Resources for Parenting Post-separation in the West Midlands & Warwickshire
Resources including parenting plans, family-time providers, and how to reduce parental conflict.
Parenting plans
Information about creating parenting plans and co-parenting agreements.
Family-time providers
Family-time providers which are sometimes referred to as child contact centres.
Reducing parental conflict
Resources and support to help reduce parental conflict
Mediation
See our dedicate page for information on mediation and non-court resolution pathways.
Family Therapy
Information on how to find a family therapist.
Other useful information
Other information and resources to help post-separation parenting.
Parenting Plan resources for Parenting Post-separation in the West Midlands & Warwickshire
A Parenting Plan is a written agreement to support a co-parenting approach that covers the practical issues for your child. It works even better if you involve your child.
The Cafcass Parenting Plan
A Parenting Plan is a written agreement to support a co-parenting approach that covers the practical issues for your child. It works even better if you involve your child.
A Parenting Plan can help because it shows clearly what arrangements and actions you have agreed to meet the needs of your child. Agreeing a plan can avoid you having to go to court to reach such an agreement or have arrangements ordered by the court. Agreeing a plan shows your child that you are putting them first and will always act in their best interests.
Information about Family Time Providers for Parenting Post-separation in the West Midlands & Warwickshire
Family time providers (also known as child contact centres) are places that can facilitate child contact between children and their families, especially with the parent that the child doesn’t live with.
Find child contact services in your area (NACCC)
NACCC centres and services have an accreditation process which shows that they have agreed to work to approved national standards, ensuring that families using those services are safe and well cared for.
Resources about reducing parental conflict for Parenting Post-separation in the West Midlands & Warwickshire
To reduce parental conflict, can help reduce the emotional impact on children and parents post-separation. This can include a focus on communication, creating a united front, and establishing healthy boundaries through actively listening to each other’s views, choosing appropriate times to discuss issues, and being open to compromise. It’s also important to avoid involving children in disagreements and to present a united front when it comes to parenting decisions.Â
Get support (Family Action)
Family isn’t always easy. That’s why Family Action have self-help resources, local services, and our free helpline, FamilyLine – to help you through whatever problems you or your family are facing.
Separation and co-parenting (Warwickshire County Council)
Bringing up children involves making lots of joint decisions. If you don’t live together it is harder to make these decisions and you may find you are no longer able to talk to each other without conflict. It is important that you know how to get help to resolve issues and move forward in the best way for all involved.
The Parents Promise
The #ParentsPromise helps parents make a positive commitment to their children today, in case of a relationship breakdown tomorrow.
The Parenting Apart Programme
The Parenting Apart Programme can help parents during the important changes in family life. Their aim is to give every child a great start. Parenting can be hard, especially when families go through big changes like separation or divorce.
The Parenting Apart Programme offers advice, support, and useful information to help your family grow positively and keep children happy and cared for.
See it differently (OnePlusOne)
When we argue with our partner or ex-partner, we can get caught up in the heat of the moment. At times like these, it’s difficult to find a way forward. The See it Differently site can help you see things differently, and do things differently.
‘Because it’s for the kids’ (Children Beyond Dispute)
‘Because it’s for the kids’ is a booklet by Jennifer McIntosh Ph.D that helps explain how to build a secure parenting base after separation.
Reducing Parental Conflict for practitioners working with families (Gov.uk)
Information and resources for leaders, managers and practitioners seeking to improve children’s outcomes by supporting the parental relationship.
Family Therapy resources for Parenting Post-separation in the West Midlands & Warwickshire
Family therapy can be a valuable resource for families experiencing separation or divorce, providing a safe space to process emotions, improve communication, and navigate the challenges of co-parenting. It can help everyone, including children, understand and cope with the changes, ultimately aiming for healthier family dynamics during and after the separation.Â
Family Therapists (BACP)
Family therapy looks at a family system, and the relationships between people, rather than the individuals. It allows family members to express and explore difficult thoughts and emotions safely, helping them understand each other’s experiences and views, appreciate each other’s needs and build on their strengths. It can help with many issues that affect the family unit, helping people make useful changes in their relationships and their lives.
Other useful information and resources for Parenting Post-separation in the West Midlands & Warwickshire
Tips for parents going through family separation and information about child arrangements and national support organisations.
Top Tips (FJYPB)
The Family Justice Young People’s Board (FJYPB) is a group of over 75 children and young people aged between seven and 25 years old who live across England and Wales. All of the members have either had direct experience of the family justice system or have an interest in children’s rights and the family courts.
The FJYPB have developed a range of top tips aimed at helping parents, carers, family members and professionals to support children and young people.
Child Arrangements (Advicenow)
Agreeing where your children live and how much time they spend with each parent is called sorting out ‘child arrangements’. People seem to still call it ‘child custody’ and ‘contact’ even though the law moved away from these ideas a very long time ago.
If you are having to sort out arrangements for your children, whether it is for the first time or simply a renegotiation, Advicenow has information that can help.Â
OnlyMums and Dads
OnlyMums & Dads is a leading UK Social Enterprise supporting mums & dads and delivers training to the professionals who work with them.
They come from a neutral place and a core belief that the best outcomes for you and your family will be achieved through accessing timely and accurate information and understanding all the choices you have.
Gingerbread
Gingerbread is a charity that fights for single parents and their children. They campaign against the injustices that single parents face every single day and we challenge the stigmas around being a single parent.
They provide expert advice and information to support all single parents so that they have the tools to support their children and themselves. And they provide a support network so that, with Gingerbread, no single parent is ever alone.
Supporting separated families
The Supporting Separated Families Alliance West Midlands is part of a national movement to bring together organisations, Family Courts, Local Government, and professionals to support parents and children going through family separation.