The Parent House Guidelines
The Parent House offers a bespoke service to the families of Islington. We support parents from all backgrounds, with children of different ages, for as long as is needed.
Our ethos and way of working means that we are there to listen to parents’ needs - and by doing so, we hear the struggles they face, and can determine what we are to do to help, or alternatively refer them to other services that are more appropriate to suit to their needs. By collaborating with parents, we aim to support them to find their own solutions, rather than trying to fix problems for them - since we believe that this approach is more effectively in the medium and longer term.
For those that come to us with more complex issues, we will support them to identify and access one of our many skilled partners and keep in touch with the family until appropriate support has been identified.
In addition, we offer training and volunteering opportunities that are based on need. All of our services are dependent on capacity and resources, yet we continue to work in a creative and relational way, to do our best to meet our clients’ needs.
Who we work with
The Parent House works with all Islington parents, from all backgrounds, all ages, mums and dads – and also with children of all ages - for as long as is needed.
The number of parents we can work with will depend on need and our capacity to provide a quality service. We may have capacity constraints based on staffing or funding limitations.
What we do
We prefer to invite parents to our welcoming house or meet parents at a place that suits them; however, in the current environment we operate [mainly] over the phone or online.
We provide a safe place where parents feel that they matter, that their voice is heard. We listen, we allow a space for the person to be able to think out loud. Often having this space allows the parent to reflect and come up with their own solutions.
We work in a relational way, where we collaborate with parents to explore ways to address their issues and find appropriate support services.
We offer a number of services that change depending on need, our main services are Entry Level training courses, one to one support through experienced staff or through peer volunteers as well as creche services [subject to COVID-related limitations] to facilitate parents coming to TPH.
We are there to support parents while they navigate procedures and systems so that they can access the 3rd party services or professional support they might need. All referrals to 3rd party services will be made with consent (unless safeguarding is a concern).
If parents do not find support elsewhere, they are welcome to return to TPH; we are keen to provide continuity for parents that may be exploring complex issues – which in many cases may not be resolved by the first service they access.
What we are not able to do
We are unable to offer home visits. We will, however, meet parents at our friendly house or at a place that is convenient for the parent [if restrictions and logistics allow].
We are not there to fix problems, we are there to support parents and help them find 3rd party support, where needed.
Whilst do we offer a number of other services at TPH, as mentioned above and on our website - these may not be what the parent needs. If this is the case, we will work with the parent to identify appropriate support services and refer them on / support them in accessing these services.
We may well not have sufficient skills or resources to deal with more complex issues (such as housing/ benefits/ employment/ domestic issues). Hence, we often rely on our partners and 3rd party organisations who provide a variety of services to complement our approach. We cannot guarantee that these services will resolve all issues - but we are always open for parents to come back to us for further support and guidance, should this be the case.
As a result, we encourage parents who come to us, not to come with any fixed expectations of finding immediate solutions - but rather to consider TPH as a partner in finding a path to resolving their issues, and in accessing the support they may need.