Family Support and Guidance Course

Lesson 1 • Strengths-Based and Empowerment Frameworks

Introduces asset-focused approaches that shift focus from deficits to family capacities. Students contrast strengths-based with deficit-focused models.

Lesson 2 • Defining Family Support and Its Scope

Clarifies what family support encompasses across service settings. Grounds students in purpose and boundaries before introducing practice models.

Lesson 3 • Professional Roles and Boundaries

Defines the practitioner role, dual-relationship risks, and self-care obligations. Students distinguish professional support from personal involvement.

Lesson 1 • Mapping Family Systems with Genograms

Teaches genogram construction as a visual assessment tool for patterns across generations. Students create and interpret genograms from case data.

Lesson 2 • Family Life Cycle and Transitions

Examines predictable developmental stages and the stressors each transition introduces. Students anticipate support needs at each stage.

Lesson 3 • Family Systems Theory Essentials

Covers interdependence, subsystems, and homeostasis as core systems concepts. Connects theory directly to observable family behaviours.

Lesson 4 • Diversity in Family Structures

Explores single-parent, blended, multigenerational, and LGBTQ+ family forms. Students adapt systems thinking to non-traditional configurations.

Lesson 1 • Active Listening Skills in Practice

Trains paraphrasing, reflection, summarising, and minimal encouragers. Students practise each skill through structured role-play exercises.

Lesson 2 • Managing Difficult Conversations

Equips students to navigate conflict, resistance, and high-emotion exchanges professionally. Techniques include de-escalation and assertive communication.

Lesson 3 • Principles of Effective Helping Communication

Establishes warmth, genuineness, and empathy as the communication foundation. Students link these qualities to positive engagement outcomes.

Lesson 1 • Monitoring Progress and Revising Goals

Establishes review cycles and outcome indicators to track goal achievement. Students adjust plans based on progress data and changing family circumstances.

Lesson 2 • Conducting Structured Family Interviews

Guides students through interview planning, sequencing, and documentation. Students practise structured interviews using standardised question frameworks.

Lesson 3 • Risk and Protective Factor Analysis

Teaches identification of risk factors alongside protective factors to produce balanced profiles. Students weigh both dimensions when prioritising support.

Lesson 4 • Principles of Family-Centred Assessment

Frames assessment as a collaborative, ongoing process rather than a one-time event. Students distinguish family-centred from practitioner-led assessment models.

Lesson 1 • Child Development Across Key Stages

Reviews developmental milestones from infancy through adolescence as a foundation for parenting guidance. Students link developmental knowledge to realistic parent expectations.

Lesson 2 • Attachment Theory and Parenting Behaviour

Explains attachment styles and their long-term impact on child outcomes. Students identify parenting behaviours that promote secure attachment.

Lesson 3 • Evidence-Based Parenting Programme Models

Surveys validated parenting programmes and their core components. Students match programme models to family profiles and presenting needs.

Lesson 4 • Coaching Parents in Real Time

Develops live coaching skills for in-home and group parenting support contexts. Students practise observation, feedback, and modelling techniques.

Lesson 1 • Domestic Violence and Family Safety Planning

Equips students to identify indicators of domestic violence and co-create safety plans. Students practise risk assessment and referral protocols.

Lesson 2 • Building Family Resilience After Adversity

Applies Walsh's family resilience framework to post-crisis recovery planning. Students identify and activate resilience factors within family systems.

Lesson 3 • Grief, Loss, and Bereavement Support

Covers grief models and culturally sensitive bereavement support strategies. Students facilitate conversations about loss with families at different stages.

Lesson 4 • Crisis Theory and Intervention Models

Introduces crisis theory, the ABC model, and Roberts' seven-stage framework. Students distinguish crisis intervention from ongoing counselling.

Lesson 1 • Supporting Families Through Investigations

Guides practitioners in maintaining supportive relationships during formal investigations. Students balance family engagement with child protection imperatives.

Lesson 2 • Risk Assessment in Child Protection

Applies structured decision-making tools to assess child safety and risk levels. Students differentiate immediate safety concerns from longer-term risk factors.

Lesson 3 • Mandatory Reporting Obligations

Explains the legal and ethical duty to report suspected maltreatment. Students practise completing accurate, timely reports using standardised formats.

Lesson 4 • Child Maltreatment: Types and Indicators

Defines physical, emotional, sexual abuse, and neglect with behavioural and physical indicators. Students distinguish accidental injury from maltreatment signs.

Lesson 1 • Documentation and Record Keeping

Establishes standards for accurate, objective, and timely case documentation. Students apply professional writing principles to case notes and reports.

Lesson 2 • Developing Comprehensive Family Support Plans

Guides construction of integrated plans that address multiple family domains simultaneously. Students write plans that are specific, time-bound, and family-driven.

Lesson 3 • Referral, Linkage, and Resource Navigation

Builds skills for identifying, accessing, and following up on community resources. Students practise warm handoffs and track referral outcomes.

Lesson 4 • Case Management Models and Principles

Compares brokerage, clinical, and intensive case management models. Students select the appropriate model based on family complexity and service context.