For professionals in Dorset

Please read our referral criteria here before completing a referral.

If you are unsure whether you fulfil the criteria or would like more information, please contact us.

(The term “parent” is also used here for extended family members who have responsibility for a child, foster carers and adoptive parents.)

The family/child

• The child is registered with a Dorset GP.
• The child is aged between 3 and 11 years (or has a developmental age in this range)
• The parent/s have direct contact with their child for more than 7 hours a week
• The child is at risk of developing oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) or conduct disorder; or has a diagnosis of ODD, conduct disorder – this is defined by negative and disruptive behaviour, particularly towards authority figures, such as parents and teachers.
• The parent/s is seeking information about how to manage their child’s behaviour
• An initial assessment has been made and the problem behaviour and family context is such that the provision of advice and some minimal skills training is likely to be inadequate

For referral to group programme the following should be considered

• The referral has already been discussed with the parent/s and they have committed to attend and complete the whole programme (between 8 and 15 weeks depending on programme)
• The parent/s are not suffering from mental illness to the extent that they would be unable to complete the programme
• The parent/s are not abusing substances/alcohol to the extent that they would be unable to complete the programme
• The family situation is reasonably stable e.g. the parent/s are not in the process of separating or divorcing, the child is not about to be removed from home, ongoing court proceedings
• Priority will be given to parents who have not previously attended a parenting programme

You can download our referral criteria in full below before completing a referral:

Programme Criteria Download

If you are unsure whether the family meets the guidelines or would like more information, please contact us.

Guidelines for Referrers

Questions to ask yourself when considering referral for Children at Risk of Developing Conduct Disorder:

1: Are these symptoms present at these ages?

Aged 2-4

Tantrums are significant if (the more of these are true the higher the risk):

• they happen daily
• regularly last more than 5 minutes
• include being aggressive and breaking things during tantrum
• happen out of the blue
• happen with non parental adult
• tend not to resolve unless an adult intervenes
• Aggression to people and animals
• Developmental delay especially with speech and language

Aged 5-6

• Tantrums as above
• Aggression to people and animals
• Lack of remorse in child
• Delay in Speech development
• Peer rejection

Aged 7-12 years

• Tantrums as above
• Aggression to people and animals
• Lack of remorse in child
• Little reaction to punishment
• Refusal to accept blame
• Poor educational performance – particular link with specific reading difficulties
• Peer rejection
  

2: Are these risk factors present?

There is no single risk factor involved or indicated with CD development, but rather the more risk factors the child is exposed to the greater the odds of poor outcomes.

Family/ school factors:-

• Parental mental ill health
• parent drug or substance misuse
• Generational unemployment
• Family history of trouble with the police
• Low income
• Rigid punitive parenting/teaching style
• Inconsistent parenting/teaching style

Aged 5-12 years

• Poor home school connections
• Peer relations not monitored
  

3: Does the family want a referral?

You can download our guidelines in full below before completing a referral:

Guidelines for Referrers Download

If you are unsure whether the family meets the guidelines or would like more information, please contact us.

Action for Children Dorset Parenting Support Service offers local professionals the opportunity to observe the 'Incredible Years' Programmes

This enables professionals to experience being in a group and have a clearer understanding of the group process as well as seeing and enjoying the parents’ journey. The experience can enhance both professional development and the support you can offer to parents. If you are interested in being an observer please email [email protected].

Please note that you have to commit to attending the whole programme (12 – 15 weeks)

‘Incredible Years' parent programmes focus on strengthening parent-child interactions and attachment, reducing harsh discipline and fostering parents' ability to promote children's social, emotional, and language development.

Details of official facilitator training for professionals in the ‘Incredible Years’ parent programmes can be found on the Incredible Years Website. The training enables professionals to deliver the parenting programmes with appropriately aged children (after purchasing the resources), but will not enable you to train other professionals. 

If you are already trained in the Incredible Years programmes and work for an agency who may be interested in co-leading with us please contact [email protected].

• Young people known to have committed serious, violent or sexual crimes.
• Young people who are at the time of referral under the influence of alcohol, drugs or solvents, or cannot abstain from alcohol and drugs while staying with Nightstop.
• Young people who exhibit concerning anti-social behaviour (you as referrer should assess your client’s suitability, i.e. are they likely to be abusive to the host and/or damage property in their current situation).
• Young people who need to provide a bail address to police.