IFDP Advanced Family Support Programme – International Institute for Adults Learning

About Course

IFDP Advanced Family Support Programme is for families under heavy pressure, or already in crisis: money and housing worries, a parent’s mental health, conflict, caring for a child with additional needs, kinship care, substance use or domestic abuse. It brings together practical crisis support and longer-term coping in one course.

Everyone takes the five core modules: understanding your family’s situation; safety and calm first; protecting children under pressure; coping and problem-solving; and lasting change. Then you choose from seven topic modules to match your family’s circumstances. Lessons are not locked, so you can go straight to what you need, including the domestic abuse module at any time.

Lessons combine clear explanations, scripts you can use, safety plans and checklists, interactive practice activities, and the UK helplines and services you may need. Practice activities and module quizzes are not graded. The final assessment covers the core modules, with a 70% pass mark and up to 3 attempts. The core modules take about 4 hours; the full course with every topic module takes about 8 hours.

Map the pressures on your family and decide where to start
Make a short-term safety plan and know who to call in a crisis
Lower tension at home and put a two-week stabilisation plan in place
Protect children with routines, school links and honest reassurance
Manage stress, spot early warning signs and solve problems step by step
Rebuild relationships and write a family support plan
Find the right help for money, mental health, parental conflict, SEND, kinship care, substance use or domestic abuse

Course Content

Module 1: Understanding Your Family’s Situation
Core module. Map the pressures, recognise your strengths, check whether this is a crisis, and choose your topic modules.

Lesson 1.1: Welcome and How This Course Works
Lesson 1.2: Mapping Your Family’s Pressures
Lesson 1.3: Your Family’s Strengths
Lesson 1.4: Is This a Crisis?
Lesson 1.5: Choosing Your Topic Modules
Module 1 Practice Quiz

Module 2: Safety and Calm First
Core module. What to do when things feel out of control: a safety plan, lowering tension, who to call, and a two-week plan to get the basics back.

Module 3: Protecting Children Under Pressure
Core module. How stress affects children, routines and school, honest reassurance and time together.

Module 4: Coping and Problem-Solving
Core module. Managing stress, spotting patterns, solving problems step by step and asking for help.

Module 5: Lasting Change
Core module. Rebuilding relationships, your early warning plan, your family support plan and next steps.

Module 6: Money and Housing Worries (Topic Module)
Choose if money, debt or housing is a pressure for your family.

Module 7: A Parent’s Mental Health (Topic Module)
Choose if you or your partner is struggling with mental health.

Module 8: Conflict Between Parents (Topic Module)
Choose if arguments between adults are affecting the children.

Module 9: Caring for a Child With Additional Needs (Topic Module)
Choose if your child has SEND, a disability or a long-term condition.

Module 10: Kinship Care (Topic Module)
Choose if you are raising a relative's or friend's child.

Module 11: Substance Use in the Family (Topic Module)
Choose if alcohol or drug use is affecting your family.

Module 12: Domestic Abuse: Recognising It and Staying Safe (Topic Module)
Choose if you are worried about abuse in your home. You can go straight here at any time.

Final Assessment
Course reflection and the final assessment on the core modules (pass mark 70%, up to 3 attempts).

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About Course

What Will You Learn?

Course Content

Module 1: Understanding Your Family’s Situation Core module. Map the pressures, recognise your strengths, check whether this is a crisis, and choose your topic modules.

Lesson 1.1: Welcome and How This Course Works

Lesson 1.2: Mapping Your Family’s Pressures

Lesson 1.3: Your Family’s Strengths

Lesson 1.4: Is This a Crisis?

Lesson 1.5: Choosing Your Topic Modules

Module 1 Practice Quiz

Module 2: Safety and Calm First Core module. What to do when things feel out of control: a safety plan, lowering tension, who to call, and a two-week plan to get the basics back.

Lesson 2.1: Immediate Safety Planning

Lesson 2.2: Lowering Tension at Home

Lesson 2.3: Who to Contact Right Now

Lesson 2.4: Your Two-Week Stabilisation Plan

Module 2 Practice Quiz

Module 3: Protecting Children Under Pressure Core module. How stress affects children, routines and school, honest reassurance and time together.

Lesson 3.1: How Family Stress Affects Children

Lesson 3.2: Routines and School

Lesson 3.3: Honest Reassurance

Lesson 3.4: Protecting Time Together

Module 3 Practice Quiz

Module 4: Coping and Problem-Solving Core module. Managing stress, spotting patterns, solving problems step by step and asking for help.

Lesson 4.1: Managing Stress Day to Day

Lesson 4.2: Looking Back: Patterns and Early Warning Signs

Lesson 4.3: Solving Problems Step by Step

Lesson 4.4: Asking for and Accepting Help

Module 4 Practice Quiz

Module 5: Lasting Change Core module. Rebuilding relationships, your early warning plan, your family support plan and next steps.

Lesson 5.1: Rebuilding Relationships After a Hard Time

Lesson 5.2: Your Early Warning Plan

Lesson 5.3: Your Family Support Plan

Lesson 5.4: Course Summary and Next Steps

Module 5 Practice Quiz

Module 6: Money and Housing Worries (Topic Module) Choose if money, debt or housing is a pressure for your family.

Lesson 6.1: How Money Worries Affect Families

Lesson 6.2: Talking to Children About Money

Lesson 6.3: Budgeting Under Pressure

Lesson 6.4: Finding Advice on Debt, Benefits and Housing

Module 6 Practice Quiz

Module 7: A Parent’s Mental Health (Topic Module) Choose if you or your partner is struggling with mental health.

Lesson 7.1: Recognising When You Are Struggling

Lesson 7.2: Explaining Mental Health to Children

Lesson 7.3: Parenting on Difficult Days

Lesson 7.4: Getting Support for Yourself

Module 7 Practice Quiz

Module 8: Conflict Between Parents (Topic Module) Choose if arguments between adults are affecting the children.

Lesson 8.1: How Parental Conflict Affects Children

Lesson 8.2: Disagreeing Constructively

Lesson 8.3: Keeping Children Out of the Middle

Lesson 8.4: When to Seek Relationship Support

Module 8 Practice Quiz

Module 9: Caring for a Child With Additional Needs (Topic Module) Choose if your child has SEND, a disability or a long-term condition.

Lesson 9.1: Understanding Your Child’s Needs

Lesson 9.2: Navigating SEND Support and EHC Plans

Lesson 9.3: Supporting Brothers and Sisters

Lesson 9.4: Avoiding Carer Burnout

Module 9 Practice Quiz

Module 10: Kinship Care (Topic Module) Choose if you are raising a relative's or friend's child.

Lesson 10.1: Becoming a Kinship Carer

Lesson 10.2: Children’s Feelings About Their Parents

Lesson 10.3: Managing Family Relationships

Lesson 10.4: Support for Kinship Carers

Module 10 Practice Quiz

Module 11: Substance Use in the Family (Topic Module) Choose if alcohol or drug use is affecting your family.

Lesson 11.1: How Substance Use Affects Families

Lesson 11.2: Talking to Children About It

Lesson 11.3: Keeping Children Safe

Lesson 11.4: Finding Specialist Support

Module 11 Practice Quiz

Module 12: Domestic Abuse: Recognising It and Staying Safe (Topic Module) Choose if you are worried about abuse in your home. You can go straight here at any time.

Lesson 12.1: Recognising Domestic Abuse

Lesson 12.2: The Impact on Children

Lesson 12.3: Getting Confidential Help

Lesson 12.4: Safety Planning and Next Steps

Module 12 Practice Quiz

Final Assessment Course reflection and the final assessment on the core modules (pass mark 70%, up to 3 attempts).

Course Evaluation

IFDP Advanced Family Support Programme Final Assessment

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