The Incredible Years Parenting Groups Service in Islington

 Incredible Years Groups are for parents and carers of children aged 1-10 years. There are three groups depending on your child’s age:

• Incredible Years Toddler: Parents of children aged 1-3
• Incredible Years Early Childhood: Parents of children aged 3-6
• Incredible Years School age: Parents of children aged 6-10

Incredible Years Groups are for parents and carers who want to:

• Improve their child’s behaviour
• Learn more about what behaviours are normal for children
• Meet other parents
• Learn parenting skills
• Feel more confident as a parent
• Feel less stressed about parenting

The group is run by either a Family Support Worker or Family Engagement Worker and a CAMHS Clinician from Islington CAMHS. Both facilitators are experienced in running groups and helping families.

Programme aims:

• Promote children’s all round development (social, emotional, language & behaviour)
• Support parents’ developing effective parenting strategies
• Increase parents’ support networks
• Strengthen parents and children’s relationships
• Provide a safe, non-judgemental space to think about and share ideas with other parents

Topics

• Parental attention and child directed play (promoting positive relationships)
• Child-directed coaching
• Social and emotional coaching
• Praise and encouragement
• Rewards & Incentives
• Rules & Routines
• Effective Limit Setting
• Handling misbehaviour

About the group:

• The group will run for 13 or 14 weeks, term time only, at the same time each week
• There will be a maximum of 12 parents in the group

Before the group:

• A group facilitator will contact you to think about whether the Incredible Years Group would be suitable.

During the group:

• Each week we will focus on a topic, using a mixture of group discussion, watching DVD’s of parents with their children and role playing ourselves
• There will be a home task each week to practice the strategies
• The facilitators will call you in the middle of the week to check how you are getting on and whether you have any questions about the material covered in the group
• As the group goes on, when you know one another a little more, we will encourage you to also make calls to a ‘buddy’ to help support each other.

To register your interest you can contact CAMHS on 0203 316 1824 or talk to a Family Support Worker at Families First or Family Engagement Worker at your local children’s centre.