The Parent Advocacy Project is a new collaboration between Oxford Hub (https://www.oxfordhub.org/) and African Families in the UK (AFiUK) CIC. It builds on the work that AFiUK does with parents and families, particularly through their parent ambassadors and the work Oxford Hub does through Parent Power, in the Community Impact Zone. The project is funded by Lankelly Chase. (https://lankellychase.org.uk/)
Why parents?
Parents have the most influence over the future prospects of their children and, of course, they really care about their children’s futures and want the best for them. Children and young people spend the vast majority of their time at home (exacerbated and exemplified by lockdowns and home learning in the last year) and they look up to their parents as role models.
Research is clear that effective home-school engagement improves learning and wellbeing outcomes for children. Parents who are healthy, engaged, and supported can better support their children to thrive and achieve their potential.
Parent Advocates
Oxford Hub and AFI UK are collaborating to train and support a cohort of parent advocates who can support other parents to achieve their potential and navigate services that are on offer, on a peer to peer basis.
An advocate is someone who makes a case on someone else's behalf. Advocacy by its nature is dependent on the needs of the person; in this context it is likely to consist of advocacy and support with to other parents at a universal community level through befriending and providing moral and practical support such as offering telephone support, home visits and/or support to access services – through signposting, or accompanying to those services.
Parent advocates will also seek views of other parents so that they can speak on their behalf. We have recruited 4 parents who live in the Community Impact Zone. Our parent advocates have the usual experience that many parents are facing. Such as experience of migration; Lone parenting ; meeting family needs on a tight budget while aiming to be a good enough parent. They each bring a huge amount of passion and drive to help other parents and families in their community. these cohort of parents started on 15th March, and were trained by Jacqui, (AFiUK), Emma (Oxford Hub) and safeguarding training through OSCB (https://www.oscb.org.uk/ ). Their posts are currently term time only. When they completed their training at the end of April, they embarked on their roles of 1:1 support with parents and some group work through coffee mornings or small groups in community settings.
Principles of parent advocate support
● Peer to peer- parents supporting parents
● Asset based- building on parents strengths
● Community grassroots support- pre social services, finding solutions in the community
● Empowering and enabling parents to do things for themselves
Our AFiUK Parent Advocates are Christine Alexandra, whose everyday name is Alex (LEFT) and Uzoamaka Okoye, her everyday name is Amaka
Should you want to contact our Parent Advocates, or to join one of our soon starting Parent Power Groups, please email oxford.admin@afiuk.org or telephone 07921 462949 / 07708662156
