At Parent to Parent, everything starts with listening.
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Every family’s journey is different. There is no single path, no checklist, and no expectation that families should fit a particular mould. We take time to get to know the whole family, understand where you are right now, and walk alongside you for as long or as short a time as you need.
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Our support is shaped by lived experience. We connect parents and carers with others who truly understand, helping families recognise their strengths, feel validated, and know that their voice matters.
We offer a safe, nurturing space where families are met with empathy, compassion and respect. Whether you need someone to talk things through with, practical help to navigate services, or support to attend meetings or appointments, we are here — without judgement.
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Parent to Parent can help by:
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Providing emotional support and a listening ear
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Offering practical guidance, strategies and disability-related advice
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Supporting families at meetings and hospital appointments
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Helping parents advocate for their child and family
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Connecting families with resources, services and communities
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Creating opportunities to meet other parents and reduce isolation
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Supporting the whole family, not just one individual
We cheer families on, value every step of the journey, and recognise that needs change over time. Sometimes support means regular contact; sometimes it’s simply knowing someone is there when you need them.
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Above all, Parent to Parent is about connection, empowerment and community — ensuring families feel heard, supported and never alone as they navigate a changing world.
What we do
01
Decider Skills
Our initial stage of support will provide guidance for parents to understand and manage their responses and in turn their child's behaviours through our Decider Skills workshop. Decider Skills are strongly grounded in theory, summarising 32 Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills under the four-core skill sets of Distress Tolerance, Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation and Interpersonal Effectiveness.
02
Peer Support
Parent to Parent offers peer support groups, which are facilitated by a practitioner and assisted by volunteer parents. Parents come together in small groups across Tayside to share experiences, tips and information. The support worker invites speakers from agencies such as Welfare Rights and Carers Centres to give presentations and organises workshops on managing, coping and best supporting their children's behaviour or additional support needs.
03
Early Years Support
The early years family support worker will support parents at home and at clinic appointments, provide information about play-schemes and respite services and provide advice about behaviour management. A large part of this service is to give emotional support and help parents work through the difficulties of caring for a child with an additional support or behavioural need.
04
Support For Parents
The support workers offer emotional support while the child is awaiting clinical assessment. The service provides a range of supports including accompanying parents to assessment and feedback appointments if required and if a diagnosis is given will support parent in signposting and accessing relevant services.
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Transition
Parents can need support as their children start school and move into high school. Different issues arise such as problems at school, an increase in behavioural problems or concerns about the child moving to high school. The Family Support Workers can help parents to liaise with schools, prepare them for meetings at the school and advise them about statutory and voluntary agencies which can give additional help to the family. They also offer advice in relation to behavioural support and strategies.