order to apply for a place on the programme, families need to attend a short information meeting, these are held at Primrose Family Hub in Jarrow and last around 30-45 minutes. At the end of the information meeting families can decide if they would like to apply for a place on a programme and be added to our waiting list. Families only need to attend one information meeting as the content is repeated at each meeting. Once a family is allocated a place, we contact the child’s education setting to see if they can release a staff member to attend the course alongside the family.
EarlyBird, EarlyBird Plus, and Teen Life are parent support programmes, which means families must self-refer rather than be referred by professionals. This approach helps ensure that families are genuinely motivated and fully understand the level of commitment required for the course.
We’ve found that when families sign themselves up, they are more likely to complete the programme. In contrast, referrals often lead to higher dropout rates, which is particularly challenging as all sessions are essential and we’re unable to replace families once the programme has started.
That said, we absolutely encourage professionals to support families who may need extra help with the application process. This could include assistance with form filling, providing a translator, or accompanying them to the information meeting.


