THANKS to Covenant Funding, the Parent Support Service, based at The Wavell School in Hampshire, works with families whose children attend a cluster of schools in Aldershot, Farnborough and Rushmoor.
Kate (left) and Linda offer a wide range of support to military families
It offers early intervention support and advice on parenting strategies, money management, family relationships, education issues and supporting good mental health. If you’re living in the area, there are a range of great courses available such as Triple P positive parenting programme, family links parenting puzzle, and healthy eating and nutrition for the young. Workshops include how to support an anxious child, supporting and understanding emotions, friendships and problem solving, top tips for primary age, and parenting in the 21st century for teens. There’s also a bespoke four-week programme supporting you pre and post deployment.
The service is run by Linda Parry, an army wife veteran and the lead parent support advisor for Aldershot and Farnborough, and Kate Wakeford, the parent support advisor for military families in Rushmoor. They both have a wealth of experience and have been supporting parents for over ten years.
Linda said: “I’m lucky that my schools are constantly happy to train me and keep me informed with best practice initiatives to support families. It’s a great job that we both thoroughly enjoy, and every day is a new challenge. We can support you in your home or in our group courses and workshops. We have a close relationship with the Army Welfare Service, HIVEs, Citizen’s Advice Bureau and other agencies in the area.”
“I’ve been trained to support families in finding where their strengths are and working on finding solutions to areas that need further support. I’m putting together a tool called the Circle of Change, to help identify these,” added Kate.
Parents have been benefiting from what’s on offer, with one mum commenting: “It’s an amazing service. Linda is so supportive in so many ways. I’m not sure what I would’ve done without her. I’ve got stacks of new tools to help us become more effective parents.”
Another parent added: “It’s outstanding. I’ve learnt so much and it’s really helped me understand my children’s behaviour and improve my skills during a very difficult time.”
To find out more, email linda.parry@wavell.hants.sch.uk or kate.wakeford@wavell.hants.sch.uk