Lifesaving line for parents aiming to offer 24/7 service

Children 1st, which runs the service, wants to turn the helpline into a 24/7 operation as demand continues to grow.

Each highly trained volunteer at ParentLine receives up to 15 calls a day, with 3,000 taken throughout 2009-10.

Aileen Kenny, helpline supervisor, said: "More often now we are seeing parents calling because their teenage children are beating them up and there's a certain amount of shame that that's happening.

"We have to protect them and get help for their children. It's an increasing problem. Some cases are extreme where the parents have to go to A&E. One woman had her glasses broken."

Ms Kenny added: "Mondays are particularly busy as weekend access, organised by parents who have separated, is often a cause of breakdowns and tensions.

"One in four families are now single parents. The children go to the other parent at weekends, and so we might have mum or dad calling us on Monday, usually because one or the other didn't comply with the order."

However, that is just the start of the week's problems.

Ms Kenny said: "The big topic would be relationships with teenagers and teenage behaviour - that's the big one. We get a lot of calls about bullying and from mums with post-natal depression or blues after having their baby. Then there's issues about schools, calls about toddlers' temper tantrums, and calls about child protection concerns."

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The majority of calls are from mothers, but fathers are increasingly using the service, particularly the e-mail option, while ParentLine also receives calls from grandparents, neighbours, and aunts and uncles. Some are just looking for reassurance or someone to listen to them, others are seeking advice and many will be referred to partner agencies such as Parenting across Scotland, Stepfamily Scotland, One Parent Families Scotland, and Capability Scotland.

Ms Kenny said: "It's vital, it's a life-saver. We've had parents crying on the phone."

A team of 60 volunteers currently take calls during working hours from Monday to Friday, and on Tuesday and Thursday evenings until 9pm. The service opened 11 years ago when call handlers at Childline noticed they were receiving more and more calls from parents.

Kay Frepp, one of the volunteer call takers, was inspired to help parents after having children of her own.

"I started in 2004," she said. "It is more challenging than I expected, but it is all the more rewarding for that. It can be hard, but because the training is so good, you are really prepared for it.It can be a relatively small problem to something quite extreme, but what matters is how it affects the person."

ParentLine can be reached by calling 0800 028 2233 or e-mailing [email protected].