So often, we meet families who tell us that finding employment seems like the biggest challenge there is.  Either the hours don’t work, there is little flexibility or we can’t find the child care we need.  Being a working parent is possibly one of the biggest challenges many of us face.

We are doing some work to look at the challenges facing parents who are in employment and parents who would like to find employment.  We want to know, from you, what works and what doesn’t.

Parents in Employment

Are you employed?  Maybe you’ve decided to be self-employed.

What works for you?  What makes it easier to stay in employment?  What would make it easier for you to stay working?  What are the challenges you face, what makes it more difficult?  Could those challenges be overcome by an employer?  Could those difficulties be overcome by support from the Government?  Why did you choose to be self-employed?  How do you make being a working parent work?

If you are in employment, perhaps you have a few tips, ideas or experiences to share with families who are trying to find employment

Parents who would like to find employment?

Would you like to find employment but it’s proving a challenge?  Do you keep putting it off as you don’t have the emotional or physical capacity at the moment to face rejection?  Do you think you perhaps don’t have the skills anymore after being out of work for so long?  Do you worry about who would be there for your child if there was an incident?

What stops you from being in employment?  What do you need to happen to help you become a working parent?

How to share your thoughts and views

We are giving you two different ways to get involved.  We know no one method works for everyone but hopefully having a choice will help.  Your views and knowledge are so important, they could really help another family.  They could also help to inform the Government about the changes that need to be made.

Facebook Live:

We will be running two Facebook Live chats.  One for parents who are in employment and one for those who are not but would like to be.

If you click on the images below, it will take you through to the Facebook events so you can register interest and be reminded that they are about to happen.

Survey time:

Some of us love them, some of us hate them.  As parents ourselves, we know how often surveys land in our laps.  However, we know that our Facebook Live Chats may not be at a time that works for you but we still want to know what your views are.

We promise that any top tips and advice will be shared with you.
Create your own user feedback survey

If you prefer to go direct to the site to complete the survey (sometimes easier on your phone) then click here

We really hope you can join us or have five minutes to share your views via the survey.  Your views are so important to us and other families may really benefit from your experiences.

Debs Aspland

Mum to three great kids, each with a different SEN.
Transplanted from the NW to the SE.
Co-founder and Director of Bringing Us Together