New Beginnings Foundation CIO

At New Beginnings, we work closely with parents whose children are at risk of being removed into care. We have learned that parents who find themselves in the child protection system have most likely experienced prolonged episodes of trauma, such as physical, sexual and emotional abuse, often within the home, at some point in their lives. These traumatic events can lead to issues with mental ill health as well as drug and alcohol misuse. We are not a statutory service and we are more than a parenting programme. We provide a wrap around service that enables parents to understand how past traumatic events have affected their identity, their coping strategies and their parenting skills. We recognise that becoming a parent is one of life's most complex challenges. Our aim, therefore, is to support parents in the child protection process to develop the strength, knowledge and power they need to become the parents they want to be so their children can stay in their care. At the end of the programme, we hope that parents stay with us, so that they can teach other parents how to do the same.