## _**Strengthening Families & Communities**_
**Parents Supporting Parents Trustees’ Annual Report July 2020**
Registered Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation SC050288
## Charity contact information
Parents Supporting Parents Scottish Charity Number: SC050288
Address Postcode Email address: hello@parentssupportingparents.co.uk Website www.parentssupportingparents.co.uk
_**parents supporting parents @psp_scot @psp_scot parents supporting parents**_
Registered Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation SC050288
## **Trustees**
## _**Strengthening Families & Communities**_ Name Period From Period to
Registered Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation SC050288
## **Objectives and activities**
Our Mission is to support parents and carers by providing the knowledge and resources to empower them to make the best decisions for the _**Strengthening Families & Communities**_ mental, physical, social health and wellbeing of their families.
We were founded by parents for parents and carers. We were left feeling isolated, worried and distressed while searching for support for own children and families. We found accessing the right advice and support through the traditional pathways difficult. The path to access support was eventually found with struggles. Where do you find credible, practical, evidence-based advice that is readily available to parents? That is where Parents Supporting Parents was born from.
Our Vision is that throughout Scotland, no parent or carer feels isolated, and all are supported, building a stronger society.
We do this through ensuring we deliver a consistent programme throughout the year, which includes a mix of informative sessions and practical workshops, family activities and events.
Build upon our existing programme of topics by introducing new themes/speakers – live and online. Collaborate and partner with other community and third sector organisations who share our goals and values.
Registered Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation SC050288
## **Structure, governance and management**
## **Parents Supporting Parents Constitution**
## **Trustee recruitment and appointment**
Our trustees have been in place for over a year, with experience and skills in varying areas.
Having skills across project management, research, funds and most of all first hand experience of issues which impact so many families provides us with the Knowledge of knowing what parents or carers are experiencing.
We employed our first Development Officer into role on 1st March 2021 on a fixed term contract which is coming to an end this month. We plan to obtain further funding to allow us to recruit into Q2.
Registered Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation SC050288
## **Achievements and performance**
We were delighted to be invited to be a key partner organisation by Tayside Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). We felt proud that our achievements of building a strong parental community _**Strengthening Families & Communities**_ who were engaged was the driving force behind our involvement.
The number of parents who continue to interact with our organisation continues to inspire us to keep doing what we are doing. Coronavirus has placed certain limitations on us, the only positive effect that the pandemic has had is that our reach widened because of online sessions being at the forefront for so long.
We encountered a few issues primarily related to coronavirus again, we struggled to source venues to hold our sessions indoors, for e.g., when we were planning the sports sessions, government restrictions changed to allow indoor sports for low numbers however we really struggled to find a venue willing to take this booking locally. School halls were out of bounds due to council restrictions on their use in relation to keeping “outsiders” out of schools. We had the fitness coaches, and we had the families looking to take part but no venue. In the end we held the sessions outdoors luckily at that time of the year most sessions were able to go ahead without weather interruption.
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Registered Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation SC050288
## **Achievements and performance**
We attempted to go back to in person sessions at early September, this would have been our first workshop in person in well over a year and a _**Strengthening Families & Communities**_ half, however as the date drew closer we had a number of parents and teens call off due to ill health in relation to a local covid outbreak, rather than cancel the block which was due to last 5 weeks, we decided in conjunction with these families to delay the start by 1 week and switch back to online. It gave everyone a level of comfort, it meant we didn’t lose out on the course facilitator and ultimately the families got to take part in the workshop and learned some new information and skills to put in place at home. A delay was better than losing out completely.
We have been keen to run some additional sessions for all ages on anxiety. This is something that families are screaming out for in all our feedback surveys. However, due to covid, all practitioners that we have contacted including via CAMHS, and private practice they are all already under a huge strain due to the increased number of patients being referred or self-referring to them. We are still pursuing other avenues of speakers to use for this type of workshop.
We found that naturally our numbers did drop slightly for some sessions which were online towards the end of 2021, on speaking with peers at other organisations they advised they were also experiencing the same, particularly around group work. We feel that this is due to people being “zoomed” out, there is now a tiredness for the online world, with many people working from home during the day, the last thing they want to do is sit online for another hour at night.
Registered Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation SC050288
## **Future plans**
With the lifting of restrictions nationwide we are looking forward to putting in place our sessions for in person events again.
We have recently become part of the Stronger communities’ network _**Strengthening Families & Communities**_ locally and are looking forward to more collaborative working between ourselves and other charities/ groups in our area, feeling more connected with the work that others are doing and sharing ideas for partnerships going forward.
In line with current research and support from colleagues in academia, we would like to create a robust and effective peer support service. This will be a safe space for parents and carers to build vital support networks where they can share experiences and practical advice to support other parents and carers who have had a similar experience. The parents and carers will be able to model useful skills, learn effective problem-solving strategies, and respond/prevent relapses and other crisis in their lives going forward.
## **Additional information**
Parents Supporting Parents recognises that a child or young person’s wellbeing is influenced by everything around them. Each family will have different experiences and needs at different times in their lives. Therefore, there is a need for evidence-based support in line with Scottish Government health and wellbeing indicators.
We have gained the respect and support of our community and individuals with whom we work closely. We need to maintain and build on this position for the benefit of the families we support. At the heart of what we do we recognise that family’s needs and expectations change and that the services and support which we provide must evolve and be responsive to their requirements. Increased demand to access our vital services has led to us putting in place a 3yr strategy, to plan for the future.
There is a pressing need to develop this service further to support families. While those families who use us know about and understand our value, many more do not, and are not aware of the potential which we could offer. There is a need to empower parents and carers with knowledge and resources for them to make the best decisions for their families.
We want to challenge and change outdated perceptions and increase awareness of mental health and wellbeing. The pandemic has only intensified these issues and heightened the need for a new strategy. We are passionate about and believe firmly in the future of Parents Supporting Parents.
Registered Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation SC050288
## **Declaration**
## **Signed on behalf of the charity trustees:** _**Strengthening Families & Communities**_
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Trustee - Chairperson
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**Date 21st February 2022**
Registered Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation SC050288