Communicare’s New Strategic Plan & Values
At iCommunic8 Day, Communicare’s annual staff conference, the Strategic Pillars and Values that form the bold Strategic Plan for Communicare’s next few years were shared company-wide. The focus of…
Kayla*, the mother of two children aged 10 and 12 years old, was facing challenges with her son’s behaviour at school and reached out to the school for parenting support. At their first meeting, the school’s social worker found that Kayla had immense difficulty communicating about her needs. Kayla found it difficult to speak, crying and apologising for her not being able to tell the social worker what she needed. Through empathy, gentle reassurance and active listening, the social worker was able to develop trust with Kayla, which led Kayla to be able to talk through her issues.
Kayla was having difficulty communicating with her husband and with her childhood experiences. These problems were having a great impact of her ability to connect with her children. She was also suffering with mental health issues, for which she was receiving treatment for.
Kayla come to Communicare and was set up with a Parenting Facilitator. Our Facilitator listened as Kayla described the parenting she had received as a child and the impact this had on her ability to be present and support her own children. Over several sessions, Kayla, our Facilitator, and the school’s social worker created a plan for how Kayla could advocate for her son’s style of learning at his school. The plan included developing a routine with her son and his father to set good study habits and create a better father-son bond. Our Facilitator discussed with Kayla how important it is that she give herself time for her own mental, emotional and physical health and wellbeing, and gave her strategies to help her achieve that. Our Facilitator also helped educate Kayla about child development, which gave Kayla the confidence and capacity to be the parent she wanted to be.
Kayla and her husband now share a more connected relationship when it comes to co-parenting. Kayla has expressed a sense of achievement and confidence when speaking to her children about family values, school, social media and family time. The family now spends more quality time together. Kayla has grown as an individual too. She now ventures out of home and has started meeting with other parents. She has expressed a deeper understanding of her son’s development and feels more prepared as he transitions to adolescence.
*Kayla’s name has been changed to maintain confidentiality.
