what people say about our work...

‘So many people who are attempting to cope with family separation and conflict need help. The Centre for Separated Families offers a wide ranging, imaginative series of programmes, run by people who have just the right kind of experience.'

Professor Judy Dunn - London Institute of Psychiatry

'Because the Centre has been working for some time to support co-operative and collaborative parenting post separation, their knowledge, experience and expertise is invaluable to Child Maintenance Options.'

Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission

‘Working with young children means that we are often the first to spot the signs of distress that family separation brings. Training from the Centre for Separated Families offered us the insight we need to understand how mothers and fathers are affected differently by separation and how to work with those differences to support the family as a whole.'

Heather Jones - Children's Centre, Hackney

‘Stereotyping about parental roles can mean that men's different needs and experiences are overlooked when support services are designed. The Centre [for Separated Families] worked with Oxfam to look at their own structures as well as the different needs of men and women using their services. The results of the analysis were used to make a number of changes. Benefits to the Centre included better take-up of services by men (from 2% to 19%), identifying the legal barriers to men taking caring responsibilities, and understanding the specific needs of young fathers.'

Equal Opportunities Commission

[Examples of Good Practice to accompany the introduction of the Gender Equality Duty]

‘Thank you for your training, delivered in a straightforward and easy to understand way. I know that my colleagues were impressed by your delivery and obvious understanding of what is an extremely difficult area to work in.'

District Judge Cliffe - Judicial Studies Board

‘When we separated I thought I would never be able to speak to her again, I was so hurt and so angry. When I spent time working through these things at the Centre for Separated Families I felt differently. Here are people who understand my hurt and want to help. Being a 'non-resident' dad is difficult, there are so many problems to overcome, but I am getting there and rebuilding my life and relationship with my children.'

Jack - dad to Eleri aged 3 and Zak aged 7

‘My ex was never going to be the easiest person to try and work out a long term plan for parenting with because he is so unable to make arrangements and stick to them. I wasn't particularly hopeful when I went to the Centre for Separated Families but I was really surprised at how much we each changed as a result of their help. It's still a bit of an uphill struggle sometimes but the kids see him regularly and we have managed to get the finances sorted without too much argument. We talk regularly now about the kids and they seem much happier now as a result.'

Janie - mum to Sinead aged 4 and Rosie aged 6

‘Sometimes my mum and dad talk about me on the phone and what I have done at school and if there is anything they need to worry about. That makes me feel OK because it feels like they both still love me.'

Corey - aged 10 after his mum and dad had completed the Children in Focus Course