Posts by Stuart Valentine
Children, Contact and Lockdown
After a year like no other, it is more important than ever that children are supported to keep in touch with both parents after separation, when it is safe and possible for them to do so, says Stuart Valentine, Chief Executive of Relationships Scotland Bringing up children, as all parents will know, can be highly challenging.…
Read MoreResearch warns of “post-lockdown relationship reckoning”
More than one in eight people surveyed who currently live with their partner (12%) is having relationship doubts after staying at home– rising to one in five (21%) for 25-34 year olds. Almost a quarter of those surveyed who have a partner (23%) say the current circumstances are placing pressure on their relationship. 27% of…
Read MoreHow You and Your Partner Can Survive the Lockdown – originally appeared in the Herald on Sunday 19 April
Living together for 24 hours each day can be tough, but with a little care and a lot of kindness, relationships can blossom through the crisis. Few of us expected a few short weeks ago that we were suddenly about to begin a whole new relationship, with our current partners! But for many, that might…
Read MoreStrong Relationships Will See Us Through
My son loves playing the guitar, and his band of choice at the moment is Queen. Whilst only 12 years old, he’s more or less mastered the guitar solo from Bohemian Rhapsody and he was looking forward to playing it at the school talent contest at the end of term. He took the news of…
Read MoreFor the Sake of the Kids
Children should be supported to keep in touch with both parents after separation, whenever it is safe and possible for them to do so, says Stuart Valentine, Chief Executive of Relationships Scotland (This article originally appeared in the Scotsman) Bringing up children is one of the toughest challenges anyone can face. Even with the well-intentioned…
Read MoreNew Report from JRF highlights Key Role of Family Relationships
A major new report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has highlighted the importance of family relationships and their impact on poverty across the UK. ‘UK Poverty, Causes, Costs and Solutions’, published by JRF on 6th September, outlines what it means to live in poverty and offers realistic suggestions for actions that would make a…
Read MoreStuart Valentine: Let’s help fathers to go ever farther
Recently I asked my 8 year old son his thoughts on what makes a good dad. “The best daddies are the bald daddies,” was his reply. This was a strong affirmation of his continuing affection for me as his dad, coupled with an encouraging acceptance of my advancing hairline. It was also a reminder that…
Read MoreThis Year May We Retain the Gift of Compassion
With the images we currently see every day on our TV screens, of refugees desperately struggling across oceans and fields to escape the horrors of war, it may be slightly more difficult this year than most for people to find further compassion for those who are homeless this winter. Around 25,000 people are officially classified…
Read MoreOn Becoming a Mediator
I recently undertook Core Solution’s Flagship ‘Mediation, Negotiation and Conflict Management Skills’ Course. Having been with Relationships Scotland for over 7 years, I had been very keen to explore both counselling and mediation from a practitioners viewpoint. By chance, mediation presented the first opportunity. Here’s what I learned: For many years I have found significant…
Read MoreAnnual Review 2014
In the last year the Relationships Scotland Network received over 30,000 calls from people across the country, an increase of 50% from the year before. Many went on to receive face-to-face support through relationship counselling, family mediation, child contact services and many other forms of related family support, whilst others will have received information, advice and referrals…
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