Parent Partcipation Update, January 2025

Welcome from Nancy – Parent Participation Coordinator

Dear parents and carers a very warm welcome to you all! Here are some of the fabulous upcoming events and projects for 2025. If you would like to become part of parent participation, share ideas, or express an interest in any of the following events and projects please contact Nancy, the parent participation coordinator at Ivison Trust via email to nancy.pike@ivisontrust.org.uk or mobile 07960 235638

Cuppa & Catch Up

An online Ivison Trust facilitated peer connection space for parents and carers living with the aftermath of child exploitation to connect and share challenges and successes with people who understand.

  • Tuesday 28th January 6:30pm- 7:30pm
  • Tuesday 1st April 6:30pm-7:30pm

Men’s Cuppa & Catch Up

We hosted our first men’s online cuppa and catch up session which was warmly received.

It was a good healthy space. We covered all sorts of stuff from hard stuff to what helps us get up every morning. Men can express stuff that’s difficult and be viewed as agitated, but other men just get it and you can be yourself and say what’s upsetting you without worrying that you’re going to upset someone, because men can express trauma differently to women. Father attendee 

If you’re a father who would find it helpful talking to other men, men’s only sessions will run on:

Tuesday 11th February 7-8pm & Tuesday 4th March 7-8pm

Parent Open Group

This is a space for parents to join together and share their insights about changes needed to better safeguard children and support families affected by child exploitation as well as hearing about the activities being undertaken by Ivison Trust in response to parent and carer feedback. Due to requests, we will be running the parent open groups more frequently.

Online parent open group meeting

Tuesday 18th February 7pm-8:30pm

Train the trainer

We are due to run a 3-day training programme in March for parents who wish to deliver Ivison Trust awareness raising on child exploitation in their local communities under the banner of Friends of Ivison Trust.

If you would like to be part of this, please get in touch.

Lived Experience Training

We have launched parent led training for professionals and will be having ongoing development for parents who are interested in becoming involved. If you would like to express interest or know more about what this involves, please get in touch.

Parent to parent newsletter articles

If you would like to write an article for other parents or be supported in writing an article, please get in touch by September 2025.

Parent peer support regarding parenting support groups

Huge thanks to the parents who shared their experiences of setting up localised support groups. This will be an ongoing project.

Volunteer Befriender with Ivison Trust

If you would like to be supported in becoming a volunteer befriender, please get in touch.

A huge thanks, garland of flowers and confetti of hearts to the absolute legends who made the following possible in 2024.

      • The parents and their sons who have supported the parent webinars about child criminal exploitation. Following these events so many parents and young people have reached out for support.
      • The parents who have been guest speakers in Ivison Trust’s training and continue to change minds and hearts of professionals.
      • From October 2024- end of December 2024 we trained 387 delegates. The occupations of delegates are listed below:

     

    Delegates Total
    Police 13
    Health 1
    Education 1
    Child Social Care 327
    Children’s Homes 34
    Charity 1
    Other 3
    Total 387

     

    • The 5 parents who delivered such impactful lived experience training for professionals at the Manchester Conference on 18th March and the 5 parents and young person who delivered training and the mother and daughter who created a video resource for the lived experience conference in September in London.
    • The parents who took part in the consultation with Safer London to inform Ofsted about parent’s experiences.
    • The parents and young people who shared their experiences via video to support the training resources of the National County Lines Coordination Centre.
    • The parents who contributed articles for the parent newsletter.
    • The parents who have created video resources for our funders, webinars and training. A huge thanks to the parent who contributed to the video for the King’s Award application- Ivison Trust won it!
    • Research re SEND/CE and human trafficking- parents interviewed and on the advisory group.
    • Research with Sarah and Nick Marsh re parents experience of partnership working with agencies re crisis.