Discover our group for parents/carers: EPIC
Given the ever-rising demand for youth mental health services since the pandemic, and a notable increase in social anxiety, group work plays a vital role as part of the Kids Inspire support package. Our specialist group work offers an age and needs-appropriate peer support network meaning that a child and their family can both receive timely services; enabling joint learning, understanding, and improved relationships as a result.
Empowering Parents, Increasing Connection (EPIC) is offered in groups for parents/carers of a young person referred to our services.
About EPIC
The group aims to provide parents and carers with tools and education to build upon their knowledge of mental health and traumatic experiences. This understanding will help them to further support their child through improved communication and enhancing their connection.
Delivery
Currently, the group runs as a whole-day course on a monthly basis. It is aimed at parents/carers of children who have been referred into Kids Inspire. In most cases, parents attend the course, with a ‘catch-up session’ a couple of weeks afterwards, and then the child is offered therapy.
EPIC provides parents with a peer support network, which, based on feedback, is useful for them to listen to other family experiences and to relate them to their own.
As well as the group setting being useful to parents, it also means the specalist team are able to see a greater number, which in turn helps to reduce the wait for parental support.
Other groups
Kids Inspire continues to provide regular online evening and daytime face-to-face parental psychoeducation and support groups to best meet the needs of families. Alongside EPIC, the team offers face-to-face CREW groups every quarter at Hargrave House. In addition, Balance Me is a dedicated teenage group, and the light touch Voice peer support group runs fortnightly for young people.
Groups are increasingly becoming an important part of the offer at Kids Inspire working with families to maximise impact and reach within the community.