Download a PDF version of the Parenting Support Leaflet

If you live in the

Littlehampton, Shoreham or Worthing areas, contact: Parenting Co-ordinator County Buidlings, East Street Littlehampton BN17 6AP

If you live in the Crawley or Mid Sussex areas, contact: Parenting Co-ordinator Regents House, 190a Three Bridges Road, Crawley RH11 1LN

If you live in the Bognor or Chichester areas, contact: Parenting Co-ordinator First Floor, City Gates 2 to 4 Southgate Chichester PO19 2DJ

In June 2002 the government introduced parenting orders. They are an attempt to reduce the risk of anti-social behaviour or offending by young people. The order gets Families & Friends to attend group sessions to learn how to help and deal with the challenging behaviour of children. The court can impose a parenting order in the following circumstances.

• When the court makes a child safety order for children under 10 years old.
• When an anti-social behaviour order or sex offender order is made because of a child or young person.
• When a child or young person over 10 years old is convicted of an offence.
• When a young person is convicted under the Education Act 1996 because they didn’t go to school.

Kayleigh and Paul got a parenting order because their son had become a persistent young offenderIntroduction

Parenting is the most important job in the world. We recognise the problems you experience when caring for your son or daughter and sometimes these are hard to resolve by yourself. We may be able to help you if you need help and support with any of the following problems.

• Your son or daughter’s behaviour is difficult to deal with.
• Your son or daughter is using drugs or alcohol.
• Your son or daughter is not attending school.
• Your son or daughter is committing crime.
• Your son or daughter is being bullied at school.
• There are problems with violence at home.

Parenting support groups Parenting support groups are made up of ten weekly sessions. The programme is designed to give you an opportunity to:

• share your experiences;
• develop new ways of dealing with your son or daughter; and
• increase your confidence.

Parenting sessions give you information, advice and support to you and your family. They range from single one to one sessions to intensive six to ten week courses.

The following people can refer you to us.

• Social and Caring Services
• Education
• Health
• Police
• Youth Offending Team
• Drug and Alcohol Action Team

You can also contact us directly. Details on how to do this are shown above.

“I think parenting support is excellent. It’s a shame I never knew about it sooner as my situation was almost at the point of no return. Thank God they helped me get through the hardest and most challenging time of my life” - Mary, a single mother with three children, struggled to cope with the aggressive behaviour of her 16 year old daughter“It was great to have the chance to discuss issues with other people who understood us. We realised that we were not the only ones with problems and it gave us a real lift”- Nicky and Ali attended the ten week parenting support programme to help them get their 13 year old son to go to school