Parenting Wisely United Kingdom

For those unfamiliar with Parenting Wisely (PW), we describe it is an interactive parenting skills education system. The PW programmes--CD-ROMS, videos, and online verions--are designed to facilitate the learning of necessary skills for the healthy well-balanced raising of children from age 3 to 18. Proven to reduce problem behaviors and increase communication and family unity, PW offers well documented and tested programmes that guarantee results. Click this link to read more about general programme information.

PW in the UK

PW was selected as a Pathways programme in 1997, and recommended by the Youth Justice Board as a strong, evidence-based parenting program to be used to combat juvenile crime. Under a large development grant to The Youth Justice Trust and the Youth Justice services in the conurbation of Greater Manchester PW was implemented in Wigan, Trafford, Salford, Manchester, and Barton Moss, a residential institution. A UK version was developed with emphasis on urban families. The content was highly similar to the American Teen version, but the video quality and acting were superior. The video scenes were directed by Lee Cox, from Somerset, (Executive Producer Phillip Priestley from Somerset). Lee has done numerous productions for the BBC. Cris Hoskinmanaged the implementation of the PW programme during the last year of the project.

Invest to Save funded the filming of the Young Children's Version of PW to use the same innovative interactive CD-ROM format as PW with parents of younger children (3-9 years). The idea was to intervene earlier with parents who were beginning to have difficulty controlling their children. Lee Cox directed this project and got incredible acting from very young children and their parents. The new program was developed with consultation with school personnel and child development experts in the greater Manchester area, under the leadership of Helen McFarlane. Scenes typical of challenges parents face with this age group emerged from this consultation.

To meet the training needs of foster and residential care providers, the Foster and Residential Care Version of PW was developed. Both foster care and residential care organizations were surveyed extensively as to their most common challenges faced by foster carers and those working in residential facilities serving young offenders. They were also asked to comment on the development team's recommended solutions to these problems, thereby achieving consensus among experienced practitioners in the field. Lee Cox directed the filming of this programme, containing four scenarios from foster care and four from residential care settings.

BBC documentaries: Trouble with Boys was filmed during the late 1990s, showing a family with a young offender who received family therapy and used PW. Before, during, and after film clips demonstrated the striking changes that the family experienced with these interventions. In 2003, the BBC did a brief documentary showing the changes following a young single mother achieved with the UK Teen programme with her five children (link to video). Cris Hoskin brought the programme to the mother in her home on a laptop and supported her use of the skills taught in the programme during several sessions. Very substantial improvements in the children's behavior quickly followed. The popular Supernanny television series was created following strong interest from the public in this ten minute documentary. View documentary here.

Cris Hoskin is a Principal Training Co-ordinator (Adolescent Mental Health and Parenting) for TSA and has co-ordinated several parenting projects. She has over 30 years of experience in working with young people and parents and as a trainer/consultant. She has worked in Education, Adolescent Mental Health and Youth Justice Settings.

She now offers information on the programmes, takes orders for them, and offers training in implementing the programmes in a variety of settings.

Cris' contact info is crishoskin@blueyonder.co.uk, phone: 01942 200007 address: 20 Sturton Ave., Goose Green, Wigan WN36SZ

Right now you can request a free preview kit with detailed programme information and a demo CD-ROM depictinge scenerios from each of our programmes.

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To make a purchase download an order form and print a copy, or email jolleyg@familworksinc.com.
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