Does Your Child Display Challenging Behaviour? Help is At Hand

Published on: 23 Mar, 2025
Updated on: 23 Mar, 2025

By Esme Campbell

A new service in Surrey offers support to parents and carers who are finding it difficult to manage challenging behaviour in their children.

The Surrey Paediatric Parenting Support Service (SPPSS) provides both face-to-face and online help for families with little ones aged 0-5.

The service, made possible with funding from the Mental Health Investment Fund, is designed to aid parents and carers who may be wondering if their child is neurodivergent – showing traits of autism or ADHD, for example. A diagnosis is not needed to use the service.

SPPSS offers families guidance on supporting their child at home and in childcare settings. It delivers workshops and groups to help parents and carers understand their child’s development, learn about emotional regulation and explore strategies for managing behaviour, emotions and routines.

Practitioners work closely with families to provide these tools and strategies, aiming to make their day-to-day lives smoother and help children feel safe, happy, and healthy.

Cllr Mark Nuti, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing and Public Health, said: “It’s great to see that funding from the Mental Health Investment Fund is helping families in a flexible way that suits them and improves their day-to-day life when they can feel overwhelmed.”

After filling out the referral form, parents and carers can discuss what kind of support they need through a ‘discovery call.’ From there, they can join an online or in-person group at one of the eight Barnardo’s family centres across Surrey.

Dr Charlotte Canniff, Joint Chief Medical Officer for Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership, said: “Thanks to funding from the Mental Health Investment Fund, this fantastic new service is empowering families across Surrey with the tools and confidence they need to help their children thrive.”