SFSC Introduction to Parenting Programme

Overview

Raising children can be both rewarding and challenging. The SFSC Parenting Programme is designed to support parents and carers in creating a safe, nurturing, and empowering environment for children to thrive, physically, emotionally, socially, and academically.

Developed as a universal programme, SFSC helps parents of children aged 0–18 reflect on how their own experiences, values, and parenting styles influence their family life. The programme encourages active learning, providing practical strategies, tools, and a supportive space to explore how best to meet their children’s needs.

SFSC Introduction to Parenting Programme

A practical, culturally responsive course that helps parents raise happy, healthy, and successful children in a violence-free environment. It is a condensed, accessible version of the full 13-week in-person SFSC Parenting Programme, designed to introduce parents to core concepts, tools, and strategies. The course offers child-specific parenting approaches tailored to children’s developmental stages and unique characteristic:

  • Early Years (0–6 years) – Navigating toddler years and school readiness 
  • Primary Years (7–11 years) – Supporting development and preparing for secondary school
  • Secondary Years (12–18 years) – Helping children transition to adulthood 

Value of the SFSC Introduction to Parenting Programme

The SFSC Introduction to Parenting Programme supports families dealing with a range of everyday pressures, including:

  • Managing children’s behaviour positively
  • Coping with stress and emotional well-being
  • Building strong parent-child relationships
  • Supporting children’s physical, mental, social, spiritual and emotional development
  • Creating clearer boundaries and consistency at home

Through group discussion, shared experiences, and interactive activities, the programme fosters personal growth and builds lasting support networks.

The  SFSC Introduction to Parenting Programme offers a flexible taster version of the full 13-week programme and is particularly suited for parents facing barriers to face-to-face participation, such as scheduling conflicts, distance, or lack of confidence.

Resources

To help parents and colleagues understand more about the SFSC Introduction to Parenting Programme, please share/use these flyers.

For Parents

‘How to register’ flyer – Includes a QR code linking directly to the SFSC registration form

Programme Overview Flyer – Summary of programme for parents

For Professionals

Professional Flyer for Referrals – Includes key information and a QR code for quick and easy registration

Programme Modules Flyer – A detailed breakdown of each module

How to register parents

Parents must register directly and can begin the programme at any time.

Step-by-step:

  1. Visit the Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities website
  2. Select the relevant programme that the parent needs to register for
  3. Click on the SFSC Introduction to Parenting Programme to register
  4. Complete registration, ensuring the postcode is entered to confirm access to LA’s licence

Quick Access:

  • Use our specific programme flyers with QR codes to get access to the relevant SFSC course registration page
  • Practitioners can assist parents with registration during visits or appointments

Dissemination & referrals

To ensure take-up across your local authority, we encourage teams to share the opportunity widely.

Who can refer?

Anyone in contact with a family can share the information with a parent and help them sign up. This includes

  • Early help teams or social workers
  • Family support workers from statutory or voluntary agencies
  • Children’s centres
  • Housing officers
  • Health visitors
  • Schools and education services
  • SEND services

If a parent is interested in attending but needs some help to do so, we recommend you support them through the sign up process. Our team is also available to talk a parent through the process and once signed up we will encourage a parent to keep engaged with the course they have selected.

REF Recruitment Support

The Race Equality Foundation will also support local recruitment through community groups, third sector organisations, and local campaigns.

Monitoring & reporting

As part of your licence, you will receive quarterly reports detailing:

  • Number of parents registered
  • Engagement rates: completion, participation and non-engagement
  • Demographics of registered parents (age, ethnicity, gender)

These reports are designed to support local evaluation and DWP reporting.  If you need additional information, please contact us.

If you have any questions or need support, please contact the SFSC team. We’re here to help you get the most from your local authority’s licence.

If you have purchased the joint licence or would like to learn more about the additional SFSC Stronger Relationships (RPC) Programme, click below

FAQs

New groups are scheduled regularly and availability can be checked on the registration pages for each programme here: Registration - SFSC Introduction Parenting Programme and Registration - SFSC Stronger Relationships Programme 

 

Yes. The SFSC team has successfully supported parents of neurodiverse children and the programmes have techniques which can be tailored to the unique needs of the adults and children in any family

Contact the SFSC team with your request and the names of the co-parents and they will liaise with the parents to ensure that they are in different groups

Please contact the SFSC team. Group discussions can be offered in a community language as long as groups can be filled with a minimum of six parents

Yes. The SFSC team has extensive experience of supporting parents and carers involved in care proceedings, through the FGC process, those considering kinship care and parents wanting to settle the living and parenting arrangements for their children.