Whether you’re still trying to understand what your child needs, or you already know and are looking for the right support, reaching out and making connections can help you feel less alone, more informed, and more confident about what comes next.
This page sets out the different ways we can support you, what that support looks like in practice, and how you can access it or get involved with our work.
You don’t need a diagnosis to get free help from us.
Every family’s journey is different, and there’s no single right way to connect with Bristol Parent Carers. You might be here because you’re looking for support, because you want to share what life is really like for your family, or because you want to help improve services for parent carers across Bristol.
Wherever you are right now, you’re welcome here. Your experiences matter, and you don’t need a diagnosis, a label, or the “right words” to take part.
Below, you’ll find different ways to get support, share your views, or get involved. You can start wherever feels most helpful for you.
Being a parent carer of a child who needs extra support can feel isolating, especially when you’re navigating complex systems, waiting for assessments, or feeling unsure where to turn.
Our parent to parent spaces connect you with people who genuinely understand. They’re a safe, welcoming place to talk things through, share practical ideas, feel listened to without judgement and build confidence, reducing isolation along the way.
We support families of children and young people aged 0–25 with any type of need, including families with identified or complex needs, and those who are undiagnosed or on waiting lists.
You can join one of our sessions and speak in a group or have a one-to-one conversation. You can also contact us through our phone line. Children and young people are also welcome to attend our sessions.
We can provide translation support if English is not your first language and we can also cover the cost of your bus fare. Please keep your ticket and let us know in advance that you will need a refund by sending us a text or email.
Prefer to ask a question first? Contact us.
North Bristol, BS10
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South Bristol, BS4
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East Bristol, BS16
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PINS schools, location varies
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Online sessions, Zoom
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School-based sessions, locations vary
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We work with trusted practitioners to provide free, accessible information sessions for families. These sessions help families better understand topics such as SEND processes and support pathways, Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), wellbeing and mental health, autism, sensory needs, supporting behaviour, and much more.
Sessions are practical, inclusive and grounded in real-life experiences, and they’re shaped by what families ask for. We can offer support for those who have English as an additional language, and some sessions are recorded.
Our events bring together a range of contributors and organisations across Bristol. By attending, families can gain strategies and resources to support their child’s educational, emotional and practical needs, and ask questions directly and get answers there and then.
If you need support to access these events, please get in touch. We’ll do our best to make any adjustments and offer translation support. Where families need financial support to attend, we can refund bus fares.
Prefer to ask a question first? Contact us.
Talking and listening to families is central to our work. Through our Let’s Talk sessions, surveys, questions at the point of booking into practitioner led sessions, and one-to-one conversations, we create opportunities for families to share what’s working well and where things are difficult.
This helps services build a clearer understanding of what everyday life is like for families in Bristol. All voices matter, including those who may feel unheard, marginalised, or unsure whether their experience “counts”.
Our Parent Voice Team gathers anonymous feedback, and our Peer Support Team shares themes (never names or identifiable details). We pass these themes to decision-makers across education, health, social care and the voluntary sector; celebrating what works, raising concerns, and pushing for practical fixes so families can get the right help at the right time.
This service offers free, short-term support for parent carers of children aged 5–10 who are experiencing mild to moderate mental health challenges. Delivered by trained Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners (CWPs), this service focuses on supporting families with practical tools and strategies to support their child’s emotional wellbeing.
The service is grounded in the nationally recognised Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme, which ensures all interventions are evidence-based and aligned with NICE guidelines. CWPs are trained in low-intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and parenting models such as Social Learning Theory approaches proven to support positive family outcomes.
This is a short-term, low-intensity intervention delivered flexibly over 6 to 12 sessions. It’s designed to support parents and carers of children experiencing mild to moderate mental health challenges. Children with more complex or high-intensity needs may fall outside the scope of this service. Each referral is assessed individually based on severity and complexity. If this service isn’t the right fit, we’ll help identify alternative support or signpost you to more appropriate services.
What to expect:
CWPs can support a range of issues, including low mood, anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, and sleep problems. In some cases, they may also help with emotional regulation, OCD, low-risk self-harm, and concerning behaviour. If a child’s needs are more complex or high-risk, the team will help signpost to more appropriate services.
This service is open to self-referrals and is designed to be accessible, supportive, and empowering, helping you feel more confident and equipped to support your child’s wellbeing.
We work closely with Murmuration Community Therapy to deliver monthly peer support for parent carers of medically complex and/or disabled children.
Navigation and Nurture reflects the realities of navigating health services while nurturing your child, your family, and yourself. It’s a regular space for practical and moral support for parent carers whose children have medical care requirements and/or a possible life-long disability.
For example, this might include learning/intellectual disabilities, mobility limitations, Down’s syndrome, a rare chromosome disorder or epilepsy (to name just a few). If you’re unsure whether this group is right for your family, please get in touch.
The group predominantly focuses on parent carers of children aged 0–5 years who are new to being the parent of a disabled child. Many families with older disabled children may still be learning how to navigate the system too - please come along if you feel this space could be helpful.
Also available: Finding Your Way — a powerful short book for families (and a useful window into lived experience for practitioners). You can request a copy and view it online in the dropdown below.
Finding Your Way is a deeply powerful and beautifully written personal reflection on parenting a child with medically complex needs. Through honest storytelling and gentle insight, it captures the emotional and practical realities faced by families stepping into a world of hospitals, diagnoses, uncertainty and unwavering love.
This guide offers comfort, connection, and solidarity to those just beginning this journey, and a valuable window into lived experience for practitioners. Families can order a free copy through Bristol Parent Carers, and practitioners can access copies for a small charge.
A huge thank you to the author for sharing something so personal. Putting language to experiences shaped by fear, heartbreak, resilience, hope and happiness takes extraordinary strength — and we know these words will stay with everyone who reads them.
Whether you’re a parent feeling lost in the system, or a professional wanting to better understand the families you support, this is a must read.
Or scroll down to view the online version and use the view options to view in full-screen.
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