Events for Parents and Carers

Events for Parents and Carers

Do you want a role where you can use your parenting skills to help others?

Consider doing our free training to become a Parent Carer Peer Support (PCPS) worker! 

It can be life-changing when you are supporting a child with mental health difficulties. Everyone’s journey is different, with emotional highs and lows. You may have good and bad experiences of asking for and getting help – and this can often lead to wanting to make sure that other families get the help they need when they need it.  

Turning your heartache and challenging life experiences into hope for others can be healing and this is at the heart of parent carer peer support. It is an opportunity to learn new skills, to contribute to the children and young people’s mental health workforce and make a difference to the lives of children, young people and families. 

This autumn and winter, we’re offering three different ways for you to find out more about parent carer peer support. You're welcome to put your name down for any combination of them.   

Please note that as this is a new line of work, whether this role will be paid or voluntary will depend upon your area. All details will be discussed in our information sessions. 

Introduction to Parent Carer Peer Support

A one-hour information session led by lived experience parent carer peer support workers will give you the basic information about what parent carer support workers do and help you think about whether the role might be right for you.  

We will cover: 

• What is parent carer peer support? 
• What do parent carer peer support workers do?  
• Where and how is parent carer peer support work delivered, within the voluntary sector, NHS and children’s services?  
• How do parent carer peer support workers link in with their local mental health support systems? 
• What should I do if I want to find out more? 

Wednesday 27 September, 12:30 - 13:30 Book your place

Thursday 5 October, 12:30 - 13:30 Book your place

The basics of Parent Carer Peer Support

A four-hour session led by lived experience parent carer peer support workers and professionals. This looks more deeply into parent carer peer support to help you think more about whether it’s something you might like to do.  

You will receive a certificate from the Charlie Waller Trust on completion of the session.   

Topics will include:     

• A ‘day in the life of’ a parent carer peer support worker.   
• Positives and challenges in the role, for example how to begin supporting a family, and how to end that support when the time is right.    
• How do we keep it safe for the families we support and ourselves?   
• How do we meet the needs of our communities and provide inclusive support, which might be across a range of cultures or specifically for dads, for example, or where a child has a particular need, for example due to an eating disorder or neurodiversity.  
• How to get started:
  • Linking with existing support in your area.  
  • Starting up a service.  
  • Working in the voluntary sector. 
  • Working in the NHS or children’s services.   
  • What should I do if I want to find out more?    

Note: The session is run over two days on 13 and 16 October, 10.30-12.30, and on one day on 19 October, 10.30-14.30. 

Friday 13 October and Monday 16 October, 10.30-12.30  

Thursday 19 October, 10.30-14:30 

To book your place on the course, please email your name and the date you'd like to attend PLACE@charliewaller.org.  

Full Parent Carer Peer Support Course

We will be offering our full parent carer peer support (PCPS) course in January 2024.

If you are interested in the full course, please tell us now. It doesn’t commit you to anything but helps us ensure there are enough places to meet demand. 

This training is free to attend and will take place online. 

Find out more