For professionals who support families, sharpening skills and staying connected to best practice is essential. Parents Plus Community of Practice (CoP) sessions offer trained facilitators, both new and experienced, a valuable space for continuous professional development and peer learning. Participants connect with colleagues, share practical insights and re-energise their practice, discussing what works well in delivery and troubleshooting common challenges, from programme planning to adapting delivery to meet the diverse needs of families. The result is high quality programmes delivered with confidence.
Ciara Ni Raghallaigh, Parents Plus Disability Programme Lead, recently facilitated a Community of Practice session tailored specifically for facilitators of the Parents Plus Special Needs programme. Participants reflected that the session was “a really good refresher on recruitment, facilitation techniques, and top tips.”
For many professionals, securing parent participants can be one of the most challenging aspects of running a programme. The session addressed this by discussing recruitment strategies in depth, offering a much-needed refresher on ideas for goal setting and recruitment, and reviewing the core content delivered.
Attendees also noted how valuable it was to engage in open discussions with experienced facilitators about effective methods of recruitment. As one participant reflected, the experience left them “definitely feeling more confident to get on with recruiting and planning” This boost in professional confidence is exactly the reason why Parents Plus invests so heavily in post training supports; confident and supported facilitators deliver quality programmes to parents!
To connect with a supportive network of practitioners and sharpen your own facilitation skills, book a place at an upcoming Community of Practice session, or email Karin at karin@parentsplus.ie.