The Core delivery of the Parents Plus Early Years programme (PPEY) is an alternative to the original delivery format of the programme. The concepts of the original programme and the written materials for parents have been adapted to become more accessible to a wider range of parents.
This alternative delivery allows facilitators to run the programme with individual families in a flexible manner, shaped to their needs over an extended period of time.
For facilitators already trained in the PPEY, we offer a special one-module training on May 28th, 2024, to demonstrate how to use the PPEY Core Programme, which includes an introduction to the new format and content, a recap of solution-focused video feedback skills, and copies of the new Parent Pack and Facilitator notes.
This special one module training to show you how to use the PPEY Core will take place on the8th October 2024 (9:15am-1:30pm) online via Zoom.
This training workshop will – *Introduce you to new PPEY core format and content * Recaps on skills of solution-focused video feedback Copies of the new Parent Pack and Facilitator notes are included.
You can book a place on this special one-module training via the button below.
“My name is Susi Wakely and I am a Senior Educational Psychologist at Falkirk Council, Scotland.
The Parents Plus Early Years programme (PPEY) is a 7-week-long course delivered by professionals. At Falkirk Council, the programme was delivered to families of children with significant additional support needs.
Speaking of the programme, Senior Educational Psychologist, Susi Wakely explains,
“The Parents Plus Early Years programme materials encourage parents to connect with each other and feel empowered to support themselves. They emphasise the power of the group dynamic, creating a safe space where parents can be more authentic and share hard truths. This means parents freely giving tips and advice to each other.
I work with some of the families in my casework and I can see the increase in the engagement and confidence of the parents who attended our first group.
Over the weeks we witnessed the added benefits of the programme in supporting the wider families. Parents who attended shared with their partners who were unable to attend, or the parents took it in turns to attend, and one couple attended together. In the second to last session, the husband who attended with his wife openly praised her on the strategies she was using from the programme already. He is by nature a very reserved man and it was powerful to see him come out of his shell and openly praise his wife in the group. They have a child with significant ASN and shared how isolated they had felt prior to coming to the group.
Parents Plus deliver a cost-effective, strengths-based series of parenting programmes. Parents are fully engaged and take ownership of the group. My co-facilitator Alice says it is a group for parents, not a parenting group. The programme fits well with our relationship-based service values.
The Parents Plus team are true to their principles and values – they empower us as facilitators and believe in us as much as we then believe in the parents. They could not be more supportive as an organisation – they want to make it as simple as possible for you as a professional to be trained and get going with a programme. There are no unnecessary barriers and costs with accreditation processes.
You are trusted as a facilitator to work with the materials and make them work for the group of parents you are supporting. This is a very different approach to other parenting programmes.
The materials in the programme are high quality, too. Parents loved the glossy parent books and enjoyed the videos. We had only to sift through the contents each week to pick out the activities and assets that would be most appropriate for our ASN group and did not need to modify anything.
We’d like to say a big thanks to Parents’ Plus for their support in getting our programmes up and running in Falkirk.”
The Core delivery of the Parents Plus Early Years programme (PPEY) is an alternative to the original delivery format of the programme. The concepts of the original programme and the written materials for parents have been adapted to become more accessible to a wider range of parents.
This alternative delivery allows facilitators to run the programme with individual families in a flexible manner, shaped to their needs over an extended period of time.
For facilitators already trained in the PPEY, we offer a special one-module training on May 28th, 2024, to demonstrate how to use the PPEY Core Programme, which includes an introduction to the new format and content, a recap of solution-focused video feedback skills, and copies of the new Parent Pack and Facilitator notes.
This special one module training to show you how to use the PPEY Core will take place on the28th May 2024 (9:15am-1:30pm) online via Zoom.
This training workshop will – *Introduce you to new PPEY core format and content * Recaps on skills of solution-focused video feedback Copies of the new Parent Pack and Facilitator notes are included.
You can book a place on this special one-module training via the button below.
“My name is Alice Grant and I am an Additional Support Needs (ASN) Outreach Teacher. I trained to deliver the Parents Plus Early Years programme in September 2022, and then ran one group from May to June 2023.
“During the programme, which ran in person for seven weeks, we were able to see significant shifts in parents’ attitudes and thinking.
“One notable point of the programme was when the parents reflected on the importance of encouraging and spending time with all of their children rather than focusing most on their child with ASN. They found that using the strategies with all of their children was beneficial for the whole family.
“The parents have established their own WhatsApp group and plan to stay in touch and arrange meet-ups with their children during the summer.
“One parent summed up the general feeling from the group: “The course made me feel less lonely and that others experience the same things with their kids. We are going through similar experiences. It makes me feel more normal.”
“Parents Plus have been, and continue to be, a pleasure to work with. At all stages we have been supported to make the programme a success, and we have felt that Parents Plus staff are helping and working with us, never just trying to sell us something or advocate a single approach. They are supportive, generous with time and materials, and always available to deal with queries.”
The Core delivery of the Parents Plus Early Years programme (PPEY) is an alternative to the original delivery format of the programme. The concepts of the original programme and the written materials for parents have been adapted to become more accessible to a wider range of parents.
This alternative delivery allows facilitators to run the programme with individual families in a flexible manner, shaped to their needs over an extended period of time.
For facilitators already trained in the PPEY, we offer a special one-module training on May 28th, 2024, to demonstrate how to use the PPEY Core Programme, which includes an introduction to the new format and content, a recap of solution-focused video feedback skills, and copies of the new Parent Pack and Facilitator notes.
This special one module training to show you how to use the PPEY Core will take place on the28th May 2024 (9:15am-1:30pm) online via Zoom.
This training workshop will – *Introduce you to new PPEY core format and content * Recaps on skills of solution-focused video feedback Copies of the new Parent Pack and Facilitator notes are included.
You can book a place on this special one-module training via the button below.
One of the core concepts in the Parents Plus programmes is ‘pressing the pause button’. When faced with challenging behaviours, parents are invited not to react and instead to take a pause instead. This pause interrupts unhelpful reactions and allows parents to take a moment so they can ‘tune in’ to their child’s needs ( and their own) and then consider the best response.
So important is ‘pressing the pause button’ that it is the most remembered ‘helpful concept’ in the Parents Plus programmes. When we follow up with parents six months later and ask them to pick what idea made the most difference, they are most likely say learning to take a pause.
Learning to pause is also linked to parent self-care and stress management. Pausing interrupts the stress cycle and helps parents learn to relax and reduce their own stress levels
However, learning to pause is far from easy and though it is the most remembered helpful concept, it is not the easiest to put into practice!
In the new delivery materials of the Parents Plus programme we try to make this core concept more accessible to parents. For example, we use the worksheet below with parents to consider all the different ways people can take a pause and invite them to identify what might work for them. Helping parents identify their unique way of pausing and interrupting the stress cycle is the key to making progress.
John Sharry, Clinical Director at Parents Plus, commented on the programme’s new core delivery, stating
“The core delivery of the Parents Plus Early Years programme allows you to build the intervention around the parents’ needs and goals and to proceed at their pace ensuring they have time to create new habits in the home with their children.”
We have a special one module training for facilitators already trained in the programme to show you how to use the PPEY Core that will take place on the28th May 2024 (9:15am-1:30pm) online via Zoom.
This training workshop will – – Introduce you to new PPEY core format and content – Recaps on skills of solution-focused video feedback – Copies of the new Parent Pack and Facilitator notes are included.
You can book a place on this special one-module training via the button below.
We are delighted to announce a new collaboration between Parents Plus Charity, the HSE Disability Division and Children’s Disability Network Teams to roll out and evaluate the impact of the Parents Plus Early Years andSpecial Needs parent support programmes to families over the next three years 2024-2026.
We look forward to working together with the CDNTs to train and support practitioners, building the capacity of teams in providing these evidenced-based programmes to help families deal with the challenges they face.
The critical value of early access to evidence-based and tailored parenting interventions for families raising a child with a disability cannot be underestimated. It is a key component of family-centred practice which recognise the importance of focusing on the whole family and not just the child requiring support. Research further emphasises that empowering parents of children with a disability with the tailored parenting tools that they define as needed to support their family, is a critical determinant of a child’s future outcomes, as well as affecting the well-being of siblings and parents too.
The Parents Plus Early Years and Special Needs programmes come from a holistic strengths-based model where parents are empowered to build their coping capacity. A further powerful element of the group-based programmes is that parents meet and support each other on their journey raising a child who has additional support needs . The project will provide training and implementation support for 160 practitioners from CDNTs over three years in the Parents Plus Early Years and the Special Needs Programmes.
As well as the programme trainings we will also run workshops on the Parents Plus Solution Focused Model of working with families. These workshops will be open to teams across a range of disciplines to support strengths-based practice.
If you are working on a CDNT and would like to hear more about the project you can email Ciara Ni Raghallaigh, Parents Plus Disability Programmes Lead at:ciaranir@parentsplus.ie
Parents Plus are delighted to announce the New “Core” delivery of their evidence-based Early Years Programme developed in collaboration with SPECS Bray, and supported by TUSLA.
The Core delivery of the Parents Plus Early Years programme is an alternative to the original delivery format of the programme. The concepts of the original programme and the written materials for parents have been adapted to become more accessible to a wider range of parents.
This alternative delivery allows facilitators to run the programme with individual families in a flexible manner, shaped to their needs over an extended period of time.
The Core delivery of the Parents Plus Early Years programme is particularly suitable for parents for whom the original group delivery of the programme may not be suitable and who might benefit from a more individualised content, pace and delivery.
For facilitators who are already trained in the PPEY, we offer a special one-module training to show you how to use the PPEY Core on 27th February 2024 (9:15am-1:30pm) at a cost of €40.
To learn about the New “Core” delivery and more examples of sample worksheets from the PPEY Core Programme click here!
John Sharry, Clinical Director at Parents Plus, commented on the programme’s new core delivery, stating
“The core delivery of the Parents Plus Early Years programme allows you to build the intervention around the parents’ needs and goals and to proceed at their pace ensuring they have time to create new habits in the home with their children.”
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. See our full cookie-policy
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
![[STAGING] Parents Plus!](https://staging.parentsplus.ie/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/logo1.png){kind=logo}
