New campaign launched to help parents of children with additional needs in Hartlepool

A new campaign is being launched to give advice to Hartlepool parents of children with additional needs to help those couples keep their relationship strong.
Jayne Moules, project lead for the Healthy Relationships Partnership Hartlepoo.Jayne Moules, project lead for the Healthy Relationships Partnership Hartlepoo.
Jayne Moules, project lead for the Healthy Relationships Partnership Hartlepoo.

Due to the extra pressures which they face, parents with additional needs youngsters are among the groups which are statistically more prone to relationship breakdown.

The campaign, called ‘In It Together’, starts today with a week-long social media campaign and has been organised by the Healthy Relationships Partnership Hartlepool (HRPH) – a partnership between Changing Futures North-East, Hartlepool Borough Council, the Bob Farrow Centre and Tavistock Relationships – and OneHartOneFutureOneMind, an umbrella group for parents for children with additional needs.

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The Healthy Relationships Partnership is funded by the Early Action Neighbourhood Fund, the Big Lottery Fund, Comic Relief and the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation.

Throughout this week, the HRPH will be sharing blog posts and other information from parents with children with additional needs on their top tips for other parents for keeping their relationships strong – visit www.facebook.com/HRPhartlepool andwww.twitter.com/HRPhartlepool

The campaign also aims to highlight the specialist advice available from the Partnership to the practitioners who work with them - the Partnership’s website at www.hrphartlepool.co.uk includes guidance on supporting couple relationships, details of members of the local Family Relationship Network and new Healthy Relationships Champions who are leading the way in supporting parental relationships.

Jayne Moules, project lead for the Healthy Relationships Partnership Hartlepool, said: “We know from national research and talking to parents locally that parents who are caring for children with additional needs are at increased risk of strain on their relationship and potential relationship breakdown.

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“Our new campaign will offer these parents access to lots of advice and support – from ourselves and from other parents who have faced similar circumstances – and will also highlight the wealth of specialist advice which we can offer professionals working in this field.

“If you are parents of a child with additional needs and you are feeling under pressure, you are not alone. We’re ‘In It Together’ and we’ll help you to keep your relationship strong, to ensure that your child enjoys the happiest, most stable childhood possible.”