Help for Dorset families to argue better

Families in Dorset are being offered free relationship therapy through a funded project aimed at improving parental communication.   

The SIPCo (Support for Inter-Parental Communication) project is offering free relationship therapy to parents in the Dorset Council area who have children of any age up to 18 (25 for young people with special education needs and disabilities).   

Through support from the local team, the project will help partners and coparents learn coping techniques to communicate and argue in a better way.   

One participant in Dorset said: “I was sceptical about it at first but gave it a go and it turned out to be brilliant. I can’t recommend it enough. It really helped us reconnect and see where the other person was coming from.”   

Cllr. Claire Sutton, Dorset Council Cabinet Member for Children Services, Education and Skills said: “Arguments are a part of normal family life, but we know that children struggle to thrive in a home where their parents or carers are arguing all the time or where the conflict is never resolved. 

“So I am pleased that we are offering this help to families in Dorset who are struggling to communicate well with each other. 

“The family does not need to be involved with children’s services to take part in the programme so I would encourage any parents, or their partners, who are experiencing parental conflict challenges to reach out to the team to find out more.”   

The SIPCo Project is running for a limited time and will end next April 2026.    

Find out more about the SIPCo Project and taking part.