There is a range of well-established
organisations that provide training for work with parents around
their children’s learning. Some of these are included below.
The Pen Green Centre for Under Fives
and Families provides training in working with
families, with accreditation through Leicester
University. It also delivers a Quality Assurance (QA) scheme on
their approach to involving parents in their young children’s
learning. The training programmes consist of an initial two days of
training, project work in practitioners’ own settings and a further
day’s training. All participants receive training materials and a
video.
More information on
working with families training is available from the
Centre
Website: www.pengreen.org
Phone: 01536 443 435
PEEP (Peers Early Education
Partnership) provides materials and a two-day
training course. Aimed at practitioners who wish to develop their
work with parents in relation to children’s learning (0–5 years),
it also enables practitioners to become more familiar with the PEEP
approach and material.
More information is available from PEEP
Website: www.peep.org.uk
Phone: 01865 395145
PAFT (Parents as First
Teachers) offers a six-day training course for
practitioners. This involves implementing and using the PAFT family
support programme and material with parents and children (0–5
years).
More information is available from PAFT
Website: www.parentsasfirstteachers.org.uk
Phone: 01844 345847
Share at the Foundation
Stage is a family-learning programme led by
ContinYou. Share offers training for practitioners working with
parents. It also offers a Foundation Stage pack. The pack contains
suggested activities that parents can use at home to support their
child’s development and learning through active experience and
play.
More information is available from the Family Learning
Team
Website: www.shareuk.org.uk
Phone: 024 7658 8440
Parenting UK
developed the
National Occupational Standards
(NOS) for Work with Parents, which were approved in April
2005 and updated in 2010. The NOS are statements of the
skills, knowledge and understanding practitioners need to work
effectively with parents in their wider parenting role, and
are used to inform qualifications and training. You can read
about the NOS on Parenting UK's website:
www.parentinguk.org/2/standards
Parenting UK's Training page contains
links to information on the Work with Parents
awards which are mapped against the NOS and accredited by City
and Guilds. There is also a directory
of providers of the award.
Early Support – Working in
Partnership
The Early Support programme and
material helps families and practitioners to coordinate information
and services for young children with disabilities or special
educational needs. An accredited training course is also available
to enhance partnership working. The course has three units, each
supported by a day of training, distance learning, assessment
activities and a tutorial. The content looks in depth at the Early
Support approach to partnership, including key working. For
managers who do not need accreditation there is also a two-day
course on Working in Partnership.
More information on
Early Support and
Early Support training is available from the Department
for Education
The Pre-School Learning Alliance
offers a two-day Working with Fathers course. The course focuses on
overcoming barriers to, and introduces strategies for, engaging
with fathers. The second day takes place a month after the first -
giving time for participants to develop a project for engaging with
fathers in their work - which they will share with colleagues on
that day.
More information is available from the PLA
Website: www.pre-school.org.uk/
Email: info@pre-school.org.uk
Phone: 020 7697 2500
The Fatherhood
Institute (formerly Fathers Direct) offers a
range of courses to help agencies support fathers’ relationships
with their children. These are delivered over one, two or three
days in central locations. They can also be delivered in-house. The
courses include Working with fathers in early years and children’s
centres; Working with diverse fathers; Working with young
fathers; Delivering father-inclusive parenting services. Some
courses are accredited at NVQ Level 3.
More information is available from the Fatherhood Institute.
Website: www.fatherhoodinstitute.org
Phone: 0791 786 4130