Support

A team of support workers help parents on a one to one basis and are available to any family caring for a child with an additional need in the Dundee, Angus and Perth and Kinross area. This may be a physical disability, learning difficulty, sensory difficulties, long-term illness or an emotional difficulty linked to the child's disability.

We Offer a 2 stage support system to ensure that whilst families are on a waiting list they are getting a level of support at the point of contact with Parent to Parent 

Stage 1 Support: Once the referral is received and accepted, the Parent/Young Person will be placed on our waiting list. At this stage we will provide support to understand and manage their child's and their own responses to anxiety/behaviours via our Decider Skills workshop. We will also offer access to a waiting list Peer Support group. On completion of Stage 1 support Parents/carers will proceed to the waiting list for stage 2 support.   

Stage 2 Support: Once a support worker becomes available the parent will then be contacted  to arrange a visit or a chat to discuss  what is worrying them and most importantly what can be done together to reduce this or in some cases eliminate them.

 To view our Families Service Provision Pathway please click here: Service Provision Pathway

The type of Sspport that is available:

Neonatal/Community support

A support worker visits the neonatal unit at Ninewells hospital regularly each week to offer emotional support. She will continue to support parents once their baby has been discharged from hospital and help them to cope during the baby’s first few weeks or months at home. She can give advice about nurseries, information about local services that may help the family, introduce them to one of the support groups she runs and provide emotional support. She also provides bereavement or loss support for families who have lost a child or who have a terminally ill child.

Early Years Support

The early years support worker will support parents at home and at clinic appointments, provide information about play-schemes and respite services and provide advice about behaviour management. A large part of the early years support worker’s role is to give emotional support and help parents work through the difficulties of caring for a child with an additional need. They also run support groups for parents.

Peer support

Parent to Parent offers peer support groups with are facilitated by a support worker and assisted by volunteer parents. Parents come together in small groups across Tayside to share experiences, tips and information. The support worker invites speakers from agencies such as Welfare Rights and Carers Centres to give presentations and organisies workshops on managing and coping with children's behaviour. 

Decider Training

All our staff are trained in ‘Decider Skills’ these skills are strongly grounded in theory - summarising 32 Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills under the four core skill sets of Distress Tolerance, Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation and Interpersonal Effectiveness

The worker will offer outcome focused 1:1 support and deliver evidence based decider skills training to groups of  parents or on an individual basis.

Support for parents of children undergoing assessment for ASD

Please note as of 1st February 2024 we cannot support any referrals for families that are currently being assessed by a CAMHS worker for ASD - this is a temporary situation until ongoing funding is secured. For details please click here for our service provision update statement

The support workers offer emotional support while the child is waiting to be assessed. For children displaying challenging behaviour the support worker will help parents to implement boundaries and strategies. They will accompany parents to assessment and feedback visits if required and if a diagnosis is given will help parent access other appropriate provisions.

Transition

Parents can need support as their children start school and move into high school. Different issues arise such as problems at school, an increase in behavioural problems or concerns about the child moving to high school. The support workers can help parents to liaise with schools, prepare them for meetings at the school and advise them about statutory and voluntary agencies which can give additional help to the family. They can also give advice about behaviour management.

Advocacy and support for children and young people with additional needs

Three support workers help children and young people with additional needs who may have worries about school, lack friends, suffer bullying or are struggling to cope with their difficulties. They may be worried about a move to another school or about leaving school and going to college or an adult service. The workers encourage the children and young people to talk about their concerns, go with them to meetings and appointments and help them to voice their views.