Support for Parents

Article 18 : Parents should always consider what is best for their child. Governments must support parents by creating support services for children and giving parents the help they need to raise their children.

We have put together the resources on this page to help parents navigate challenges that they may be facing.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

• Mind: How to improve your mental wellbeing (for adults)
• Rethink Mental Illness
• SHOUT: Shout is a free, confidential, 24/7 text support service for anyone in the UK who is struggling to cope. To start a conversation, text the word 'SHOUT' to 85258. Our trained volunteers are here to listen at any time of day or night, and messages won't appear on your phone bill.
• Samaritans: Call their helpline free on 116123
• Young Minds: Parents A-Z Mental Health Guide
• Beat: Information, support and advice around eating disorders

  Youth line: 0808 801 0711

  Adult line: 0808 801 0677

  PAPYRUS: Parents Association for the Prevention of Young Suicide

  Helpline: 0800 068 4141

  
  

  The Reading Well

  The Reading Well books have been chosen by young people and experts to help young people through difficult feelings and experiences that can affect wellbeing.

  
  

  Drugs and alcohol

Parenting

• Families Under Pressure

'Don’t let the pressure of parenting get you down. Try these simple tips and tricks, formulated by researchers and NHS mental health experts, which are backed by science and proven to work with families.'

• Place2Be - Parenting Smart - covers a range of parenting topics and struggles with videos and advice
• Place2be parenting offer - family practitioner and free online parenting course

Bereavement

• Place2Be 'Supporting your child after the death of a loved one'

• Winston's Wish – www.winstonswish.org.uk - The charity for bereaved children

• Explaining miscarriage or stillbirth to young children
• Cruse Bereavement Support
• Book recommendations: Badgers Parting Gifts by Susan Varley, Water bugs and Dragonflies by Doris Stickney

Divorce/Separation

• Place2Be 'How to support your child through divorce or separation'
• Young Minds 'Ten tips for supporting children through change'
• Gingerbread Charity: Single Parents, Equal Families
• Book recommendations: Two of Everything by Babette Cole, Two Homes by Claire Masurel

Domestic Abuse

• Call 999 if in immediate danger

• Freephone, 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247

• Contact Refuge
• Support within Wandsworth
• Women's Aid

Cost of Living 

• Wandsworth Foodbank - If you need a referral for a foodbank voucher, please contact the school and ask to speak to Mrs Anderson

From the Wandsworth Council website:

• Advice on benefits
  • Information from Wandsworth Council
  • Information from GOV.UK
  • Money Advice Service
  • Citizens Advice - public enquiry line: 0300 330 1169
  • Turn2Us Benefit calculator
  • Entitledto Benefit calculator

• Advice on managing your finances - including saving, budgeting and debt

  • National Debt Line
  • Step Change
  • Money Advice Service
  • Information from Citizens Advice - public enquiry line: 0300 330 1169
  • South West London Law Centres Advice and Support service - public enquiry line: 020 8767 2777
  • Financial advisors - see where your money is being spent and whether it should change. Find a financial advisor in your area at www.unbiased.co.uk

LGBTQ+ and Gender Identity

• Young Minds: Supporting Your Child with Gender Identity
• Stonewall 
• The Proud Trust
• Switchboard: the leading LGBT+ helpline in the UK, call 0300 330 0630. A confidential helpline
  Switchboard is a confidential LGBT+ helpline there to listen and support you with anything that you want to talk about. All of their volunteers self-define as LGBT+ and they are trans-friendly and nonbinary-friendly.
  Switchboard are open 10am to 10pm every day of the year. Calls cost no more than calls to 01 and 02 numbers and are included in inclusive and free minutes on mobiles

Children with SEND

• Independent Parental Special Education Advice – IPSEA.org.uk
• ASD Helping Hands – www.asdhelpinghands.org.uk
• National Autistic Society – www.autism.org.uk 
• Managing stress when caring for a disabled child - https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/manage-stress-caring-for-disabled-child/