Parent Power is a project in Blackbird Leys, Oxford that brings parents together to support each other, enabling families to lead their best lives and achieve their goals.
Parent Power aims to improve parent wellbeing and support networks, so that parents and their children can thrive together.
Parent Power believe that for parents, their peers – other parents like them – are the best people to support them to realise their aspirations and dreams for their children. Working in partnership with African Families in the UK, they have trained and employed a group of parent peer supporters.
They work with peer supporters to build parents individual and community power, so that they can thrive, and therefore their children can thrive.
The project seeks to achieve three principal outcomes:
1. Parents have good emotional wellbeing and health.
2. Parents have strong community networks of support.
3. Parents have better relationships with schools and any other organisations.
Parent Power believes that these three outcomes will translate into better outcomes for children too through the following mechanisms of change.
When parents have improved wellbeing, support networks and good relationships in schools:
• Parents are good role models for their children.
• Parents can find more opportunities for their children.
• Parents work in a positive partnership so that agencies can have better outcomes for their children.
Parent Power offers many learning opportunities for parents, including:
• Practical learning opportunities: English classes, theory test support group for mums, school readiness sessions, SEND parent peer support, listening skills workshop.
• Leadership development opportunities: Parent Power have supported parents participating in two key opportunities to develop their own skills - the Systems Changers programme funded by Lankelly Chase, and the re-design of the Early Help Strategy at Oxfordshire County Council, where a Parent Advocate worked with a group of parents to seek their views on the EHA assessment and proposed changes to make it more family friendly.
OIEP will work with Parent Power to grow the parent advocate model across Oxfordshire, actively listening to more parents and carers and responding to their issues and insights.
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