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Parents Plus ADHD Facilitator Training with The Changing Lives Initiative
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Parents Plus ADHD Facilitator Training with The Changing Lives Initiative

In this article, Parents Plus ADHD Project Lead Lisa Whitlock reflects on our recent in-person training with The Changing Lives Initiative: Flourish and Thrive, a new North-South partnership project in Ireland, funded through the EU PEACEPLUS programme until December 2028. Parents Plus will play a major part in the Changing Lives Initiative plan to deliver evidence-based parent programmes to at least 1,600 Irish parents/carers over the next 3.5 years.

 

It was a privilege to deliver the Parents Plus ADHD Facilitator Training as part of The Changing Lives Initiative: Flourish and Thrive in Dundalk at the end of May 2025. Changing Lives is an early intervention project supporting families whose child has Autism or ADHD-consistent behaviours. This exciting new project, recently awarded 3.5 years of EU funding, is set to make a meaningful impact by offering a range of evidence-based parenting programmes to families of children aged 2 to 12, whether or not they have a neurodivergent diagnosis. At its heart, the initiative embraces a neuro-affirming approach to childhood experiences, which aligns fully with the ethos of Parents Plus ADHD Programme.

Over three days, I had the pleasure of introducing the Parents Plus ADHD Programme to 18 dedicated, compassionate facilitators and their managers from the two delivery organisations in the Changing Lives partnership, Archways and Colin Neighbourhood Partnership, coming together in Dundalk.

What stood out most was the team’s unwavering curiosity and commitment. Their energy, thoughtful questions, and willingness to engage deeply with the material made for a dynamic learning environment. We stepped into the shoes of parents, then shifted perspectives to our professional roles—reflecting, analysing, and refining our facilitation skills. This created an atmosphere where we could imagine supporting parents in building calmer, more connected relationships with children. The Parents Plus approach moves away from an expert perspective and instead embraces collaboration, curiosity, and compassion — qualities that lie at the heart of effective facilitation.

The feedback from participants was insightful and affirming. Many highlighted the value of:

  • Practical strategies they could immediately apply in real-time group settings.
  • The emphasis on self-compassion and self-care, which resonated deeply, especially for those with lived experience as family carers.
  • Reframing techniques and the core competencies that underpin effective delivery.
  • The importance of modelling facilitation and creating a safe, supportive group space.

When asked about their next steps, responses ranged from “I’m good to go” to “I want to take time to reflect and revise the materials.” Parents Plus offers a range of post training supports through supervision, accreditation, and facilitation development, to all trained practitioners and their managers ensuring good quality implementation, capacity building and evaluation of the PP-ADHD programmes. Participants appreciated knowing that supervision and guidance from Parents Plus would be available as they begin facilitating. One participant summed it up well:

I really love and believe in the values and principles of the programme — I just want to be able to do it justice.

To support the delivery of the PP-ADHD programme by these newly trained facilitators, a rigorous research and evaluation programme is being led by the third Changing Lives Initiative partner, Dundalk Institute of Technology, and will provide important evaluation data on the impact of Parents Plus to families, as well as the other programmes being delivered.

As I left Dundalk after three days of training, I felt inspired and hopeful. This team is poised to make a real difference in the lives of families, and Parents Plus is delighted to support them on this journey.