals working with families and children to navigate the changes, ensuring they can confidently inform and support parents, children, and young people.
The Act received Royal Assent on 20 March 2020 and came into force on 21 March 2022.
The new law did not create a new offence, rather it removed a 160-year old legal defence for the physical punishment of children by their parents or those with parental authority. Over the years, legislation had limited the circumstances where the defence could be used and the settings where children could be physically punished.
Physical punishment had already been outlawed in schools, children’s homes, local authority foster care homes and childcare settings. It is now also illegal in the home.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the basis for the Welsh Government’s policy on children. Prohibiting the physical punishment of children is in accordance with article 19 of the UNCRC – the right to protection from all forms of violence.
The overarching objective of this law is to protect children’s rights by prohibiting physical punishment of children. This gives children the same protection from assault as adults. The law is clear - easy for children, parents, professionals and the public to understand.
The intended effect, combined with an awarenessraising campaign and support for parents, is to bring about a further reduction in the use and tolerance of the physical punishment of children in Wales.
The e-learning resource covers:
• Understanding the legislation - the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Act 2020
• The role and responsibilities of practitioners working with children
• Understanding parental concerns and pressures
• Explaining and responding to children and young people
• Where to access further information, guidance and resources
Repository - Hwb (gov.wales)
Guidance and resources to support practitioners to embed awareness and cascade relevant, positive, and empowering information to children and young people about the law has also been developed.
Ending Physical Punishment in Wales: communication guidance | GOV.WALES
Cardiff University Social Science Research Park (SPARK), Cardiff, CF24 4HQ 029 2034 2434
