Bradford Children and Families Trust (BCFT) and Bradford Council are offering free access to online courses to help people in the Bradford District better cope with family life, bringing up children, parenting, relationships, and their emotional wellbeing
Launching to mark World Mental Health Day (Thursday 10, October 2024), the In Our Place online library consists of 17 separate courses, themed for different age groups and needs. Courses focusing on mental health include ‘Understanding your child’s mental health and wellbeing’ and ‘Understanding your feelings (for teenagers )’, while the full range of courses covers preparation for becoming a parent, pregnancy, parenting during childhood and the teenage years, and through to adult life. The courses complement and enhance, but do not replace, existing support programmes.
These evidence-based courses have been developed by Solihull Approach, a not-for-profit NHS service, with input from clinical psychologists, and have been commissioned by Bradford Children and Families Trust with funding provided by Bradford Council’s Family Hubs and Start for Life programme.
The courses are delivered in short modules online, through a combination of audio, video and text, so that people can follow them in their own time and at their own pace. Support will be available at Bradford District’s Family Hubs for people without digital access including use of equipment to help people complete the programme on site. Some of the In Our Place courses are available translated into languages including Modern Standard Arabic, Polish and Urdu. The full library of courses also supports auto-translation through Google Translate, which offers over 200 languages.
The courses are completely free of charge for anyone with a Bradford postcode. Please use the access code: BDPARENTS when signing up.
Further details, including how to register and access the courses, are on the FYI (Families and Young Person’s Information) website. Professionals and families can also find out more about the wide range of support that is also available: https://fyi.bradford.gov.uk/parenting-programme-pathway/
Susan Claydon, Assistant Director for Early Help and Transformation at Bradford Children and Families Trust, said:
“Becoming a parent doesn’t come with a handbook and all parents and carers experience difficulties from time to time. One of the Trust’s priorities is for families in Bradford District to get the support that they need sooner so that they can thrive. The introduction of this excellent library of online courses forms part of our package of care within Early Help that can help families address any issues they may have.
“The In Our Place offer complements existing support and parenting programmes. These virtual courses are expertly designed for parents to understand the changes in their child’s development and how to support them. We hope that by completing the short modules in a range of subjects, people will gain the knowledge they need to feel empowered to handle the challenges that life can bring.”
Councillor Sue Duffy, Bradford Council’s Portfolio Holder for Children and Families, said:
“We all want Bradford District’s children to have the best start in life, and for people of all ages to be happy and well throughout their lives. The support available through the suite of In Our Place courses, alongside existing programmes, will help parents and young people to navigate family life. “Launching In Our Place in partnership with our colleagues at Bradford Children and Families Trust supports our shared commitment to work together to help our families, children and young people to thrive.”