FASTT Recommends The Couple Connection

Following the Parent Know How Showcase Event hosted by the Department for Schools, Children & Families on 7 May, we are writing to remind you and your colleagues to visit our new service at www.thecoupleconnection.net where you can pre-register your interest.

We would also like to encourage as many parents as possible to access the site and pre-register over the coming weeks. Therefore, if you have a public website, we would be grateful if you would forward this email to your web administrator in order for them to link to this resource for parents.

The new site is planned to be fully operational at the end of August 2008.

Sincerely,

The Couple Connection Team

For further information in the first instance please contact Barry McKaine, Project Manager info@thecoupleconnection.net

One Plus One

1 Benjamin Street

London

EC1M 5QG

Tel 020 7553 9530 Fax 020 7553 9550

www.oneplusone.org.uk

About One Plus One

thecoupleconnection.net is being developed by One Plus One, the UK’s leading relationship research organisation. One Plus One has a proven track record of developing training and resources for those working with parents and families and has trained over 3,500 frontline practitioners.

One Plus One is cited as an example of good practice in the latest Sure Start Children’s Centre Guidance , The Department for Children, Schools and Families ten year Children’s Plan & Think Family: Improving the Life Chances of Families at Risk (Social Exclusion Task Force), and the Child Health Promotion Programme.

Article added 2008-06-10 15:50:27

INVEST Celebration

The 16th April saw the first anniversary of the INVEST programme. A celebration and award presentation was held at the Civic Hall Banqueting Suite, attended by Dorothy Smith, Director of School Improvement. Headteachers and other school staff from 12 primary schools across the city attended, to cheer on 80 parents who received the Open College Network accreditation in 'First Steps to Volunteering' as part of the INVEST course.

Article added 2008-04-24 12:06:27

Do you INVEST?

'Introduction to Volunteering in Educational Settings (INVEST)

INVEST is a nationally accredited programme of training for parents and community members who would like to volunteer (or are already doing so) in their local primary school or similar educational setting. The training involves participants in a five week programme (with optional sixth and seventh weeks) where they learn about how best they can support teachers and schools to help children achieve. The training is FREE for schools, who also receive a draft Volunteer Policy for personalisation.

The sessions include: Who’s who in school? Listening to readers, Circle Time, Confidentiality, Supervision, Child Protection, Learning Styles, Child Development, Health and Safety, Display work and School policies. The optional session 6 allows parents to complete a short portfolio and receive one credit at level 2 in ‘An Introduction to Volunteering’ through the National Open College Network. The final session, also optional, is a signposting session where parents can learn about college and job opportunities in their area and get help with CV’s. This session is delivered in partnership with 'Future Pathways’.

The INVEST programme was written by Jane Haswell, Families and Schools Together Team, Education Leeds and is unique in content to anything offered by any other authority. The programme, which has been running for one year has seen approximately 80 parents take the NOCN qualification and a further fifty taking the five week course.

Most participants now volunteer in their child's school, many have gone on to further courses or been offered paid work in schools. All participants have commented on how they are able to better support their children in their own homes.'

Late last year a ‘Training the Trainer’ programme was developed which has so far run three times to school staff and other agencies citywide.

The next step, introduced as a pilot recently, is the ‘Dad’s Day’ programme which will be officially launched at a celebration event on the 16th April at the Civic Hall, marking the first anniversary of the programme, when parents will receive their NOCN Certificates.

Please note - Jane would be interested to hear from any high schools who would like to work with her on developing a similar programme for them.

Article added 2008-04-02 11:07:42

INVEST in your school

Parent's all over Leeds have been training in school with the INVEST Programme (Introduction to Volunteering in Educational Settings). The course covers how to work with children through awareness sessions in subjects such as, Reading, Learning Styles, Confidentiality, Circle Time, Display, Policies, Child Protection and Health and Safety. The course runs over five weeks with an optional sixth week when there is the opportunity to take the National Open College Netwrork's First Step's to Volunteering qualification and seventh week when participants will have the opportunity to look at furthering their studies through local colleges or work options.

Article added 2008-03-22 07:35:19

Sponsor Search

We are looking for companies with underused meeting rooms etc

Article added 2008-02-17 18:39:47