Wandsworth Parent Toddler Group

The Wandsworth parent-toddler group is aimed at a high-risk clinical group of vulnerable, deprived families (falling within the bottom 10% range of deprivation) who have 1 to 2-year-old children. It is designed to support families experiencing complex difficulties (e.g. due to adverse early life experiences, parental physical or mental health issues, financial or housing problems, isolation) and whose toddler’s normative development in all areas of his/her personality is therefore at risk.​

This therapeutic group is underpinned by child development and psychoanalytic theory. Its broad aims are to strengthen the parent-child attachment relationship through therapeutically supported talk and play, and in turn foster the toddler’s healthy development and emotional well-being, preparing them for nursery school.

This is slow open group delivered in the Wandsworth Enhanced Children Centre. Families typically stay between 12 – 24 months. It is co-facilitated by a qualified therapist and one clinical assistant. The AFNCCF staff receive specialist weekly supervision from the Clinical Lead for the Parent-Toddler Group Service. The Wandsworth CAMHS therapist joins them in a termly specialist group supervision meeting.

Families with high levels of complexity and deprivation - including safeguarding concerns, children with significant developmental delays, families often living in homeless hostels who have 1 to 2-year-old children living in central Wandsworth and its borders and/or are registered with a Wandsworth GP.

The Wandsworth Parent Toddler Group is evaluated using quantitative outcome measure data:

The outcomes measured include:

• Attainment of parental goals

• Child development

• Parent experience Adjustment to nursery

Katja Simoncelli (Early Years Therapist), Alex Tsefos (assistant psychologist) with an early years Wandsworth CAMHS therapist.

To find out more about the Wandsworth Parent Toddler Group, or how to make a referral, get in touch at EarlyYears@annafreud.org.