What is ForeParent UK all about?

We are a UK-based consultancy team, specialising in bespoke coaching, advisory, training and counselling services in parenting and behaviour-management. We can tailor our support to families, professionals or wider organisations which work with children, young people and families as a whole. We were born out of a desire to help address a visible and worrying decline in the sense of belonging, purpose and citizenship among some of society's most vulnerable young people.

We believe that they are products of circumstance, cultural and historical context and prior experience and, as such, a large proportion of the accountability for how they develop within this world lies with us or circumstances surrounding or preceding us- whether we're ready and willing to accept this or not! We believe that the solution lies within us, too.

Interested in reading more? Check out our 'About Us' section.

Are you parents yourselves?

Our team does not comprise any biological parents- yet! However, ForeParent UK views the definition of a 'parent' in a broader sense (check out our 'About Us' page): Our many years of combined professional experience in sectors such as Children and Young Peoples' Services, Foster Care and Education (among others) has led us to the realisation that biology is not a defining factor in effective and successful parenting. If it were, then some of these services would be obsolete today.

So...what qualifies you?

As a team, we have gathered over 30 years' valuable professional and academic experience in children's education (including education leadership), new-teacher training and education, SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), challenging behaviour management, educational charity work, foster care and local authority provision and intervention for and with vulnerable families on a daily basis, including parenting support: -BA Special Educational Needs and Disabilities -Bsc Hons Psychology -MA Special Educational Needs and Disabilities -Post Graduate Certificate in Primary Education (PGCE) with Qualified Teacher Status -BSc Biomedical Science -Post Graduate Certificate in Secondary Education (PGCE) with Qualified Teacher Status -Master of Education -Diploma in Counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy -Approved and active specialist Foster Carers

Do I need to be a parent to be able to access your services?

No. One of our main guiding principles is, 'It takes a village to raise a child.' Therefore, anyone who considers themselves a caregiver or is otherwise directly involved in the nurture or upbringing of a child and needs support, guidance, training or counselling around a child's behaviour, or their own parenting skills- whether that be a grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, step-parent, older sibling or teacher, etc - can access the services of ForeParent UK.

Do you offer corporate training packages?

Yes- we can design a bespoke programme of training to meet the needs of your organisation. Visit our Training page or contact us today to arrange a free consultation.

How do you deliver your support?

Counselling We are pleased to be able to provide the following services from June 2020 in conjunction with our partner company, S. Madden Therapy Solutions: -Parents’ Therapy -Family Group Therapy -Couples’ Therapy
*Please note that in-keeping with the ethos of our parent-centred service, we do not offer counselling sessions to children as individual clients, unless they are part of a Family Group Therapy session* Sessions are available via telephone and Zoom only at the moment due to the current, Covid-19 pandemic. For more information, visit our Counselling page or contact us to discuss your initial assessment. Coaching/Advisory -We can support you in your home, over the phone or online- whichever you feel most comfortable with. In our experience, the best results can be achieved by carrying out the intervention in the place where you feel you struggle most with your child's behaviour- we're open to supporting you elsewhere too- for more information, visit our our Coaching/Advisory page or why not get in touch for a chat? Remember- an initial consultation is free. Training Our experienced teaching practitioners can design a bespoke, informative and engaging programme of training to meet the needs of your organisation or deliver standardised sessions in person, or via Zoom. Check out our Training page and Contact us today to arrange a free consultation.

I'd like to be able to access your bespoke services but don't find them affordable. Are there any other options open to me?

Good news! We offer a flexible and mindful approach to supporting families and organisations: 1. After initital consultation, we'll share our support package proposal with you. This will be itemised and costed per session and an overall fee will also be shared. At this point, you'll be able to choose which sessions you'd like for us to provide for you- you don't have to commit to them all: You may choose to access some sessions at some point in the future. 2. We offer a 20% discount on all services for recipients of Universal Credit/ other state benefits and students, upon presentation of valid proof of status. Term apply 3. We also host 'Virtual Drop-In Surgeries' throughout the year, enabling parents to access ad-hoc, free parenting and behaviour-management support: Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date with any upcoming Virtual Surgeries, workshops or other events.

How much do your services cost?

Our Coaching/Advisory, Training and Counselling services are very different and are therefore costed separtely. Visit our associated pages for current costings.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept cash, all major debit and credit cards and our services are also payable via Paypal and bank transfer.

What's the meaning behind the consultancy's name?

ForeParent is a slight play of words to encompass a few, interrelated meanings:

• We're for parents (and families as a whole, of course!)
• We acknowledge the historical context within which each person exists- formed by their foreparents- and the resulting impact on their behaviour, parenting skills and experiences now.
• We are continually guided by our awareness of how we came to be at this point in time, i.e., the role of our foreparents (or Ancestors), and the collective knowledge, wisdom, memories and experiences that comprise who are are today. As such, we acknowledge that we would be unable to embark on our current endeavours without them having paved the way for us- something which we express the highest gratitude for.

Are you able to diagnose behaviour disorders?

We currently do not offer any diagnosis or screening services as a company. However, we do understand the impact of 'behaviour disorders' on family life and also the implications of 'missed diagnoses'. For this reason, we hope to be able to offer some screening and diagnosis services for children up to the age of 16 in future.

How old does my child need to be in order for you to be able to work with us?

We have a wide range of combined experience of working with the very youngest children, i.e., newborns, right up to young people in their late teens and everything in between! We have also supported vulnerable, expectant mothers pre-birth, in preparation for their new arrival. Whether it's support with boundaries, routine-setting for the little ones or needing support with the long-standing behavioural tendencies of older children, we'll try our best to help. Remember- however- that we are parent-centred so the vast majority, if not- all of our work, will be with you. Contact us to arrange a free consultation today.

Do you offer any forms of therapy?

ForeParent UK offers counselling services in conjunction with our partner, S. Madden Therapy Solutions. Our Co-Founder, Sarah-Jane Madden, is a qualified Counsellor/Psychotherapist and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy practitioner and also a Senior Member of the ACCPH (Accredited Counsellors, Coaches, Psychotherapists and Hypnotherapists). Areas in which we are able to support you include: -Confidence and self-esteem -Anger management -Anxiety -Stress -Low mood -Relationships (for couples with or without children) -Family issues -Parenting/readiness for parenthood For more information, please have a look at our Counselling and Meet The Team pages.

Is there a specific cultural group or community that you specialise in working with?

We're proud to be members of the African-Caribbean community and the African diaspora at large; with that membership comes a depth of cultural knowledge and understanding and lived experience within it to be able to successfully work with families of African-Caribbean descent in a way that other parenting organisations may struggle to, despite their very best intentions. However, as a team, we have gathered over 30 years' valuable professional experience in a vast range of socially, racially and culturally diverse settings- from schools and Local Authority, to the charity sector and Higher Education, all within the UK, and therefore warmly welcome enquiries from families and professionals from all backgrounds.

Are your fees refundable?

Clients are eligible for a refund of any deposits or fees paid to ForeParent UK if cancellations are made by us. Due to the bespoke nature of the work we do, terms of cancellation by the client and associated arrangements can be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us directly in order for us to discuss your unique requirements.

Prospective clients will be provided with a full Terms of Service prior to entering into an agreement with us.

Are your staff DBS-checked and insured?

Yes- all of our staff have up-to-date, Enhanced DBS checks and carry full, professional indemnity insurance.

Are you qualified therapists?

ForeParent UK offers counselling services in conjunction with our partner, S. Madden Therapy Solutions. Our Co-Founder, Sarah-Jane Madden, is a qualified Counsellor/Psychotherapist and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy practitioner and also a Senior Member of the ACCPH (Accredited Counsellors, Coaches, Psychotherapists and Hypnotherapists). For more information, please have a look at our Meet The Team page.

Will information about my family be shared with other organisations?

Before working with any of our clients, we will provide them with clear information about how their confidential details will be handled and securely stored. ForeParent UK is not affiliated with any Local Authority or any other wider governmental agencies, e.g., Social Services, NHS (National Health Service), Department for Education, Police. We will treat information that you share with us with the strictest confidence and it will not be shared with anyone outside of the ForeParent UK team or third-party organisations unless there is a lawful basis for us being requested to do so. For full details, please read our Privacy Notice. ForeParent UK is also committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children and our whole team works in full accordance with our Safeguarding Policy

What if you can't help me or my family?

We are passionate about seeing families making positive changes using a variety of means. For that reason if, at the point of consultation or assessment, we don't feel that we can successfully support your family using our experience and expertise, we will share this with you immediately and also try our best to signpost you to a more appropriate source of support (e.g., a GP if we feel that a clinical intervention is necessary).

I'm not from the African-Caribbean community; can I still access your services?

Absolutely. A quality, utterly-bespoke and personalised service is the absolute minimum that we offer to all of our clients, regardless of their background. What's more, we have a wealth of experience of working with children and families from a range of backgrounds across a number of sectors in some of the most diverse settings in the north of England and also London and Hampshire.

I know of some parenting organisations who deliver support and training for free: Why do you charge for your services?

Unlike some other parenting organisations, ForeParent UK is not government-funded and we would like to remain a fully-independent organisation. Compared to the service fees of some existing paid services, however, our current rates are extremely competitive.