How a course boosts parents' self image

Project

Changing Images

Funding

Each course costs about £1,500 from the children's centre's main budget

Background

Working with parents can be the key to improving outcomes for children and this is something Sythwood Children's Centre in Surrey has strived to do. The centre is attached to a primary school. "This group of parents used to stand outside the school gates for about 45 minutes on a nice day and I could see there was some good support going on there," says centre manager Kathryn Blackburn. "I wanted to find a way of building on that."

Action

Blackburn went on to develop an eight-week self-esteem course called Changing Images. It combines teaching and theory with practical activities, including pampering sessions and crafts, designed to make participants feel good about themselves and develop their skills. "The transformation over the eight weeks for those women was incredible," says Blackburn of the first course.

The centre runs the course roughly three times a year at two of its four sites. Participants have gone on to do more adult education offered at the centre, which works in partnership with Woking College, including gaining maths GCSE qualifications. One went on to volunteer for the probation service with a view to gaining permanent employment while another gained childcare qualifications and is now the centre's creche co-ordinator. The centre has successfully run a Changing Images course specifically for young mums.

One important factor is participants already have a relationship with the centre thanks to its five-strong outreach team, who get to know parents at play and other sessions and help identify those who might benefit.

The course is very much about empowering parents to help themselves, explains Blackburn. "It encourages them to take time out for themselves so by the time their children are in school they could be in work," she says.

Outcome

About 55 parents have completed the course to date. All went on to access other services and about half have done further courses or volunteering. When asked if they felt more confident about asking for support and talking about their feelings, 60 per cent said "definitely" and 40 per cent said "maybe". When asked about the main thing they had got out of the course, 43 per cent said it was making friends while 29 per cent said they felt more confident.