PARENTING ACADEMY GETS GO AHEAD

Plans have been approved to set up a National Academy for Parenting Practitioners with the aim to develop an international and national hub for the exchange of ideas and learning. It will be operated by a consortium of the Family and Parenting Institute, Parenting UK and Kings College London with a grant of 30m pounds from the DfEE.

The Academy will be a centre of excellence, providing training for those who support parents in the community. It will train practitioners working with parents in schools, health services, children’s services and beyond and support innovation and knowledge sharing. It will focus particularly on training the trainers of practitioners.

It will also have a research role and act as a national centre and source of advice on high quality academic research evidence on parenting and parenting support. The research will be combined with practical knowledge of what works and has worked in different situations and with different groups of people.

Dr Stephen Scott, Head of the King’s College London Parenting Unit said: ‘King’s is delighted to be hosting the Academy. It will bring its expertise in training practitioners in approaches proven to work in helping all parents bring the best out of their children.’