Summary of Services, Courses and Workshops

Age range

Family Centre Based/Virtual Programmes

From 24 weeks of Pregnancy

Welcome to the World is an 8-week face-to-face group for parents expecting a baby. Or 5 week group if due date is soon. Parents attend the group from approximately 24 weeks of pregnancy. Topics include empathy and loving attentiveness, infant brain development, healthy eating choices, breast-feeding, infant care, managing stress and difficult feelings, promoting self-esteem and confidence, and the couple relationship.

Pregnancy to 2 years

Healthy Babies Wellbeing Team  -  works with any parents, carers and the infants in their care, aged between 20 weeks gestation through to the child’s 2 ^nd birthday (1001 critical days). The Healthy Babies Wellbeing Team focuses on supporting and strengthening the bond and attachment within the parent/infant relationship - the foundations of a child’s mental, physical, and emotional development and wellbeing.
The Team helps parents and carers prepare for their baby's arrival and supports them to explore some of the normal and understandable challenges that can be part of getting to know their new baby and developing a nurturing relationship.
These challenges will be different for each parent but may include: - lacking confidence in their parenting, feelings of isolation, managing routines, feeling overwhelmed, worrying about their baby, navigating changes in their relationships, or finding it difficult to bond with their baby.

• This is not suitable for if a parent is experiencing acute mental health crisis requiring PMH team

Pregnancy and beyond

Breastfeeding Support - Group, individual, phone, email and online support available across the Island Monday to Friday.
Breastfeeding Workshops online via Teams (for parents pre birth or with new babies). Bookings via Eventbrite, click the Book Now button below.

Book Now

0 to 6 months

Baby Five to Thrive – 5 weeks. Supporting first time parents in building healthy relationships with their babies. Looking at the five building blocks of Respond, Talk, Play, Cuddle (Baby massage) and Relax that will help develop baby’s brain and encourage them to reach their full potential. In addition, a final session covering Introducing solid foods. Bookings via Eventbrite Isle of Wight Family Centres Events | Eventbrite

Five to Thrive Leaflet

0 to 4 years

Supporting children’s learning through play
Parents can drop into our Volunteer led play sessions
Baby Play  0 - 12 months   Family Play  – 0-4 years
Sessions weekly at Carisbrooke, Sandown and Ryde Family Centres (term time only) see website  Play Sessions : Isle Of Wight Family Centres
 

9 months to 3 years

Building Blocks for Toddlers – a 2 week workshop online via Teams, that promotes positive relationships with young children through the following topics:-

1. Play – stages of development
2. Promoting language development
3. The art of praise and encouragement
4. Positive parenting strategies and managing behaviour

Building Blocks for Toddlers Leaflet

2 to 3 years

Language Builders – A 3-week programme supporting language development in children with delayed speech. Activates to support listening and attention skills. Designed to bridge the gap between the 2 year check with the health visitor and referral into speech and language therapy. Week 1 incorporates Bookstart which helps to promote the benefits of sharing books and how this can aid language development, children will receive a free bookbag.

Language Builders Leaflet

3 to 5 years

School Readiness Workshop (2 hours)

A 2 hour workshop to support children and their families on their ‘journey to school’. The session covers practical and emotional preparation for parents and carers of 3 to 4 year olds, based on the Five to Thrive approach and the Ready Child, Ready Family, Ready School model.

Can be booked via Eventbrite Isle of Wight Family Centres Events | Eventbrite

0 to 18 years

Creating Healthy Habits Workshop

90-minute workshop offering advice and guidance for healthy eating, nutrition & physical activity linked to  Better health, healthier families  health messages including oral health and toileting.

Bookings via Eventbrite Isle of Wight Family Centres Events | Eventbrite

3 to 5 years

Parenting Puzzle - 4 week Evidence based Programme for Parents which offers parenting strategies to support children’s development and school readiness.

• Understanding your children’s behaviour
• Listening and how babies and children communicate
• Praise and encouragement
• Praise and guidance
• Power of play and positive movement
• Boundaries and parenting styles
• Understanding and managing behaviour
• Looking after ourselves
• Dealing with stress and conflict
• Developing the Family Toolkit

Parenting Puzzle Leaflet

5 to 13 years

The Nurturing Programme (Supportive Parenting Programme) Building confidence in parenting and positive family relationships.
Offers positive, practical ways of guiding and nurturing children so that they learn how to handle both their feelings and their behaviour. Helping us to get the best out of family life.

During the programme, we look at lots of different topics, including:

• Understanding why children behave as they do
• Recognising the feelings behind behaviour (ours and theirs)
• Exploring different approaches to discipline
• Finding ways to develop co-operation and self-discipline in children
• Learning the importance of looking after ourselves

A one-off workshop is also available, covering the principles and strategies of the Nurturing Programme. Parents can choose to attend the full course afterwards.

Nurturing Programme Leaflet

Pregnancy to 18 years

Supporting Parent Relationships -  The Importance of Positive Relationships Between Parents

Positive relationships between parents whether they are together, separated, co‑parenting, or part of a blended family help create a powerful foundation for children’s emotional, social, and cognitive development. Children are incredibly sensitive to the quality of relationships around them, especially between the adults who care for them.

For more information on the support available to families, please visit the Family Information Hub website .

8 - 17 years

Who’s in Charge? Parenting Programme online via Teams. For parents and carers who have a child aged 8-18 who currently appears to be beyond parental control or who uses violent and abusive behaviour towards them.
An eight week course, with a final review session after a two month period of implementing strategies within the home.

The course aims to:

• Reduce parent’s feelings of isolation.
• Challenge parent’s feelings of guilt.
• Lessen deterministic thinking about causes - it is always multi-causal.
• Reinforce belief in possibility of change
• Clarify boundaries of what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour
• Arm parents with some simple concepts that have proved empowering
• Create meaningful and practical consequences for unacceptable behaviour.
• Explore anger, both children’s and (often more usefully) parents’
• Encourage assertiveness
• Encourage self-care
• Reinforce progress and provide emotional support

13+ years

Talking Teens   - Understanding your teenager, online via Teams. 4 week evidence based course for parents or carers of Teenagers.

Developing parents’ understanding of teenage development and the influence of brain development on behaviour.

• Developing parents' understanding of the importance of listening
• Verbal and non verbal communication
• Promoting positive approaches to boundary setting and problem-solving
• Exploring the importance of parents for teenagers
• Providing an opportunity for parents to share their experience with others

Talking Teens Leaflet

13+ years

Talking Teens Workshop - 2.5 hours online via Teams  - A one-off workshop covering the principles and strategies of the talking teens programme. Parents can choose to attend the full course afterwards
 

5 - 19 years

Children's Mental Health and Wellbeing Support You can access the support for children's well being from the Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) within schools, by contacting your school’s Designated Mental Health Lead (DMHL). Mental Health Support Team - MHST | IOW Youth Trust