KidsTime Workshops provide a fun, safe and supportive environment where families affected by mental ill-health can come together to learn about mental health and support each other.
Why was this project started?
Started by Our Time, KidsTime Workshops are designed to help children living with a parent with a mental health problem.
The workshops use creative activities, drama and discussion to address children’s lack of knowledge and confusion about mental health problems and to encourage communication between parents and children. The workshops also provide a space for parents to socialise with and support each other.
Who does it help?
KidsTime Workshops help children living with a parent with a mental health problem improve their resilience and ability to protect their own mental health. Parents are supported to discuss mental health with their children and become part of a community with others in a similar situation.
What does it hope to achieve?
We partnered with Our Time and the London Borough of Southwark to pilot a two-year, 12-session model of KidsTime Workshops in Southwark.
The plan for this project was to discover whether a 12-session version of KidsTime Workshops improved child and family outcomes and how the project could be more widely scaled.
Prevention is at the heart of what we do at the Mental Health Foundation. Research shows that children who live with a parent with a mental health problem are at risk of developing mental health problems themselves. KidsTime Workshops aim to reduce the risk of developing mental health problems, build resilience and improve family relationships.
When and where does it take place?
We planned for nine KidsTime Workshops to take place for residents of Southwark over the course of two years, starting in October 2020. The groups were to take place fortnightly, after school.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the first three groups were run online to ensure we can provide a safe and reliable space for families. Families who need support with digital access are equipped with tablets and data, and pizza is sent to the door of all participants after the workshop.
Our Time Ambassadors, Kirsty and Chineye, attended KidsTime Workshops with their parents when they were children.
In this short video, they talk about their experience of the workshops and how the workshops helped them.
Funders and partners
KidsTime Southwark is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. Our partners are Our Time and the London Borough of Southwark.
If you would like to find out more about this programme, please [email protected] .
KidsTime Southwark evaluation
Related content
Programmes for families, children and young people
Parental mental health problems, if untreated, can affect the long-term well-being of both parents and children.
A-Z Topic: Parenting and mental health
Being a parent with a mental illness can be hard. But with the right support, you can be a good parent while managing your mental health.
A-Z Topic: Children and young people
Mental health problems affect around one in six children. They include depression, anxiety and conduct disorder (a type of behavioural problem), and are often a direct response to what is happening in their lives.
Children and young people: statistics
We take a life-course approach to mental health because good mental health begins in infancy. 20% of adolescents may experience a mental health problem in any given year.