A new and free online resource is available for families in Jersey and Guernsey who want to learn how to support their child's emotional health.

The course, called the Solihull Approach, is an NHS resource which gives parents and carers practical advice on what they should do to best develop their child's brain. 

Classes have been funded by the governments of Jersey and Guernsey, who have both contributed £4000 each for the programme. 

There are lessons available for different stages of a child's development.

Class options available for parents

Advice is available for parents even before their youngster is born in the form of an antenatal course focusing on birth, mum's wellbeing and how to bond with your baby when they arrive.

Courses are available for those with newborns, all the way up to those with teenagers. 

There are also a specific course for adults who want to learn from and unpack their own trauma and another on how to understand their child with additional needs. 

Naomi Chandler from Guernsey's Children and Family Community Services says she wants the resource to be a place parents can turn to:

"It's just a safe space for people to self reflect in their own home around their parenting, with sound evidence based research, rather than just googling and not knowing where that advice is coming from."

Class options available for parents

Anyone living in Jersey and Guernsey can sign up for the classes from online learning portal InOurPlace, with the password 'welcome'. 

The course is available in 108 languages.

Kirsten Flint from Jersey's Children and Families Hub tells us its intended to be accessible for everyone: 

"It's about parents who might love to attend a face-to-face course but just can't do it because either they haven't have support from family members on the island to look after their children or childcare, work commitments.

"Sometimes their might be a language barrier too for families accessing that (face-to-face training), whereas this platform for online really fills that gap."