Parents Plus Adolescents Programme
Promoting effective communication and positive relationships, for parents of adolescents aged 11 to 16 years.
The Parents Plus Adolescents programme is a practical, solution-focused and evidence-based course that builds on parent strengths. It can be delivered over 6-12 sessions to groups of parents or to individual families.
The Adolescents Programme can be delivered as a universal programme for parents of adolescents aged 11-16 years including those dealing with additional emotional and behavioural concerns.
By attending our training to become a facilitator for this programme, you will learn how to support parents of adolescents to:
- create warm, connected family relationships
- build self-esteem and confidence
- support their adolescents mental health
- negotiate rules and boundaries
- communicate positively and effectively
- manage and resolve conflict
- solve problems together with their young person
- reduce their own stress as parents
“The Parents Plus approach to solving family problems is a well-established model. Due to the proven efficacy of the Parents Plus Adolescents Programme in improving outcomes for parents, carers, children and young people, Bristol City Council has committed to funding facilitator training for 8 years.”
Deborah Davis, Parenting Supervisor, Families in Focus, Bristol
Who is this training for
The Adolescent Programme facilitator training is suitable for a range of professionals, including:
- Children and Young People’s Services Committees.
- Tusla Education Support Service (TESS).
- Home School Liaison Officers (HSCL).
- National Council for Special Education Teams.
- Secondary School Teachers.
- TUSLA Parenting Support Champions Project.
- Youth Workers.
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) Teams.
- Family Resource Centres.
- Regional Parent support networks such as Parenting Monaghan, Parent Hub Donegal and Parenting Limerick.
- Area Based Childhood Programme (ABC) such as Supporting Parents & Early Childhood Services (SPECS), Bray.
- Speech and Language Therapists.
- Occupational Therapists.
- HSE Healthy Communities .
What you will Learn
The Adolescent’s Programme facilitator training is practical and solution-focused and will provide you with the essential skills and learning to achieve the best outcomes for the parents and families who attend your service. The training focuses on:
- Developing an in-depth understanding of this programme.
- Delivering the programme via face-to-face and online sessions to groups and individual families.
- Providing opportunities to observe and practise the skills to become a solution-focused facilitator.
- Building on parents strengths as a basis for ongoing change.
- Strengthening inter-agency and community partnerships
Facilitator Training
The next facilitator training for our Adolescent’s programme starts on 25th September 2024. A summary of the training is provided below and a detailed breakdown can be accessed here
25th Sept: | 9.15am-1pm Introduction, Evidence base, Positive Parenting with Teenagers, Goal Setting with Parents |
26th Sept: | 9.15am-1pm Positive Discipline, Problem-solving, Routines, Family Sessions with Teenagers |
27th Sept: | 9.15am-1pm Groupwork, Session Delivery Practice, Quality Protocol |
30th Sept: | 9.15am-1pm Groupwork Skills, Dealing with Challenges, Getting Groups Started, Face to Face and Online working |
1st Oct: | 9.15am-1pm Engaging Parents, Getting Groups Started, Family Sessions |
Parents Plus offer a small number of part-sponsored places on the training when accessing finance is difficult.
Who Can Become a Facilitator?
The Parents Plus facilitator trainings are open to qualified education, mental health and community professionals who work with families.
Our programmes are successfully delivered with impressive outcomes in a variety of Primary Care, School, Health, Disability and Mental Health settings.
- Attendance at our facilitator training for this programme is compulsory prior to delivering it to families attending your service.
- Parents Plus programmes must be co-facilitated, therefore, at least two facilitators need to be trained before a programme can be delivered to families in your agency. Facilitators who go on to complete our accreditation process are licensed to run the programme without a co-facilitator.
Please read our licensing guidelines here.
prior to booking a place on our training.
Impact of the Adolescent’s Programme
Studies in secondary schools and mental health settings have shown that families who complete the Adolescents programme report:
- Increased teen positive social behaviour
- Reduced behaviour and emotional problems
- Decreased parental stress
- Improved family communication
- Increased parental confidence
You can learn more about the impact of this programme, and all our other programmes here.
Our Support Package
Research shows that families achieve the best outcomes when facilitators and their managers are supported pre and post-training to deliver programmes. We provide a comprehensive package of pre and post-training supports to our facilitators and managers in order to ensure a sustainable and effective delivery of the programmes within their agency.
Our supports include:
- Implementation support to get groups off the ground, including planning workshops and coaching for managers.
- Individual and group supervision sessions with an experienced Parents Plus Trainer.
- Advanced training workshops on specific topics.
- Extra resources to facilitate delivery, e.g. fliers, posters, certificates, practice articles, parenting articles, supplementary handouts.
- Support to promote your Parents Plus courses in your community.
- Advice and guidance on evaluating and monitoring outcomes in your agency to ensure your groups are effective.
- Access to two individual supervision sessions free of charge in the first year post-training.
- Sponsorship for further supervision is available on application.
You can read more details about our pre- and post-training supports here.
Certification and Accreditation
Certification
On completing the facilitator training for the Parents Plus Adolescent’s Programme, you will be licensed to co-deliver this programme under supervision in your agency, to groups and with individuals. You can read our full licensing guidelines here.
Accreditation
For facilitators who want to take their practice to a higher level, Parents Plus also has an established accreditation process which supports you to refine your facilitation skills and professional practice and reach a high standard of delivery. Representing a major CPD achievement, accreditation allows you to deliver our programmes independently and to work towards becoming a Parents Plus supervisor. You can read more about our accreditation process in the resource section.
Programme Materials
The Parents Plus Adolescents Programme package includes a wide range of materials to ensure it’s effective delivery.
- Access to online video clips with over 60 real and role-played scenes of family interactions, with comments from professionals, parents and teenagers
- A comprehensive facilitator’s manual, with detailed guides to plan and deliver each session, including how to structure group discussion and exercises
- Two colourful parent books, containing all the programme handouts and worksheets for participants*
- A copy of the book ‘Parenting Teenagers‘ by John Sharry
- Posters to highlight key programme concepts
*In running subsequent courses, trained facilitators can purchase additional parent books at cost price. Trained facilitators are also licensed to copy worksheets and handouts from the parent books, as an alternative.
Onsite Training
Parent Plus provides onsite training to organisations and communities in Ireland and internationally. This is a cost-effective way to train your team or to partner with other agencies to deliver evidence-based programmes in your area.
If you would like to arrange an onsite training for your organisation, please contact our Impact Lead, Vicki Byrne at
Change the future for families