Our work with parents and carers

Our work with parents and carers

Being a parent can be a joy. It should be a joy. And it often is.

But when your child is suffering, parenthood can be a tough, lonely and frightening place. And when the cause of that suffering is hard to understand, as is so often the case with mental health, it becomes more difficult still.

At Charlie Waller, we understand that. In part, this is because the experts who lead our rapidly expanding Parent and Carer Programme are also parents who have experienced it themselves.

We understand how hard it is, but we also know that there is a great deal that you can do to help. Our programme of information and support is underpinned by four principles. As a parent or carer:

• Look after your own wellbeing. This is vital. If you don’t, you will be far less able to look after your child’s.
• Educate yourself about your child’s mental health difficulties – it makes a big difference. It will help you to cope yourself, and it will better enable you to understand and support your child.
• There is hope. Remember this. There are practical tools and treatments that work and our knowledge of children’s and young people’s mental health is advancing all the time. Holding onto hope yourself, and offering hope to your child, is the most important thing you can do.
• You are not alone, despite how it may sometimes feel. There are many, many families going through similar difficulties, and help is available.

Parent Carer Peer Support Course

We are delighted to announce that we will be offering our full parent carer peer support course again starting in January 2025. Our PCPS training course is open to those working as parent carer peer support workers, or parents and carers who would like to train to become a PCPS worker. We also provide training for their supervisors. If you would like to hear more about this course, register your interest now!  

Parents and Carers

Register your interest

Services and commissioners

Register your interest

Want to know more about parent and carer peer support?

Join our PCPS Information and CPD sessions! 

Have you ever wondered if you could use your life experience to help other families?  Are you in a service or a commissioner wanting to improve your local offer to families and benefit your service?  Find out more at our Parent and Carer Peer Support (PCPS) Information sessions and training courses.    

PCPS Information Sessions for parents and carers   

Would you like to know more about how parents and carers with lived experience can help others?   We are delighted to announce a number of ways to get involved – whether you or someone you know might like to do it or want to set it up in your local area.  

Learn more  

PCPS Information Sessions for Services and Commissioners   

Are you in a service or a commissioner wanting to improve your local offer to families and benefit your service? Find out more about how to grow parent carer peer support locally with our PCPS Information and CPD sessions for services and commissioners.        

Learn more