HELP is at hand for parents struggling to bring up children - and the mums and dads of the future.

Tuesday saw the launch of a new Wigan and Leigh Parenting Forum to promote high standards of care in families.

It was announced at two social services department conferences, and follows professionals working with mums and dads in the borough to improve the way support is given to parents.

The forum will ensure that parents know what back up is available, and train those who work alongside them.

The afternoon session championed modern thinking on work among families, when professionals tried to work out problems and important decisions in equal partnership with a family, rather than arriving at preconceived notions or answers.

The programme also described the work of the multi-agency Wigan Refocusing Task Groups, and introduced two new initiatives.

Family Group meetings are a new way of helping familes approach problems and important decisions.

Familes are encouraged to sit down with their children to talk through the future.

An independent worker will be present to help the family make an informed and positive decision on their own.

A new set of "Guidelines for Working in Partnership with Families" was also announced. This has been written for professionals with the help of parents.

The guidelines set out clearly how it sometimes feels condescending or intimidating to be on the receiving end of professional support.

Planning officer Caroline Babb said: "The quality of parenting in any society is vital to its future wellbeing. Today's children are the parents of the future and if they have been brought up by parents who found it difficult to cope, they may themselves find parenting a difficult task.

"Only by refocusing how we work in partnership with parents at an early stage can we start to break this downward spiral.

"We want to encourage all professionals in this field to emphasis the 'us' rather than the 'us and them' attitude.

"It is important that all agencies should work in partnership with each other."

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