Community / In-demand family centre to hold open day
THE SHETLAND Family Centre is hosting an open day tomorrow (Thursday) to allow folk to learn more about the in-demand service – as well as all the other parenting programmes available locally.
The centre, which is located on Lerwick’s Burgh Road and has eight staff, offers a range of services aimed at supporting families in parenting, and promoting early intervention and play.
It is proving busy, with 106 parents projected to take part in the Incredible Years programme – for folk with bairns aged three to 11 – this year alone.
Manager Catherine Corbett said the service’s various programmes, which are available for parents of children from babies to teenagers, are open to everyone regardless of their background.
“We have deliberately tried to burst the stigma of parenting programmes in Shetland,” she told Shetland News.
“We’ve been very strategic about that over the last couple of years. This is open to everyone, and as we know all families need all the help they can get when it comes to parenting.”
The service is run by Shetland Islands Council but there is a multi-agency focus. The parenting programmes themselves are national ones, but are locally delivered.
At Thursday’s event there will also be a handbook available detailing the various programmes available in Shetland for parents from all organisations, such as NHS’s Healthy Shetland and Relationship Scotland.
Shetland Family Centre, now located near the NHS headquarters at Montfield, was previously known as the Bruce Family Centre, and had took up residence at the old Anderson High School before the move to Burgh Road.
These days there are three main programmes which parents and carers can take part in – Peep, for folk with children aged up to three, Incredible Years for older bairns and Teen Triple P for those with teenagers. All are free to attend.
Corbett said Peep is similar to a toddler group, but with a focus on how children can learn through play.
It is run in blocks at a time, or staff members will go out into the community; from January to June this year the service engaged with 503 bairns.
Incredible Years runs for 14 weeks at a time, and aims to help parents and carers with their child’s behaviour, confidence and friendships.
Corbett said it “changed her life” when she took part in it more than a decade ago in Edinburgh.
“It’s a long course because it’s a different way of thinking,” she said. “We see miracles, and so many people want to do this course that we have waiting lists.”
At the moment some people may have to wait around half a year before starting, but Corbett said it is well worth the wait.
Meanwhile the programme for parents and carers of 12 to 16 year olds runs over seven weeks and looks at areas like a teenager’s emotional regulation, self-esteem and behaviour.
The open day at the family centre – at 28 Burgh Road – is taking place this Thursday (1 August) from 11am to 3pm, with refreshments and cake for the adults and play opportunities for bairns.
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