Being a parent or carer is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world, but we also know that it can be difficult at times — especially if other things are going on in your life. It can be normal to find parenting challenging; at some point, nearly all parents and carers will find their child’s behaviour confusing or difficult to manage.
Parenting support programmes help parents and carers explore the challenges they are experiencing in their parenting, giving them space to think about what they might like to do differently in the future. The programmes help parents and carers understand the different behavioural and developmental stages of their baby, child, or teenager, supporting them to become more confident in their parenting roles.
Our evidence-based parenting support programmes are making a positive difference for parents all over Oldham. Our experienced, trained practitioners advise and guide parents to find ways of dealing with challenging behaviours, build upon their existing skills, and learn from each other. This reduces parents and carers’ stress, and in turn strengthens their relationships with their children.
Parenting support programmes are delivered throughout the year across Oldham, with morning, afternoon, and evening sessions available.
For more details, please see below or email parentsupporthub@oldham.gov.uk
Baby Bonding: Five–week group for one hour each week
A five–week group for parents of babies from 28 weeks post-conception to up to 1 year old (providing the baby is still non-mobile), supporting parents to develop a strong bond with their baby before birth and through the early stages of their life. Each hour-long session teaches parents about their baby’s brain development, as well as ways to understand and communicate with their baby through fun activities. It’s particularly helpful for parents feeling anxious or worried about parenting their new baby.
| Baby Bonding start and end dates (groups run for 5 weeks) | Time | Venue | For more details and to register |
| Tuesday 22 September to 20 October 2026 | 1.30–2.30pm | Best Start Family Hub — Beever, Moorby Street, Oldham OL1 3QU | This group is fully booked |
| Tuesday 10 November to 8 December 2026 | 10–11am | Best Start Family Hub — Shaw and Crompton, High Street, Shaw, Oldham OL2 8RF | Please fill in this short form with your details to register your interest, and a member of the team will contact you. More information is available here. |
Positive Parenting (Triple P) discussion group (2 to 9): One session for two hours
Positive Parenting (Triple P) discussion groups are two-hour workshops for parents of children aged 2 to 9 who want to learn skills to manage common behaviour problems (e.g., not listening, fighting, aggression) and situations (e.g., going on outings with children, mealtimes, bedtimes) that can cause issues. During the workshop, parents talk about typical situations they may experience at home and how they can use the skills they learn to manage them more positively.
| Positive Parenting (Triple P) dates (single sessions) | Time | Topic | Venue | For more details and to register |
| Thursday 8 October 2026 | 9.30–11.30am | Bedtime Routines | Mayfield Primary School, Mayfield Road, Derker, Oldham OL1 4LG | Please fill in this short form with your details to register your interest. More information is available here. |
| Wednesday 11 November 2026 | 12.45–2.45pm | Managing Behaviour | Royton Town Hall, Rochdale Road, Royton, Oldham OL2 6QG | Please fill in this short form with your details to register your interest. More information is available here. |
| Tuesday 1 December 2026 | 12.45–2.45pm | Managing Behaviour | Werneth Primary School, Coppice Street, Oldham OL8 4BL | Please fill in this short form with your details to register your interest. More information is available here. |
Nurturing Programme (2 to 12): Ten–week programme for two and a half hours each week
The Nurturing Programme is a ten-week group for parents of children aged 2 to 12 which promotes emotional health, relationship skills, and positive behaviour management strategies. It aims to help adults understand and manage feelings and behaviour, so they become more positive and nurturing in their relationships with children and each other. The programme encourages an approach that provides adults and children with the understanding, skills, and abilities to lead emotionally healthy lives, helping them build resilience, empathy, self-esteem, and positive relationships.
For details on groups starting in January, please email parentsupporthub@oldham.gov.uk
| Nurturing Programme start and end dates (groups run for 10 weeks) | Time | Venue | For more details and to register |
| Tuesday 22 September to Tuesday 24 November 2026 | 1–3pm | Alt Academy, Alt Lane, Alt, Oldham OL8 2EL | This group is fully booked |
| Wednesday 23 September to Wednesday 25 November 2026 | 9.30am–12pm | The Link Centre, 140 Union Street, Oldham OL1 1DZ | This group is fully booked |
| Thursday 24 September to Thursday 26 November 2026 | 12.30–3pm | Failsworth Town Hall, Oldham Road, Failsworth, Oldham M35 0EJ | This group is fully booked |
Youth Connect 5 Transit (8 to 11): Five–week group for two hours each week
Youth Connect 5 Transit (YC5 Transit) is a five-week programme for parents and carers of children aged 8 to 11 who want to support their child with the transition to secondary school, particularly where children are feeling anxious about the move. The sessions give parents the skills to help their children build independence and resilience, so they are more able to cope with change and difficult situations. It also supports the transition through puberty.
| YC5 Transit start and end dates (groups run for 5 weeks) | Time | Venue | For more details and to register |
| Tuesday 22 September to Tuesday 20 October 2026 | 9.30–11.30am | Royton Town Hall, Rochdale Road, Royton, Oldham OL2 6QG | This programme has started so isn’t accepting any more participants. If you’d like to join a future group, please fill in this short form with your details to register your interest, and a member of the team will contact you. |
| Thursday 24 September to Thursday 22 October 2026 | 9.30–11.30am | Lees Library, 9 Thomas Street, Lees, Oldham OL4 5DA | This programme has started so isn’t accepting any more participants. If you’d like to join a future group, please fill in this short form with your details to register your interest, and a member of the team will contact you. |
Positive Parenting TEEN (Triple P) discussion group (10 to 16): One session for two hours
Positive Parenting TEEN (Triple P) workshops are single, two-hour sessions for parents of young people aged 10 to 16, teaching skills to manage common difficulties of parenting teenagers. Topics include getting teenagers to cooperate, coping with teenagers’ emotions, building teenagers’ survival skills, and reducing family conflict. The workshops introduce parents to several positive parenting strategies, helping them develop plans to parent their teenager; sessions also discuss how parents can build relationships and keep their children safe. During the workshop, parents talk about typical situations they may experience at home and how they can use the skills they learn to manage them more positively.
| Date | Time | Topic | Venue | For more details and to register |
| Wednesday 18 November | 5–7pm | Helping Teenagers Cooperate | Positive Steps, 80 Union Street, Oldham OL1 1DJ | Please fill in this short form with your details to register your interest, and a member of the team will contact you. More information is available here. |
Youth Connect 5 (11 to 16): Five–week group for two hours each week
Across the five-week programme, Youth Connect 5 (YC5) gives parents and carers of children aged 11 to 16 the knowledge, skills, and understanding to help their children develop strong emotional wellbeing. As well as learning about the teenage brain in the sessions, parents learn resilience techniques that strengthen their child’s ability to cope with adversity, threats, or even significant sources of stress. These are skills that will remain with them into adulthood.
| YC5 (11 to 16) start and end dates (groups run for 5 weeks) | Time | Venue | For more details and to register |
| Wednesday 11 November to Wednesday 9 December 2026 | 5.30–7.30pm | Online | Please fill in this short form with your details to register your interest, and a member of the team will contact you. More information is available here. |
View all sessions
To see all the sessions, go to the Parenting Support events page.