Parent Power
Overview
Parent Power brings parents together to support each other, enabling families to lead their best lives and achieve their goals.
Parent Power is an ambitious initiative that works directly with families who are keen to lead changes in their own lives – helping themselves, their children and their communities to thrive. Drawing on the experience of other projects in the UK and the US, Parent Power supports families to set their own goals, access opportunities in the community, and shape services around them.
When parents hit hard times, they are often supported by professionals such as teachers, social workers or health visitors. But what if those providing the support were actually their peers, other parents, who they can often better relate to? They believe that for parents, their peers – other parents like them – are the best people to support them to realise their aspirations and dreams for their children. Working in partnership with African Families in the UK, they have trained and employed a group of parent peer supporters.
This is a role in which parents can learn new skills, grow their confidence and try new things. So far their parent peer supporters have been supporting families at the school food bank, accompanying other parents to meetings at school, building English language learning groups and helping families to access swimming lessons. Parent peer supporters also organise events and opportunities for people to connect, including a Netball Family Day to get families active and having fun together, and regular English language classes for parents who don’t have English as their first language.
How to Access this Service
Contact them on the link below
When/Where?
1:1 support for parents (a phone call, coffee, bespoke support) from a Parent Peer Supporter. You can see more about them on the link below. They will then discuss different group support options or signpost you to local support.
Who is it for?
Parents of children under 21 who would like to get support from other parents. Only Oxford City, predominantly Cowley and Blackbird Leys area but can go further afield.
