PARENT SUPPORT:        Support for Women       Support for Men One in three children will experience the separation or divorce of their parents before they are 16 years old and sadly 40% of non resident parents lose contact with their children within two years. We are aware from research looking at the 5 Every Child Matters Outcomes that children and young people who do have a positive relationship with both parents are more likely to do well at school and in the job market and less likely to become involved in anti social or offending behaviour.  Family break-up is one of the most stressful events families go through.  There are both emotional and practical issues facing parents and children as they adjust to new and unfamiliar changes in lifestyle, yet there are few support services to help individuals through these transitions. Impact Family Services is one of the few organisations across England & Wales that offers individual support for mams and dads who are using our Child Contact Centres: Women’s Support Worker: Funded by Northern Rock Foundation The role of the Women’s Support Worker is to support women during the transitional period following separation and/or divorce.  The support is very much based around women’s own individual issues and needs. Our Women’s Support Worker is called Sharon and you can contact her in confidence on: 0191 5103182 Some women can face issues of fear, anxiety or depression as a result of the breakdown of a relationship and perhaps have concerns about having to come face to face with an ex partner.  The women’s support worker will focus on enabling women to feel better about themselves, build up their self esteem and enable them to make life plans to give them control over their situation. The service is available to both resident and non resident parents. Sharon has many years experience in supporting women who have suffered domestic violence or abuse from a partner or former partner.  She is an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA), which is a Home Office recognised qualification, meaning she can support women who are using the Family Courts or Mediation Service to determine contact arrangements following separation. Impact Family Services offers women one to one support, groupwork and peer support groups to meet a range of needs, including the Freedom Programme. Phone Sharon and make an appointment today!   Dad’s Support Worker: funded by Tudor Trust For a lot of dad’s having to come to a child contact centre to see their children isn’t what they thought fatherhood would be about. Some dad’s can feel very isolated as if they have lost their identity, going from a full time dad to a part time dad takes getting used to and it is not unusual for men to feel a range of emotions. At first a contact centre can be a strange place, for both father and child.  The experience of being separated from children can cause depression, loss of confidence, low self esteem and many other issues as a result of relationship breakdown. The dad’s support worker is called Paul and you can contact him in confidence on: 0191 5103182 Paul’s role is to support dad’s during the transitional period following separation and/or divorce. The support is based around dad’s individual issues and needs and what is best for the child(ren). The Dad’s Support Worker will focus on enabling dad’s to feel better about themselves and their children and build up their belief in always being a dad.  The support is available for resident and non resident dads. Examples of support Paul has offered include: parenting advice; play and activity ideas and advice; practical support re coping with relationship breakdown; changing behaviour when domestic violence has been highlighted as an issue; alcohol and substance use concerns Phone Paul and make an appointment today!