Sungate is a parenting project run by Barnardo's which was established in June 2000 and works across Sunderland and Gateshead. The team is made up of a team of people dedicated to assisting parents/carers of 10 to 17 year old children, or from 8 years if referred thought the Youth Inclusion Support Panels (YISP).

Sungate's aim is to reduce youth offending and non school attendance by:

•  Increasing parents confidence and self esteem.
•  Managing behaviour.
•  Supporting parents to gain greater control.
•  Working in co-operation with other agencies.

They offer a wide range of services which can be tailored to suit individual needs. These services include:

•  Individual work either home based or at another agreed venue.
•  Joint work with couples.
•  Group work sessions for both mothers and fathers and male and female parent/carers.
•  If we are not the appropriate service we will assist you in accessing the right assistance.

Barnardo’s Sungate Project has successfully built upon the experience of Sunderland Youth Offending Service in piloting the Parenting Order and developing relevant parenting education programmes. In conjunction with Sunderland Youth Offending Service, programmes have been developed to meet the additional needs of parents. An example being that parents of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) can now access their own group work programmes.

Sungate also provides training to other services, for example awareness training regarding ADHD.

By supporting and offering direct intervention and positive choices to parents, this has benefited their children by reintegrating them into education and/or reducing or preventing further offending.

The project recognises that to enable parents to access our group work programmes, that appropriate support is provided relating to the needs of individual parents. These are discussed with parents prior to their involvement in group work. For example, where parents need support with childcare, Sungate staff would assist the parent in arranging appropriate day care support for their children.

The project offers ongoing help, even after the programme is complete. There are fortnightly participant-led support groups for mothers and fathers to offer reassurance and encouragement to commit to long-term changes.

A Sungate project worker helps parents to run these support groups assisting in arranging speakers/activities related to the needs of the group. Speakers include representatives from the Police, Fire Service, Education Services and Drug and Alcohol project workers. The aim of these sessions is to advise and inform parents about issues they may face regarding their teenage children.

The Sungate Parenting Project has strong links with the Bridge Project in Washington and a number of the mothers who have chosen to access Sungate support groups have then gone on to complete courses with the Bridge Project.

Parents are encouraged to be involved in providing feedback directly to Sungate about the services they have received. These views form an integral part of the external inspection process.

Sungate are based in the Washington area and can be contacted on: Tel 0191 417 9329

For further information on the Barnardo's Children's Charity please visit the website www.barnardos.org.uk

This project is part funded through Neighbourhood Renewal Funding.