New Futures – Work Life Balance
A parent’s guide to work-life balance when returning to work
Balancing working-life with home-life as a single parent can be a challenge. It involves a multitude of skills and decisions about how to manage your hours around your children’s needs while still fulfilling your own life and work goals and future aspirations.
Work-life balance can mean different things to different people. This programme will provide access to helpful advice, information and resources to support you with areas such as:
- Questions to ask around finding good quality and suitable childcare
- Budgeting Skills and entitlements when in work
- Talking with your manager to help you both get what you need
- Creating networks to help find the support you need
- …and much more.
We hope that these resources will support you with the information that you need to help you to achieve the work-life balance that suits you and your family.
New Futures - Work Life Balance
A parent’s guide to work-life balance when returning to work
Module 1 | Welcome! | |
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How to work with the course. | ||
Unit 1 | Unit 1 - Getting started | |
Module 2 | Work Life Balance and how to make it work for you | |
The aim of this module is to help single parents examine what work-life balance is, and most importantly, what it means to them. This module examines what work-life balance is, and outlines the positive impact work can have on your life. It also explores strategies and advice on how to make the most of your working life with flexible working hours. | ||
Unit 1 | Unit 1 - Introduction to Work Life Balance and how to make it work for you | |
Unit 2 | Unit 2 - What is Work Life Balance? | |
Unit 3 | Unit 3 - Returning to work and the benefits of work family balance | |
Unit 4 | Unit 4 - The Positive Impact Of Work For You And Your Family | |
Unit 5 | Unit 5 - Flexible Working Hours & Top Tips | |
Unit 6 | Unit 6 - Top tips | |
Module 3 | Balancing work and childcare options | |
This module will explore the advantages and disadvantages of each type of childcare so you can have informed choices as to what best suits each individual and their own circumstances. The module will also look at the financial implications and what support might be available for our preferred childcare options. It is important to choose childcare that is going to instill confidence in single parents and which will meet the child’s needs as well as our own needs and that we are happy to leave our child with whichever choice we make. | ||
Unit 1 | Unit 1 - Introduction to Balancing work and childcare options | |
Unit 2 | Unit 2 - Finding the Right Childcare for You | |
Unit 3 | Unit 3 - Childcare, things to consider | |
Unit 4 | Unit 4 - Older Children and Children with Additional Needs | |
Unit 5 | Unit 5 - Childcare and your employer | |
Unit 6 | Unit 6 - Financing your childcare | |
Module 4 | Family finances and how to make work pay | |
Being in work can allow you to have a better standard of living, give you more financial choices and gain better control of your family finances. This module is aimed at helping you reevaluate your family budget, and help you access financial help that may be available to you. | ||
Unit 1 | Unit 1 - Introduction to Family finances and how to make work pay | |
Unit 2 | Unit 2 - Creating a budget | |
Unit 3 | Unit 3 - Managing & Avoiding Debt | |
Unit 4 | Unit 4 - Saving Money | |
Unit 5 | Unit 5 - Financial Supports | |
Module 5 | Communication | |
This module explores different types of communication and how we can communicate in an assertive manner. You will explore how to communicate effectively while still maintaining good boundaries, and how to speak with your manager when you need support of if there is an issue. | ||
Unit 1 | Unit 1 - Introduction to Communication | |
Unit 2 | Unit 2 - Effective communication | |
Unit 3 | Unit 3 - Assertiveness (optional) | |
Unit 4 | Unit 4 - How To Communicate At Work | |
Unit 5 | Unit 5 - Listening | |
Unit 6 | Unit 6 - Non -Verbal Communication | |
Unit 7 | Unit 7 - Barriers | |
Unit 8 | Unit 8 - Why Have Boundaries in the Workplace? | |
Unit 9 | Unit 9 - How to speak to an employer if there is an issue | |
Module 6 | Transferable skills and how to make them count | |
This module will help you identify your transferable skills, and explore why it is important to acknowledge and articulate them. You will also find a quiz on how to match your skills to your work. | ||
Unit 1 | Unit 1 - Introduction to Transferable skills and how to make them count | |
Unit 2 | Unit 2 - Key transferrable skills | |
Unit 3 | Unit 3 - Acknowledge and Articulate Your Skills | |
Unit 4 | Unit 4 - Matching Your Skills to a Workplace | |
Module 7 | Legislation and Your Rights in the Workplace | |
This module contains lots of information about your rights in the workplace. You will find links to organisations that provide information and support to parents who are in work. | ||
Unit 1 | Unit 1 - Introduction to Legislation and Your Rights in the Workplace | |
Unit 2 | Unit 2 - Rights and Responsibilities | |
Unit 3 | Unit 3 - Maternity, Paternity & Parental Leave | |
Unit 4 | Unit 4 - Taking time Off | |
Unit 5 | Unit 5 - Flexible Hours – Reducing hours, family friendly working hours | |
Unit 6 | Unit 6 - Discrimination in the workplace | |
Unit 7 | Unit 7 - Discrimination in the workplace - Resources | |
Module 8 | Supports for Working Single Parents | |
This module contains information on what kinds of supports are available to you in your country. You will explore the different kinds of supports available in your workplace, and find links to online supports for parents. | ||
Unit 1 | Unit 1 - Introduction to Supports for Working Single Parents | |
Unit 2 | Unit 2 - Support from your employer | |
Unit 3 | Unit 3- Online support – (Forums & Social Media) | |
Unit 4 | Unit 4 - The value of developing your networks | |
Unit 5 | Unit 5 - Peer Mentoring | |
Unit 6 | Unit 6 - Progression / Opportunities in the Workplace (OPTIONAL) | |
Unit 7 | Unit 7 - Thank you for taking part in this Programme - Final Thoughts |