Parenting academies seek recruits

Frontline staff who work with families are being invited to attend one of nine parenting academies being held across the country over the next two months.

The invitation, from the government’s Respect Task Force, is aimed at anyone involved in tackling antisocial behaviour or working in children’s and youth services, housing, the police, community safety, regeneration or youth offending. This is second wave of parenting academies. The first wave took place in June.

The task force claims that the free events help steer workers through what the Respect Action Plan means in practice, “from Asbos, to parenting classes, and everything in between”.

Launched in January, the action plan set out the government’s intentions to increase constructive and purposeful activities for young people, tackle poor behaviour in schools, develop parenting services, and challenging problem families.

To help to ensure staff had the skills necessary to deliver the high quality parenting support required, the government also pledged to establish a National Parenting Academy to train staff from a range of relevant professions, “for example social workers, clinical psychologists, community safety officers and youth justice workers”.

Parenting Academy Dates:
Tuesday 12 September: London
Monday 18 September: Bristol
Tuesday 19 September: Solihull
Thursday 21 September: Cardiff
Tuesday 26 September: Carlisle
Thursday 28 September: Sheffield
Friday 29 September: Sheffield
Monday 2 October: Peterborough
Tuesday 3 October: London

Go to www.coievents.co.uk/respect to reserve a place on-line. Alternatively, call 020 7261 8400.