The initiative aimed to address the unique challenges faced by refugee and asylum-seeking families
Parents with lived experience of the asylum system have been offered guidance to help them to settle into life in Scotland thanks to a new project.
The support came in the form of workshops delivered by Together for Childhood (TfC) Govan staff and partners from The Inclusive Homework Club and Govan Community Project.
The initiative aimed to address the unique challenges faced by refugee and asylum-seeking families, including navigating systems such as health and education and understanding children’s rights.
The workshops ran over six weeks and covered topics including:
- Support with play and understanding its importance for child development and attachment
- Understanding education systems and expectations of parenting in Scotland
- Understanding the role of statutory services
- Children and young people’s transitions to independence, such as walking, going out, and staying home alone
- Bullying prevention and reporting
- Online safety and digital device usage
TfC Govan worked with the Govan Community Project and the Inclusive Homework Club to co-design and deliver the workshops.
It is hoped the participants will have increased knowledge and skills related to parenting in Scotland, greater confidence when interacting with professionals working with children and families, and more knowledge of support services within Govan.
Initial sessions ran from October 2024 to February 2025 across two groups.
The project started after the Inclusive Homework Club identified a need among their service users, resulting in a partnership with Govan Community Project and TfC Govan. The Inclusive Homework Club will continue to run and deliver the programme going forward.
TfC is a long-term project set up by the NSPCC to work within local communities to make them safer for children. As well as Govan, there are TfC bases in Plymouth, Grimsby and Stoke-on-Trent. Each team specialises in slightly different topics, but all bases have the overall goal of helping prevent child abuse and giving children better futures.
Caoimhe Walsh, TfC Govan development support officer, said: “It can be difficult to arrive in a new country and not know all the rules and procedures – especially when language barrier is an issue.
“That’s why we wanted to give displaced families an easy and accessible way to learn more about what life is like for children and families in Scotland. The feedback was all very positive, which was encouraging.
“With the help of families and organisations within Govan, we can spot opportunities like this which will help improve the lives of children and families throughout the community.”
Claire Low, communities manager with Govan Community Project, added: “Govan Community Project's collaboration with Together for Childhood on the Parents' Club project has been extremely successful and we are grateful for our ongoing partnership.
“The effectiveness of this was clear from the feedback from participants who said how helpful and practical the sessions had been and their increased confidence in the various essential topics.
“Being new in Scotland and for some, having limited English language skills, can add to the already challenging experience of raising a child. I think the most beneficial aspect of the course was to show parents that they are not alone in their confusion and concerns and encourage them to seek help without fear or judgement. Now they know where to ask for support and have the confidence to ask for it.”
