Solihull Approach groups for parents

The Solihull Approach have built 4 groups for parents and parents-to-be.

  • The Solihull Approach Antenatal group Understanding pregnancy, labour, birth and your baby is for anyone expecting a baby and for anyone around the mother e.g. father, partner, grandparents, birth partner etc.
  • The Solihull Approach Postnatal group Understanding your baby is for any parent of a child aged 0 to 6 months.
  • The Solihull Approach Postnatal Plus group is for any parent with relationship difficulties or postnatal depression.
  • The Solihull Approach group for parents Understanding your child’s behaviour is for any parent of children aged 6 months to 18 years.  This group was given the top rating for value for money by the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF), and was the first in the UK to be awarded the only accreditation for parenting groups, the CANparent Quality Mark.
These groups have been carefully piloted and evaluated.
The requirement to become a facilitator is completion of a 2 Day Foundation course + 1 Day Group Facilitator course. Facilitators will be asked to sign an agreement form at the beginning of their Group Facilitator training to confirm that they are happy to keep to the format of the group as set out in the Facilitator’s manual.
Groups should be delivered by two facilitators, each of whom must be trained and have access to their own Facilitator manual. Facilitator manuals set out week by week exactly what to do to run the group. The maximum size of the group is up to 12 parents at a time.
There are photocopiable handouts for parents. No literacy required in the group.
All the trainings are cascadable, supporting sustainability and coverage.
The groups are also available in online form, supporting accessibility .
The groups are evidence based, with more papers added every year. See our Research section for more details.

Antenatal Group

antenatal parenting group facilitators manual Antenatal Parenting Group manual cover - 30.3 x 26.2cm PANTONE 108 (25mm binder) Description:

‘Understanding pregnancy, labour, birth and your baby’ is for mothers, fathers, partners, grandparents and birth partners. 5 sessions of 2 hours each. Focuses on physical and emotional aspects of having a baby and incorporates preparation for a sensitive, attuned relationship.

Session 1:Helping you and your baby through pregnancy and birth
Sesson 2: Getting to know your baby in the womb
Session 3: You, your baby and the stages of labour
Session 4: Helping you and your baby through labour and birth
Session 5: Feeding your baby
Optional Session 6: Caring for your baby

Postnatal Universal Group

Postnatal Parenting Group Facilitators' Training Postnatal - Trainers' manual - front cover 30.3 x 26.2 cm PANTONE 117CDescription:

‘Understanding your baby’ is a universal group for all mothers, fathers, partners, grandparents or any other person around the baby. 6 sessions of 2 hours each.

Session 1: Understanding your and your baby’s feelings
Session 2: Understanding your baby’s brain development, communication and crying
Session 3: Understanding your baby’s rhythms and developing healthy sleep patterns
Session 4: Understanding your baby’s feeding
Session 5: Understanding your baby’s play and development
Session 6: Understanding your baby’s childcare

Postnatal Plus Group

Postnatal Plus Parenting Group Facilitators' Training Postnatal plus - Trainers' manual - front cover 30.3 x 26.2 cm RGB 87,69,223Description:

The Postnatal Plus version of ‘Understanding your baby’, for mothers and fathers with relationship difficulties with their baby and for parents with postnatal depression. 8 sessions of 2 hours each.

Session 1: Understanding your baby: Helping you think about how you and your baby are feeling
Session 2: Understanding your baby’s brain development and communications
Session 3: Understanding your baby’s communication: crying
Session 4: Understanding your baby’s rhythms and developing healthy sleep patterns
Session 5: Understanding your baby: Feeding
Session 6: Understanding your baby: Play and development
Session 7: Understanding your baby: Being separate from your baby
Session 8: Understanding your baby: Review and moving forward

‘Understanding your child’s behaviour’

Parenting group

Description:

‘Understanding your child’s behaviour’ is a group for everyone who wants to be the best mother, father, grandparent or carer of children aged 6 months to 18 years. 10 sessions of 2 hours each. Focusses on relationships. Behaviour management is thought of within the context of the relationship.

Session 1: Introduction to the Solihull Approach Parenting Group
Session 2: How are you and your child feeling?
Session 3: Tuning into your child’s developmental needs
Session 4: Responding to your child’s feelings
Session 5: Different styles of parenting
Session 6: Parent-child partnership – having fun together
Session 7: The rhythm of interaction and sleep
Session 8: Self-regulation and anger
Session 9: Communication and attunement – how to recover when things go wrong
Session 10: Celebration!
 
There are free Addendums available to adapt the group for parents of children with disabilities, parents of children with ASD and for adoptive parents. Contact the Solihull Approach office on +44 121 296 4448 or via Contact us. You will need to prove that you are trained to deliver the group and have a Facilitator’s Manual.
UYCB has been run successfully in different cultures, in the UK, Pakistan and Africa. Parents and facilitators enjoy the group. Quantitative and qualitative research published with more on the way.