Stepping Stones offers a range of services to support mums or carers of children.
We work with mums who are looking to develop their parenting skills and/or need support to navigate social care procedures. This can include attending meetings with you to help put across your views, as well as working with you to meet Local Authority requirements and/or work with you to keep your children safe.
- We believe that every child has the right to be safe and nurtured so they can grow into independent adults
- We believe that every child has the right to live in a loving, nurturing home.
- We believe that the right mix of discipline and fun helps children grow into healthy happy adults.
We know that you want to be the best mum you can be but that being a mum is not always the easiest thing in the world.
Sometimes mums need a bit of extra support.
We know that sometimes things stop you from being the best mum you can be.
It’s ok to ask for help.
To find out more information and see what support we have on offer – see below. All our programmes are subject to funding and sufficient demand. If you are interested in one of the below programmes – please give us a ring to see if it’s running.
Check out our
Childcare fun page
for things you can do with your children.
Children learn from what they see their parents and others do. As a mum it’s important that you show your child how to behave and create a loving and safe environment. What you do is far more important that what you say. You’ve heard the saying actions speak louder than words. Sometimes the first step to being a better mum is being aware of what your child sees from you.
Did you know that
- 130,000 children live in households where domestic abuse is at a high risk (NSPCC).
- Children exposed to domestic abuse are likely to suffer from emotional and behavioural issues (NSPCC).
- 1 in 7 children have lived with domestic abuse at some point in their lives (Women’s Aid)
- 90% of children were in the same or next room when abuse was happening (Hughes, 1992)
The effects of domestic abuse on children who witness it can last into adulthood. Children will be impacted even if they don’t directly see the abuse. Children will hear the abuse even if they are out of the room or upstairs in bed and they will see the consequences including if mum or dad remains anger or upset afterwards or if there is broken furniture or damage to the home.
Children can be impacted even before they are born.
Domestic abuse might lead to a baby being born underweight or premature.
Other signs that your child is being affected by abuse in the home may be:
- Sleep and/or eating disruptions
- Withdrawal / lack of responsiveness
- Crying
- Anxiety / worries / fears
- Felling guilty / blaming themselves
- Aggressive and disruptive behaviour
- Bedwetting / nightmares
- Copying the aggressive behaviour
It is also possible that children may sometimes try and get involved to protect a parent or may get hurt if caught in the cross fire.
If you drink in moderation around your children then you are unlikely to have an impact on their wellbeing. But parents who drink to excess can impact on their children. Mums who misuse substances during pregnancy may put their babies at risk of impaired brain development, premature labour, low birth weight and/or withdrawal symptoms after birth.
Other symptoms might be:
- Physical and emotional harm as a result of poor supervision, poor role models and poor parenting.
- Taking on the role of carer for parents or siblings.
- Poor attendance and/or performance at school
- Exposure to toxic substances
- Increased risk of developing additions and dependencies themselves when they are adults
If you think you need some support around parenting – please get in touch with us.
If you think you might benefit from parenting support from us – please make a referral.
We offer the following parenting help & support:
Strengthening Families Strengthening Communities Programme:
For mums with children aged between 5 – 19 years old.
Closed group-based programme where mums attend 13 weekly sessions (three hours duration each session) and covers a range of topics:
- Setting boundaries and positive discipline
- Improving relationships
- Building your child’s self esteem
- Conflict and anger management
Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities (SFSC) is an inclusive evidence-based course for mums, designed to promote protective factors which are associated with good parenting and better outcomes for children.
SFSC is culturally sensitive, presenting information within a framework to address the needs of a variety of different cultural groups. This programme takes into account the cultural and spiritual values of parents and social norms.
Nurture Parenting Programme:
For mums with children aged between 2 and 5 years old.
Closed group-based programme where mums attend 11 weekly sessions (three hours duration each session) covering four areas:
- Self-awareness
- Appropriate expectation
- Empathy
- Positive discipline
By the end of the programme mums will have gained a knowledge and understanding of the following:
– why children behave as they do
– recognising the feeling behind the behaviour (their own and their children’s)
– different approaches to discipline
– ways to develop co-operation and self-discipline in children
– the importance of looking after ourselves
Free childcare places (Ofsted registered Good) are available for those who are eligible and wish to take part.
Mellow Parenting Programme:
For mums with children aged between 0 and 2 years.
Closed group-based programme where mums and child attend 14 weekly sessions (five hours duration each session). Parents are visited in their homes before the programme to record their interaction with their child which will be observed in future sessions.
The day is split into four parts:
- Morning session: a personal group where mums explore their own childhood and current experiences. This allows mums to reflect and consider how their past may affect their current caregiving.
- Lunch: where mother and child will eat together with the trained facilitators, where we observe the interaction during feeding time and reflect on what was seen.
- Afternoon session: he parent will then go into childcare (Ofsted registered Good) and participate in an activity with their child.
- Final session: a parenting workshop that looks more into depth at the development of toddlers. This covers; understanding parenting, crying, feelings, play etc. We will also look/provide feedback on the parents own interaction from before the programme.
‘Have a go’ activities are given at the end of sessions to encourage parents to apply what they have learned in their home.
Free childcare places (Ofsted registered Good) are available for those who are eligible and wish to take part.
One to one work
One to one sessions with a Women’s Support Practitioner who will be able to:
- Guide you through social care procedures
- Help you to work towards court/social care requirements
- Provide emotional support, advocate, and share information appropriately with key partners
- Make referrals to other specialist parenting or early years providers
We can also provide opportunity for one to one or small group work with our childcare team – including stay and play and bespoke parenting skills development work where you spend quality time with you and your child. In exceptional cases we also provide contact sessions for mothers and their children if private contact cannot be arranged.
If you would like access to our parenting help & support, please make a referral