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.

This programme is an online resource for lone parents who have recently returned to work or are about to return to work.

You will find various kinds of support materials on this course like videos, pictures, infographics and links to other websites that have up-to-date information in your country. Most of the units contain “how-to” advice and links to useful resources. They also contain examples of scenarios you might face as a working lone parent and case studies showing how other lone parents have succeeded in work. The modules are divided into small units that you can complete in less than 20 minutes each.

The whole programme should take no longer than 5 hours to complete, including all the external content.

But keep in mind that this is reference tool for your convenience. It is up to you how much you wish to complete the programme and you can refer back to it at any time that is convenient for you.

This programme is delivered completely online. It has been designed to be convenient and time-efficient so you can access what you need from anywhere at any time, and then get on with your day. This programme is interactive in that it allows you to keep track of your progress, and there are some quizzes to keep things interesting and recap on what you’ve learned.

New Futures - Work Life Balance
A parent’s guide to work-life balance when returning to work
Module 1 Welcome!
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