Mums Supporting Mums (360G-OCF-A494966)

Fegans parenting is staffed by women and given the huge numbers of mums affected by domestic violence and maternal mental health issues we would like to run a female only parenting programme to encourage healthy relationships, build self-esteem and improve outcomes for women and their children. The 18-week programme is: 6 weeks intensive one to one in the home looking at key issues and then 6 weeks in a group looking at parenting techniques and supports. The final 6 weeks offers volunteer opportunities in the community such as foodbank. ‘Mums Supporting Mums’ would give opportunities to learn and improve parenting techniques and to help break behavioural patterns. We know many women are isolated because of their circumstances so the opportunity to meet with others would help them to become part of the community and build social networks. The programme coordinator will identify 3 volunteers who will each work with 3 women and their families. Volunteers will be trained and supervised by Fegans safeguarding processes. 9 families are looked after during18-week cycle. We have seen lives changed and families transformed through the programme. So many of Fegans staff are mothers who we have worked with in the past and we have seen around 1/3 of participants return to volunteer in subsequent courses. Delegates can identify with the struggles our volunteers have overcome and it gives them the confidence to look at making their own changes. Beyond the immediate operation plan our goal is to enable sufferers to become supporters.