Group Support
Group Support
Space for new parents to listen, share and learn.
Once an employee is back at work after parental leave, it might look to everyone else as though they’ve just slotted back in and never been away. But for the new parent, it can feel very different and might take a while to adjust, even if they’re not showing it.
Depending on the size of your company and the number of employees you have taking parental leave, offering group support for the months after returning to work can be a valuable addition to your wellbeing strategy.
What's happening?
It can take several months for new parents to feel being back at work feels ‘normal’ again. And while it doesn’t it can be an unsettling time. Your employees might be:
- Struggling with emotions but trying to keep their ‘work’ face on as they’re not sure how it will be perceived if they admit how they’re really feeling.
- Feeling as though they’ve returned to work as a slightly different person to who they were before and they feel isolated and uncertain about how to fit back in.
- Wanting to make good career progression but unsure how to go about it when they’re juggling so much.
Instead, we want your employees returning to work after parental leave:
- Feeling settled and confident once they’ve returned to work.
- Knowing they have somewhere they can express how they really feel amongst other parents who are likely going through similar emotions and challenges.
- Not feeling so alone with everything.
- Getting to know other parents at different stages of their return to work, learning from them and also offering support in return.
- Realising that they can and do still fit in.
- Feeling inspired by others who have been in a similar situation progress with their career and therefore seeing it’s possible for them too.
How can group support help?
Community
Spending time with and talking to others who are in or who have been in the same situation helps to feel a sense of belonging. The group can support and learn from each other following their return to work.
Learning
Seeing how others just a few months on from them in their return to work have overcome obstacles can be helpful and inspiring. Additionally, getting to the point where they are in a position to offer support and guidance to others highlights how far they’ve come themselves.
Time
Having a regular monthly session gives employees the chance to discuss and work through the challenges they’re facing after returning to work rather than just carrying on without dealing with them.
Pregnancy, parental leave and those first few months of returning to work last for a relatively short time in an individual’s career. But it can feel a vulnerable time and how well new parents are supported during it can have a deep and long-lasting impact that will be remembered.
Investing in group support gives your employees an important support framework and demonstrates they are valued by the company which can them return to work successfully, resulting in better retainment, engagement and productivity.
You can book a free call below to discuss further or send me an email to rose@youbeyondbaby.com.
This is for you if:
- You understand that support for employees returning to work needs to be ongoing as it takes time to settle back into the workplace after parental leave.
- You want to help your employees feel a sense of belonging and build a support network.
- You realise that sessions which are facilitated by someone external allows employees feel more able to talk openly.
How it works
We schedule a regular time each month for anyone in the first year (or longer if they feel it would be useful) of their return to work to attend on a drop-in basis.
At the beginning of each session I find out what would be most useful for the group to discuss and help work through what comes up.
The format can be a mixture of coaching style questioning, listening, sharing and learning from others.
Sessions can take place online, in person or a hybrid.
Investment is from £250.
You can book a free call below to discuss further or send me an email to rose@youbeyondbaby.com.
About Rose
I worked in HR before having children, and my experience of this as well as maternity leave really inspired the direction of my business. Additionally, talking and listening to other parents and their stories of parental leave made me realise that there is a real need for better and greater quality support for parents during this time.
I started my Diploma in Professional Coaching Practice after I had my first baby and saw in myself and others the powerful impact coaching can have. This was the starting point for my business. I began to notice in the parents I spoke to that the support (or lack of) from managers had an important part to play in how they felt about returning to work and so developed the Manager Awareness Training.
I strongly believe that expectant and new parents can and should feel better about how they return to work and I think coaching and / or training (depending on the circumstance) can be hugely beneficial to this.
Testimonials
Alex