Parents work together with a Family Practitioner to improve things for their children by offering conflict resolution.
What SPRING achieves
SPRING is for people who co-parent their children when they are no longer in a relationship.
SPRING aims to try and prevent families from having to go to court over child arrangements, or needing professional involvement because of parental conflict. Child arrangements are the plans you make as to what time your children spend with each parent, and where this takes place.
It focuses on five key outcomes:
- establishing effective ways of communicating
- establishing effective handover methods
- establishing effective child arrangements
- reviewing arrangements to act as a safety net
When and where SPRING takes place
SPRING runs at our Family Hubs on Tuesdays from 9:30am until 1pm.You can either attend in person, or join via a video call. The sessions are run with parents only - your children cannot attend. There is some flexibility with the time of the programme if you need it because of working arrangements, but the sessions are:
- Darwen Family Hub - BB3 0HD
- Little Harwood Family Hub - BB1 5PE
- Livesey Family Hub - BB2 4NU
- Shadsworth Family Hub - BB1 2HR
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for this free programme, you must meet the following criteria:
- one parent or child lives in Blackburn with Darwen
- you agree to work together in the best interests of your children, and focus on them
- you agree to meet together to work on a Parenting Plan
- you agree to complete tasks in between sessions
- you agree to communicate with each other respectfully
- you are available to do sessions on Tuesdays between 9:30am and 1pm
You cannot attend if there is active or recent domestic abuse or a risk of harm to the children.
How do you access the service?
Professionals supporting families can make a referral through the SPRING service request form, or parents can refer themselves. If you want to refer yourself, then both parents have to complete the referral.
What happens during the SPRING sessions
The sessions are tailored to meet your individual needs. A typical programme is:
Session One
Prepare: a separate face to face or video call introduction session, with each parent agreeing key goals, followed by a 15 minute joint video call with both parents present. Tasks are set for both parents to complete before the next session, and goals are agreed.
Session Two
Plan and Try: a parenting plan session with both parents, working on parenting skills relating to child agreements and setting tasks to try, for example, a new form of communication, new handover arrangements, or a change in child arrangements.
Session Three
Review and Try: a parenting plan session with both parents, reviewing how things are going, and working on agreements and setting tasks.
Session Four
Agree and Do: a parenting plan session with both parents, reviewing how things are going and making final arrangements, including a mechanism for how parents will review things for themselves in the future
Session Five
Review and Do: this takes place about a month after session four, and supports both parents to review how things are going, including agreeing a mechanism for how parents will review things themselves in the future. Goals are reviewed.
Who delivers SPRING?
SPRING is commissioned by Blackburn with Darwen, and is run by the children's charity Child Action Northwest (CANW). CANW's ProContact service supports separated parents and their children and has various services. Family Practitioners support the parents who access SPRING.
More information
For more information, visit the Child Action North West website, email ContactServices@canw.org.uk or phone 01204 369130.