Directory of courses for separated parents

Courts, Cafcass, mediators and family lawyers regularly encourage parents to engage with parenting programmes following separation or divorce. However, there has historically been no central, independent resource enabling professionals to identify what programmes are available, what they offer, what they cost, and whether they meet recognised standards. SPPD provides a practical solution to fill the gap—a national directory of quality-assured separated parenting programmes.

Yasmin Khan-Gunns, senior associate, Keystone Law and trustee of SPPD, said the directory gives professionals a ‘single, trusted resource’ they can rely on when supporting families through separation.

Parenting programmes come in a variety of shapes and forms, both online and in-person, in groups or one-to-one, short courses, support sessions or longer courses and can be either facilitator-led or self-guided with expert guidance on hand. They offer parents practical tools, fresh perspectives and a neutral space where they can work out how best to focus on their children’s wellbeing. Crucially, each one featured in the directory must adhere to a set of standards governing quality and safe practice.

James Evans, head of strategic growth at Nova Law and trustee of SPPD, said: ‘Too often there has been uncertainty about what support is available and whether it meets consistent standards. SPPD is a genuinely practical step forward. Ultimately, this is about improving outcomes for children by reducing conflict and helping families navigate separation in a more informed, supported way.’

The charity, which launched in December 2025, aims to support early, non-court intervention by enabling professionals to signpost parents to appropriate programmes without endorsing individual providers. It aims to promote conflict-reduction and child-focused approaches within or outside of litigation, and to improve quality, consistency and transparency around parenting programme provision.

Heather Rutherford, founder of The Parenting Partnership, said: ‘The directory brings together a broad range of quality assured programmes, making it easier for parents to access the right support at the right time and helping them keep their children's wellbeing at the heart of all their choices and decisions, during separation and in the years that follow.’