Behaviour Support Hub

📣 Bridgend County – have you had your say yet?

A little reminder that we’re still inviting parent carers and professionals across Bridgend County to complete our surveys.

We want to hear about your experiences, what’s working well, what’s difficult, where there are gaps in support and what could make a real difference to families locally.

Your views will help Behaviour Support Hub understand local need, shape our services and strengthen our work with partners across the area.

👨‍👩‍👧 Parent carers
If you’re a parent carer in Bridgend County, we’d really value your experience.

👉 Parent carer survey:
https://forms.gle/17kdgacV4d3VvZmX8

👩‍💼 Professionals
If you work with children, young people or families across Bridgend County, we’d really value your professional perspective.

👉 Professional survey:
https://forms.gle/ioSvNg9i4iFRNHSu5

📢 Please also share this post.

If you work for or are connected with an organisation supporting children, young people or families in Bridgend County, please share the survey with your colleagues and networks.

Every response helps us build a better picture of local need and understand where support could be strengthened.

Thank you to everyone who has already taken the time to respond.

🍛 We’re doing it again!

Our last Dad’s Link Curry Night was such a success that we’re bringing it back!

It’s a chance to enjoy some good food, have a chat and spend time with other male parent carers in a relaxed and welcoming setting.

Whether you’ve been to Dad’s Link before, came along to our last Curry Night, or you’ve never joined us before – you’re very welcome.

📅 Thursday 22 October
⏰ 6pm–8pm
📍 Stiwdio 37, Pontypridd

There’s no need to know anyone beforehand. Come along, grab some food and meet other dads and male parent carers from across Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Good food. Great chat. Time to connect.

Places are limited, so please get in touch to secure your space.

📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.behavioursupporthub.org.uk

Know a dad or male parent carer who might enjoy this? Please tag them or share this post.

ADHD Awareness Month

What if it’s not that they won’t… but that they can’t?

For many parents and carers, understanding ADHD can change the way we understand a child’s behaviour.

ADHD is about so much more than being unable to sit still or concentrate. It can affect attention, emotions, organisation, routines, time, relationships and everyday tasks.

And ADHD doesn’t look the same in every child.

Some children may be highly active and impulsive. Others may appear quiet, distracted or lost in their own thoughts. Some may mask their difficulties throughout the school day and then come home completely overwhelmed.

Sometimes, what looks like challenging behaviour may be a sign that a child is:

🧠 Overwhelmed
🔄 Struggling with demands or transitions
💬 Finding it difficult to communicate what they need
🌊 Experiencing big emotions
🔋 Using all their energy just to get through the day

There is often a story behind the behaviour that we cannot see.

For families, getting answers can also be a long journey, particularly when a child’s difficulties don’t fit the stereotypes of what ADHD is “supposed” to look like.

This ADHD Awareness Month, we want to open up that conversation.

💬 What do you wish you had understood about ADHD sooner?

💬 What has made a positive difference to your child or family?

💬 What do you think professionals need to understand better?

Share your experiences in the comments. Your voice could help another family feel understood, heard and less alone.

At Behaviour Support Hub, we believe that understanding behaviour starts with understanding the child behind it and listening to the families who know them best.

💬 Sometimes, knowing there’s somewhere to turn can make all the difference.

Our free Parent Carer Peer Support session is taking place this Thursday at Cynon Linc, Aberdare.

📅 Thursday 8 October
⏰ 10am–12pm
📍 Cynon Linc, Seymour Street, Aberdare, CF44 7BD

For parent carers, these sessions offer a friendly, understanding space to meet others who may be facing similar experiences, share what’s going on and access support — with no diagnosis needed and no need to book.

For professionals, this is an opportunity to help the families you work with connect with real peer support and a community that understands.

If you’re a parent carer, you’re welcome.
If you support families, please help us spread the word.

You never know who might need to see this post today.

📲 Please share with a parent, carer, colleague or family you think could benefit.

🌐 www.behavioursupporthub.org.uk
📞 01443 492624
📧 [email protected]

Behind every behaviour is a child trying to communicate something.”

What we see on the outside isn't always what’s happening underneath.

A meltdown might be communication.
A refusal might be overwhelm.
A child withdrawing might be trying to cope with something that feels too much.

For autistic children, behaviour can communicate anxiety, sensory overwhelm, unmet needs, communication difficulties or distress.

It doesn't mean every behaviour is easy to manage.

But sometimes, understanding why something is happening can change how we respond.

Instead of only asking:

“How do we stop this behaviour?”

We can ask:

“What is this behaviour telling us?”

If you’d like to build your understanding of autism and feel more confident supporting your child, our FREE online Understanding Autism Workshop is coming up.

📅 Wednesday 21st October
💻 Online
🆓 FREE for parent carers

At Behaviour Support Hub, we’re here to help families understand, navigate and advocate for their neurodivergent children — with a diagnosis or without.

👉 Find out more and book your place:
https://behavioursupporthub.org.uk/support-for-parent-carers/workshops/

What do you wish you had understood about your child’s behaviour sooner?

Toileting can be more complex for neurodivergent children and young people than it first appears. What looks like refusal or avoidance may actually be linked to sensory discomfort, anxiety, constipation, difficulty noticing body signals or trouble switching tasks.

Before asking “Why won’t they use the toilet?”, it can help to ask “What might be making toileting difficult for them?”

Calm support, small steps and understanding the reason behind the struggle can make a real difference. 💙

Bridgend County, we’re here for parent carers.

Sometimes you don’t need another leaflet, another referral or another appointment.

Sometimes you just need to sit down with someone who gets it.

That’s what our free parent carer peer support sessions are about.

Across Bridgend County, we’re bringing peer support closer to families in Porthcawl, Bryncethin and Bryntirion.

A place to:

☕ Have a cuppa and a chat
💬 Talk about what’s happening at home or school
🧠 Get practical advice and support
🤝 Meet other parent carers who understand
📚 Find out about services and support that may help

No diagnosis. No referral. No booking. Just come along.

📅 Coming up across Bridgend County

PorthcawlYMCA – The Y Centre
📅 Wednesday 14 October 2026

Bryncethin Community Centre
📅 Wednesday 11 November 2026

Bryntirion Community Centre
📅 Wednesday 9 December 2026

Porthcawl YMCA – The Y Centre
📅 Wednesday 13 January 2027

Bryncethin Community Centre
📅 Wednesday 10 February 2027

🕙 All sessions are 10am–12pm

Free to attend • No diagnosis required • No referral needed • No booking required

If you’re a parent or carer of a neurodivergent child or young person, with or without a diagnosis, you’re welcome.

💬 Help us reach the families who need us

Parent carers: Save this post and share it with another parent who might find it useful.

Professionals and organisations: Please share this with the families and parent carers you support.

You never know when a simple share might help someone realise they’re not on their own.

📞 01443 492624
📧 [email protected]
🌐 behavioursupporthub.org.uk

📣 Bridgend County Borough – we want to hear from you!

We’re asking parent carers and professionals working with children, young people and families across Bridgend to take a few minutes to share your views.

We want to understand what families need, what’s working well and where there are gaps in support.

Your feedback will help us to:

💬 Better understand the experiences of local families
🤝 Shape and develop our services
📍 Identify gaps and areas where more support is needed
🔗 Strengthen partnership working with other organisations
💷 Provide evidence of local need to help us secure funding and continue developing our support

👨‍👩‍👧 Are you a parent carer in Bridgend?
Complete the parent carer survey:
👉 https://forms.gle/17kdgacV4d3VvZmX8

👩‍💼 Are you a professional supporting children, young people or families in Bridgend?
Complete the professional survey:
👉 https://forms.gle/ioSvNg9i4iFRNHSu5

Every response helps us build a clearer picture of what families need across Bridgend and helps shape what we do next.

Please complete the relevant survey and share this post with your colleagues, families and networks so we can hear from as many people as possible.

Halfway through our Bridgend project…

“A lifeline of people who help and understand.”

That’s how one parent described our Parent Carer Peer Support, and we think that says it all.

With funding from BAVO, we’re bringing FREE, parent-led peer support into communities across Bridgend County Borough Council area creating welcoming spaces where parents and carers can connect, share experiences and feel understood.

And halfway through the project, we’re already seeing the impact:

✨ 8 activities delivered
💜 30 new participants
🌱 16 people connected with wider BSH support
📍 Porthcawl, Bryncethin & Bryntirion
💬 94% found peer support helpful or extremely helpful.

Our sessions offer a space to talk, listen, share practical ideas and connect with other parents and carers who get it.

No referral. No diagnosis required. Completely FREE.

We’re only halfway there, and there’s lots more to come!

Thank you to BAVO for helping us bring support closer to families.