Core Components

5 Pillars of Parenting includes four supportive educational programmes based on the Muslim faith for families from all backgrounds, cultures and faiths who wish to improve their parenting skills and learn new techniques to enable their children to grow in a loving and supportive environment. The programmes aim to help parents develop a healthy relationship with their partners and to develop better parent-child relationships by being more affectionate and merciful. The programmes target, in particular, Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) families and Muslim communities. The content of the 5 Pillars of Parenting combines behavioural management skills with Islamic teachings.  The sessions help parents master skills within each of the pillars (components) of parenting which are character, knowledge, action, steadfast and relationships.

The Pregnancy & Beyond programme focuses on engaging with pregnant mothers and partners during pregnancy, educating parents in the techniques and skills required in promoting brain development, bonding, attachment and attunement, enabling baby to reach its milestones. The core topics covered in the sessions include effects of pregnancy; adjustment to parenthood; bonding with baby; postnatal depression and self-care; responding to babies needs underpinned by parenting plans.

The programme is clearly operationalised with a trainer’s manual, session plans, USB with slides and video clips/YouTube footage.  Each session is 2 hours in duration and is delivered by 2 licensed practitioners to small groups.  Practitioners use a range of teaching methods such as presentations, group discussions, DVD clips, role-play and homework assignments.

Fidelity

The 5 Pillars of Parenting programme offers (1) standardised training including a trainer’s manual (2) standardised evaluation questionnaires (3) agency organisational supports including data management, during and post programme reporting, marketing and enrolments (4) supervision including a trainer’s reflection form, scoring and one to one support for Sparklers (peer mentors) and, (5) annual licensing to support effective replication and fidelity.

Modifiable Components

Delivery of the programme is face to face but can be modified to be delivered remotely.

An Arabic translation of the programme is available for the Five Pillars of Parenting 4-11 years programme only.

Approachable Parenting CIC, established in 2011, is a non-profit organisation located in the West Midlands, England where organisational support can be obtained. Approachable Parenting offer 5 Pillars of Parenting which is a suite of four programmes; Pregnancy & Beyond, Pregnancy to 3, Parenting 4-11 years & Teens.

Support for Organisation / Practice

Implementation Support

Each organisation’s requirements are considered separately, and support is tailored to individual requirements.  Approachable Parenting can provide agencies with data support including analysis and reporting against all programme data collected using a range of questionnaires (a requirement) and monitoring and evaluation of statistics to demonstrate effectiveness.  In addition, marketing and enrolment support for implementing agencies is available including workshops for parents (1.5 or 3 hours) and professionals (3 hours) to introduce the 5 Pillars of Parenting programmes. These workshops can accommodate up to 25-30 participants.

Licensing Requirements

A trainer/practitioner license ‘Award in Education and Training’ is required to deliver the programme, obtained post completion of training and requires annual renewal.

Start-up Costs

Start-up costs associated with the 5 Pillars of Parenting are:

• Award in Education and Training (part 1 of training) – £1100 per individual (20% discount to organisations, schools or clusters who have 6 or more suitably qualified individuals who enrol on the same course).
• Trainer to gain licence to deliver the 5 Pillars of Parenting and undertake quality assurance (QA) (part 2 of training) – £1644 per programme.
• Programme supports and maintenance (resources, supervision, reports and maintaining QA)– £888 per programme.
• Delivery of the 5 Pillars of Parenting by Approachable Parenting trainers –£2949.

Follow-up Costs:

• Peer mentor training (Sparklers training) and support to the organisation for one year to set up effectively – £2650.
• One to one parent coaching or relationship coaching - £40 per coaching session.
• Workshop for parents or professionals for up to 25/30 participants - £175 for 1.5-hours parents’ introductory workshop; £300 for 3-hour parent introductory workshop and £495 for 3-hour professionals’ workshop.

Building Staff Competency

Qualifications Required

To deliver the 5 Pillars of Parenting programmes individuals must have a minimum of level 3-4 Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF), preferably level 4-5 and have a good knowledge of Islamic faith and culture. Practitioners are typically from children’s centres, schools and community centres.

Training Requirements

Practitioners are required to attend a 4-day accredited training course, including training, assessments and portfolio to gain an Award in Education and Teaching Qualification.  Post training each trainee is required to co-deliver the first programme with a licenced trainer to become a licenced trainer themselves. Continuing professional development (CPD) is a requirement to renew a trainer’s annual licence.  A train the trainer option is available upon discussion with Approachable Parenting.

Sparklers mentorship training is also available for parents to become parent peer mentors and provide one to one support. Sparklers are befrienders and mentors that build open relationships with parents (Mentees) to listen, empower, support and encourage them to fulfil their parenting goals.  Mentors are selected from parents who complete the 8-week parenting programme and who want to support other parents. Following interview, they attend a 6-week training session on relationship building, gaining counselling and mentoring skills with an expert trainer.

Supervision Requirements

Supervision is a requirement for practitioners to maintain CPD and for annual renewal of a practitioner licence. Trainers can undertake supervision via a senior trainer/clinical psychologist twice, once during the programme and at the end of the programme along with monthly webinar supervision sessions which are available at no cost. Insurance cover is met by Approachable Parenting during training only.

Theory of Change

The 5 Pillars of Parenting programmes assumes that some parenting practices unintentionally reinforce children’s behavioural and emotional problems. The 5 Pillars of Parenting programmes aim to change ineffective parenting practices by teaching parents’ new strategies linked to core teachings from the Quran. Once parents master these strategies their children’s behaviour should improve at home and at school. These parenting skills will also support children’s development as they grow older. 

The 5 Pillars of Parenting programmes aims to increase the inclusion of Muslim families in parenting education, to identify and address their needs and to extend the provision of accessible evidenced based parenting programmes designed especially for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) families, which is culturally sensitive to their beliefs. Therefore, the change expected from the support provided would be increased inclusion of Muslim families in parenting education and increased provision and access to culturally sensitive parenting programmes.

Values

Approachable Parenting believes in being compassionate, diverse and nurturing to guide parents in developing a healthy relationship with their partners and to develop better parent-child relationships by being more affectionate and merciful for all parents and particularly Muslim communities. 

• Are the values of this programme aligned with the key values of your organisation?

Priorities

The 5 Pillars of Parenting programmes aim to increase the inclusion of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) families and Muslim communities in parenting education, to identify and address their needs. Approachable Parenting programmes aim to support and strengthen BAME families by promoting good values, sound social and emotional development to build a better future for all and increase integration with the wider community.

• Is working with BAME families and Muslim communities in an early intervention a priority for your organisation?
• Is the delivery of culturally sensitive targeted services for BAME families and Muslim communities aligned with the key values and priorities of your organisation?

The 5 Pillars Parenting Pregnancy & Beyond programme focuses on educating pregnant mothers and their partners in the techniques and skills required in promoting brain development, bonding, attachment and attunement, enabling baby to reach its milestones.

• Is promoting parent-child attachment, children’s development, learning and mental health priority outcomes for your organisation?

Existing Initiatives

• Does your service already provide early intervention programmes aiming to improve child development and mental health outcomes for BAME families and Muslim communities?
• Will this programme fit with the existing parenting interventions in your area?

Workforce

The 5 Pillars Parenting Pregnancy & Beyond programme require 2 trained practitioners (a lead and co-practitioner) to deliver each parenting group over a period of 4-weeks for 2 hours per session. Practitioners are required to have a minimum of level 3-4 Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF), preferably level 4-5 and have a good knowledge of Islamic faith and culture. Practitioners are typically from children’s centres, schools and community centres.

• Do you have practitioners with the recommended level of qualification who would be interested in becoming group facilitators?
• Do these practitioners have experience working with parents and children in a group setting and working in a collaborative, solution focussed way to support families?
• Do you have practitioners available with the capacity to deliver the full requirements of this programme?

Technology Support

Essential equipment required to run these programmes include a computer, internet access, television or screen and a DVD player.

• Do you have the technology to support practitioners to deliver the programme?

Administrative Support

The 5 Pillars of Parenting programmes require administrative support for recruitment of parents, receiving referrals, collecting evaluation data, printing of materials along with co-ordinating cycles of delivery of the programme.

• Do your current administrative procedures support your practitioners to implement a programme like this?
• Do you have use of facilities that are suitable and available for the duration of the group?

Financial Support

Start-up costs for all programmes include Award in Education and Training (part 1 of training) – £1100 per individual ; Trainer to gain licence to deliver the 5 Pillars of Parenting (part 2 of training) – £1644 per programme ; Programme support and reports (resources, supervision, reports and maintaining QA) – £888 per programme or delivery of the 5 Pillars of Parenting by Approachable Parenting trainers – £2949.

• Do you have the finances to pay for practitioners to attend this training including obtaining their licence and to be released from their role to deliver the group?
• Do you have the finances to support practitioners to undertake supervision?
• Do you have the finances to pay for programme support?

Comparable Population

5 Pillars of Parenting Pregnancy & Beyond, although universal in nature, targets pregnant mothers and partners particularly BAME families and Muslim.

• Is this comparable to the population your organisation would like to serve?

Desired Outcome

The 5 Pillars of Parenting Pregnancy & Beyond programme is a preventative intervention designed to be delivered in the community or hospital setting for pregnant mothers and families.  The desired outcomes of the programme are to achieve improved security of attachment between parents and their children, to promote the child’s development, to improved spousal relationships and improve mental health and wellbeing.

• Is promoting parent-child attachment, child development and family wellbeing a priority outcome for your organisation?
• Does your organisation have other initiatives in place that effectively and efficiency address the above outcomes?