The courses listed below are for parents of children and teenagers aged from 11 years old to 19 years old. All the courses are free for parents in Cambridgeshire.
1. The Incredible Years (for parents of children in primary school)
This friendly and supportive course helps parents and carers build strong, positive relationships with their children. It focuses on recognising the power of praise, encouragement and clear guidance, while developing practical ways to respond confidently to more challenging behaviours.
The Incredible Years programme runs over 10 sessions and offers a welcoming space to learn and grow alongside other parents. Each session includes group discussions, short videos, and opportunities to practise new skills in a safe, supportive environment, guided by experienced and approachable facilitators.
Through the primary school-age programme, parents can:
- strengthen positive, nurturing relationships with their children
- develop calmer and more effective ways of managing behaviour
- encourage positive behaviour through attention, praise and encouragement
Parent feedback
- I feel stronger as a mother and a person as I now feel I have the confidence to put the new steps in place.
- I thought my child had ADHD or something, but I realised that it was the way things were at home.
- The course has completely changed my life and given me a new confidence to do new things.
- The course has changed my parenting for the better.
Enquiries
If you are interested, you can:
- speak to a professional already supporting your family, or
- contact us directly at ccc.parenting@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
2. Stepping Stones
Stepping Stones Triple P is a supportive programme for parents and carers of children with additional needs, whether these are formally diagnosed or not. It recognises that every child is unique and that families may benefit from tailored strategies to support everyday life.
The course shares practical, flexible approaches that can help with behaviours and situations that may feel challenging or stressful within family life. It is designed for families of children from birth to 12 years with a wide range of needs and experiences.
Stepping Stones begins with a strengths-based assessment, focusing on understanding your child, your relationship, and your family’s individual circumstances.
The course offers support to help you:
- better understand and respond to your child’s communication and behaviour
- build on your child’s strengths and support their development
- reduce stress and support your own wellbeing
- strengthen your relationship and connection with your child
- support your child to learn new skills in ways that work for them
Who is it for?
Parents or carers of a child (up to 12 years) who:
- would like support with behaviours or situations they are finding difficult to manage
- can attend up to 9 regular sessions
Enquiries
If you are interested, you can:
- speak to a professional already supporting your family, or
- contact us directly at ccc.parenting@cambridgeshire.gov.uk, or
- get in touch with your local Child and Family Centre
What parents have said about the Stepping Stones course:
“The course is brilliant in the way it is presented.”
“Still learning from the course as there are always things to learn.”
3.Togetherness online courses
Togetherness offer free self-led courses to help you understand how best to support yourself and your family during the primary years. There are free courses available for parents and carers including:
- Understanding your child from toddler to teenager
- Understanding your child in a changing world
- Understanding your child with additional needs
- Understanding your child’s feelings
- Understanding your child’s mental health and wellbeing
- Understanding the impact of the pandemic on your child
Get more information on our free online parenting courses webpage.
4. Healthy Relationship courses
Reducing Parental Conflict
Cambridgeshire County Council have partnered with One Plus One to offer free courses to help parents communicate better with their child’s other parent and to help parents understand the negative impact of conflict on children.
There are free courses available for parents and carers including:
- Improve the communication with your partner to support your children (Arguing Better)
- Improve the communication with your ex-partner to support your children (Getting it Right for Children)
More information on the more information on the reducing Parental Conflict Programmeshire.
RISE
RISE is a supportive programme for people who have experienced domestic abuse, whether they are still in the relationship or have moved on. It provides a safe space to learn, share, and reflect.
The programme includes guided discussions, gentle activities, and opportunities to build understanding about relationships, safety, and wellbeing.
Before starting, we will complete a short safety and needs assessment (called a DASH Risk Indicator Checklist) to make sure the programme is right for you and that appropriate support is in place.
The programme is delivered in person (face to face) over 6 weeks. Each session lasts 2 hours.
Who is it for?
This programme is for individuals who:
- Have experienced domestic abuse, past or present
- Would like to better understand healthy and unhealthy relationships
- Want to build awareness of their own safety and available support
- Are looking for a supportive and respectful space to talk and learn
To access a RISE course please complete RISE Self Referral form
Our policy on privacy and data protection
Healthy Relationships
This programme helps parents and carers understand what healthy relationships look like whether that be adult to child or adult to adult and how to build strong, positive connections at home and in the wider network. It focuses on improving communication skills and supporting healthy relationships that benefit both adults and children.
Participants will have the opportunity to explore how conflict, criticism, and difficult interactions can affect family life, and learn practical ways to create calmer, more supportive relationships.
The programme runs over 6 weekly sessions, each lasting 2 hours.
We offer a friendly, supportive, and non-judgemental environment, where you can share experiences, learn from others, and feel understood. There are also opportunities to connect with other parents and carers, as well as access information about additional support services if needed.
To access this course please email ccc.parenting@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
Togetherness Understanding Your Relationships – Self-Guided Online Course
A flexible, self-paced online course designed to support parents in building healthier, more connected relationships. Created by clinical psychologists and psychotherapists, it offers practical tools you can use in everyday life.
What you’ll learn:
- Understanding emotions: Recognise your feelings and identify underlying needs
- Communication skills: Express yourself clearly and strengthen interactions
- Connection & relationships: Build trust, understanding and closeness
- Personal reflection: Short, bite-sized modules you can complete in your own time
Accessible anytime, anywhere, this course fits around busy family life and supports meaningful, lasting change.
Get more information on our free online parenting courses webpage.
5. Parenting Discussion Groups
Triple P Discussion Groups are 6 supportive, small-group workshops that offer parents and carers practical ideas for everyday parenting.
The sessions introduce positive parenting principles in a way that recognises each child’s individuality, development, and needs. Parents and carers are encouraged to share experiences, reflect on what works for their family, and take away flexible strategies they can adapt in ways that feel right for them.
Each session lasts around two hours and families can choose to attend the sessions most relevant to them:
- Being a positive parent
- Cooperating with instructions
- Developing bedtime routines
- Developing mealtime routines
- Expressing feelings without aggression
- Going out
Who is it for?
These discussion groups are for parents and carers who would like some ideas, reassurance, or guidance around a specific aspect of their child’s behaviour or family routines.
They are particularly helpful for those:
- wanting to better understand their child’s needs and communication
- experiencing day-to-day challenges that feel manageable but would benefit from new approaches
- who feel comfortable trying out ideas between sessions in ways that suit their child and family
The approach recognises that all behaviour is a form of communication, and that strategies may need to be adapted to reflect each child’s strengths, differences, and stage of development.
To book, contact your Child and Family Centre for further information.
6. Stepping Stones Parenting Workshops
These are low-intensity, parenting workshops designed for families of children and young people with disabilities or developmental differences (diagnosed or not), up to the age of 12. They offer supportive, practical introductions to positive parenting approaches that recognise each child’s unique strengths, needs, and ways of communicating.
The programme is made up of three individual workshops (90 minutes to 2 hours each). Families can choose to attend the ones most relevant to them:
- 1. Positive Parenting for Children with a Disability
- 2. Helping Your Child Reach Their Potential
- 3. Changing Problem Behaviour into Positive Behaviour
They focus on building positive relationships, supporting communication and independence in ways that suit each child, and offering gentle, respectful strategies for responding to behaviours and supporting emotional wellbeing.
Who it’s for: Parents, carers, and families of children with a wide range of developmental, sensory, or physical differences
To book, contact your Child and Family Centre for further information.
