Vital Parenting Tasks: What Children/Young People Need for Strong Mental Health

University-level study and support

During your time on the Oxford University Summer School for Adults you will:

• Study in small seminar groups with no more than 12 students, guided by expert tutors
• Receive two one-to-one tutorials
• Have the opportunity to attend guest lectures and participate in social events
• Have access to the on-site Bodleian Library and IT facilities
• Gain experience of studying at university level
• Develop new skills
• Experience a friendly and supportive learning environment
• Connect with a global community of lifelong learners

Seminars

Participants are taught in small seminar groups of up to 12 students, and receive two one-on-one tutorials with their tutor.

Sunday

Contemporary Challenges for Children’s and Young People’s Mental Health and an Introduction to the Vital Parenting Tasks

Seminar 1: 

After introducing ourselves, we will begin with an overall introduction to children’s and young people’s mental health and wellbeing from both childhood and adult perspectives. We will discuss the current challenges to the mental health of children and young people.

We will start to put together what is needed for children and young people to build ongoing, strong mental health. This includes beginning a week-long group activity of building our own Emotional First Aid toolbox.

Seminar 2:

We will look at basic parenting challenges and consider what is making parenting particularly challenging now.

The group will have time to use their reflective skills to consider their own experience of being parented by taking part in a supportive and creative task (part one of a two-part exercise). Feedback to the group will follow.

There will be an introduction to the Vital Parenting Tasks model and links will be made to how they support mental health for both parents and their children. Importantly, we will focus on intergenerational transmission of trauma.

Monday

Mental Health, Brain Development and Recognising Mental Health Difficulties

Seminar 3:

What is mental health and what is mental illness? We will consider brain development through the life cycle, and protective factors for building strong mental health in children and young people. We will look at risk factors such as trauma, family life cycles and study the effect of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) with particular reference to attachment theory.

We will discuss parenting styles and co-parenting patterns as characteristics for many parents and families, and the possible consequences for children depending on the child’s experience. We will also look into how parenting and outcomes may vary across different cultures.

Seminar 4:

This seminar will look at the signs and symptoms of common mental health difficulties. We will briefly look at professional diagnoses and how they come about; we will also discuss the benefits and pitfalls of diagnosing mental illness. However, we will largely focus on ‘paradiagnostic craft’, the non-medical practice of understanding a child’s emotional and mental world. We will build formulations using genuine anonymised case material and discuss how the skills of observation, conversation, intuition, and imagination of shared experiences between parent and child would be helpful for the children and young people in the examples.

We will add the perspectives of systemic family theory, psychodynamic theory, and child and parent development for some common difficulties found in parents, children, and families.

Tuesday

Attachment and the Foundations of Emotional Security

Seminar 5:

We will dig a little deeper into Attachment Theory and how secure/insecure relationships are formed. This will include further attention to intergenerational patterns, adolescent and adult attachment; how caregivers can provide a secure base; how early relationships shape mental health. With this in mind, we will discuss which Vital Parenting Tasks reflect various attachment needs, and we will revisit the links between how disrupted attachment and later emotional/behavioural difficulties arise.

Seminar 6

The second seminar of the day will drill down further into systemic perspectives and we will specifically look at how parental conflict, secrets and alliances affect children, young people and adults. We will consider the idea that, ‘the child declares the system’, when we look at challenging behaviour and conflict. We will look at how to support family communication in conflict and adversity, and why it is that some people are less affected by trauma than others.

Wednesday

The Vital Parenting Tasks in greater depth: Observation, Self-Reflection and Group Activity

Seminar 7:

We will consider the importance of observation, and set up an observational exercise in order to learn relevant skills. We will generate and practice some ‘practice tasks’ that might apply to other specific VPT skills.

Seminar 8:

We will return to the 20 Vital Parenting Tasks and your own experience of being parented (part two of a two-part exercise). Here, we will explore specific tasks, and use self-enquiry to consider how this experience has shaped us.

Thursday 

Emotional First Aid for Parents: Building a Toolbox

Seminar 9: 

We will consolidate ideas around what Emotional First Aid might be for parents, children and young people. We will review simple scripts that are generally useful in everyday crises, and at times where there is severe distress and trauma. We will think about what a parent needs to be able to deliver a helpful response; and following that response, when and where to seek professional help.

Seminar 10:

As a group, we will discuss the Emotional First Aid Toolbox we have been co-creating, and consider which items within it we already practice and which are new ones we have learned (in reality or in imagined settings).

Further creative reflection: we will look at finding ways to think about what we are learning with reference to strong mental health for children and young people. Participants can build a short presentation/find or make an object/art-object to be presented in pairs or groups of three and/or the larger group.

Friday

Seminar 11: Practice Conversations

We will re-visit scripts (from seminar 9) and work on conversational skills (including listening, reflecting back, knowing where not to speak etc). These skills will be practised in pairs or groups of three.

We will observe ourselves and each other, and following the practice conversations, we will use a tick-off list to see if we can recollect which of the parenting tasks we may have used (or wished we had used). We will discuss this in the larger group.

Seminar 12: Integrating Learning and Endings

We will consider the importance of endings as our group itself ends, and look at where endings might bring up complicated and challenging feelings.

Each student will reflect on the week, revisit what they have learned, and summarise that for the group including, if appropriate, explaining what they might do differently in their family, work or imagined settings. Time will be given to questions each day but in particular in this last seminar.

An attachment exercise will conclude the final seminar.

Programme timetable

The daily timetable will normally be as follows:

Saturday

14.00–16.30: Registration

16.30–17.00: Orientation meeting

17.00–17.30: Classroom orientation for tutor and students

17.30–18.00: Drinks reception

18.00–20.00: Welcome dinner

Sunday – Friday

09.00–10.30: Seminar

10.30–11.00: Tea/coffee break

11.00–12.30: Seminar

12.30–13.30: Lunch

13.30–18.00: Afternoons are free for tutorials, individual study, course-related field trips or exploring the many places of interest in and around Oxford.

18.00–19.00: Dinner (there is a formal gala dinner every Friday to close each week of the programme).

Social programme

A range of optional social events will be offered throughout the summer school. These are likely to include a quiz night, a visit to historic pubs in Oxford, a visit to Christ Church for Evensong, and after-dinner talks and discussions.

Beyond the summer school, Oxford is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city with a busy cultural and social scene offering a wide variety of plays and shows, concerts, films and exhibitions.

Residential options are outlined below.

Please see the ‘how to enrol’ section below for guidance on how to book or request the right accommodation for you.

Residential option

This includes accommodation and all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner).

Our central Oxford accommodation combines the character of an historic building with the convenience of a modern hotel. All rooms are located in Wellington Square, a short walk to Oxford city centre, and include tea and coffee making facilities and free Wi-Fi.

View full details of Rewley House accommodation.

Non-residential option

We also offer places on a non-residential basis whereby participants can take classes and have meals (lunch and dinner) at Rewley House, having arranged their own accommodation elsewhere.

Course aims

This course aims to:

• Develop a holistic understanding of children’s and young people’s mental health within the context of parenting, relationships and family systems.
• Explore how emotional wellbeing is shaped by developmental, relational and intergenerational factors, including attachment, trauma and social context.
• Integrate psychological theory with lived experience, encouraging reflective practice and self-awareness.
• Equip participants with practical and relational skills to support children, parents and families, fostering resilience and emotional security.
• Deepen insight into how strong mental health can be nurtured across the lifespan.

Course objectives

• Explore key concepts in children’s mental health, including definitions of mental health and illness, brain development, and the impact of adverse childhood experiences.
• Examine parenting challenges, parenting styles, and the Vital Parenting Tasks model, linking these to Attachment Theory and intergenerational patterns.
• Analyse family systems, including conflict, communication, and relational dynamics.
• Introduce ‘paradiagnostic’ approaches to understanding mental health difficulties through observation and formulation.
• Develop reflective skills through personal exploration and creative tasks.
• Build practical competencies in communication, emotional first aid, and supportive interventions in everyday and crisis situations.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students will have been given the opportunity to learn the following:

• Explain key concepts related to children’s and young people’s mental health, including attachment, brain development, and the impact of trauma.
• Identify signs of common mental health difficulties, apply strategies for emotional support, and recognise when professional intervention is required. 
• Communicate a basic understanding of key mental health diagnoses. 
• Apply the Vital Parenting Tasks in analysing parenting practices and family dynamics.
• Reflect critically on their own experiences of being parented and how these influence their perspectives.

Teaching methods

The teaching methods on this course may include:

• Short lectures/presentations
• Physical handouts
• Seminars/group discussions
• Student presentations
• Video recordings
• Creative learning via the arts

Participants will attend two one-on-one tutorials with their tutor during the week.

Pre-course assignment

Participants are required to undertake preparatory reading and complete a pre-course assignment of 1,500 words. Although this does not count towards credit, it is seen as an important way of developing your ideas and is mandatory. The pre-course assignment is typically due in the first week of June.

IT requirements

Students are encouraged to bring a laptop to Oxford to assist them with their studies.

For residential students, wireless internet access is available in all bedrooms; for all students, wireless access is available in communal spaces of the college.

All students will be eligible to use the computers and printer in the computer room at Rewley House.

Assessment methods

You will be assessed during the summer school by either a 1,000 word written assignment or a presentation supported by individual documentation. To successfully gain credit (10 CATS points) students should attend all classes and complete the on-course assignment.

Please see the ‘certification’ section for more details about CATS points.

Laine Jaderberg

Certificate of Attendance

All participants who complete the course will receive a physical Certificate of Attendance.

Academic credit

OUSSA is an accredited summer school taught at undergraduate level; each one-week course carries 10 CATS (Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme) points at FHEQ (Framework for Higher Education Qualification) Level 4.

CATS points will be awarded to students who attend all classes and complete the on-course assignment to the required standard. Please see the ‘assessment methods’ section below for more details.

Certificate of Higher Education

Credit (CATS points) earned from OUSSA can be transferred towards our flexible Certificate of Higher Education. This part-time, award-bearing course lets you decide what, how and where you study by gaining credit from short courses, including short online courses, in-person weekly classes and OUSSA.

For full details, including transfering credit gained from OUSSA to the programme, see our Certificate of Higher Education programme page.

English language requirements

As students are expected to participate fully in seminar discussions and are required to produce written work, it is important that applicants can demonstrate an appropriate level of proficiency in the four language skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking.

If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence of your proficiency in the form of an original certificate, or a certified copy, that is not more than two years old on the date the summer school starts. You must satisfy one of the following requirements:

• IELTS Academic: minimum overall score of 7.5, with not less than 7.0 in each of the four components
• TOEFL iBT: minimum overall score of 110, with not less than 22 for listening, 24 for reading, 25 for speaking and 24 for writing
• C1 Advanced, formerly known as Cambridge English: Advanced or CAE: minimum overall score of 191, with not less than 185 in each of the four components

For further information on English language qualifications:

• IELTS
• TOEFL
• Cambridge English

The requirement to provide English language test scores may be waived in either of the following circumstances:

• If you have completed a full-time degree-level programme at a recognised institution where teaching and assessment throughout the course was undertaken entirely in English, and the programme was completed with a gap of no more than two academic years to the course to which you are applying. If you studied this course in a country that is not majority English speaking, you will need to provide evidence that the course was taught in English. This can either take the form of a link to the appropriate page of the institution’s website or a statement from the institution confirming this.
• If you have worked for a minimum of two years in a majority English-speaking country where the main language for the role was English, and your role involved daily professional use of each of the four language components: reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Visa requirements

The Department welcomes international students on all its courses. However, it is the responsibility of successful applicants to ensure that they comply with UK immigration law.

If you are not a UK or Irish national, you might need to apply for a visa before coming to the UK, depending on which passport you hold. You can check if you need a visa before coming to the UK on the UK Government’s website. We strongly recommend that you establish whether you will require a visa before submitting your application.

If you do not require a visa to come to the UK for a short period of study, you will need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).

The Programme Administrator will provide non-UK/Irish nationals enrolled on the summer school with a standard-format PDF letter by email confirming enrolment and course details once their fees have been paid in full. These letters are issued on request only.

If you require a visa, you should ensure your summer school application is submitted as early as possible to allow yourself sufficient time to complete the visa application process. See current visa processing times.

For legal reasons, the Programme Administrator is not permitted to provide any visa advice to applicants; any queries should be addressed to student.immigration@admin.ox.ac.uk.

Information about visiting the UK to study is available on the UK Government’s website and Oxford University’s Student Immigration website.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have taken the necessary steps to enable you to be admitted to the UK. The University takes no responsibility for a visa being denied at any point before or during a course.

Please note that the standard cancellation policy applies in all cases. See ‘Cancellations’ in the section below.

Fees

Payment

All fees are charged on a per week, per person basis.

Please be aware that all payments made via non-UK credit/debit cards and bank accounts are subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

Course change administration fee: please note that course transfers may be permitted in exceptional circumstances; however, in accordance with our Terms and Conditions, an administration fee of £50 will be charged.

Payment terms

• If enrolling online: full payment by credit/debit card at the time of booking
• If submitting an application form: full payment online by credit/debit card or via bank transfer within 30 days of invoice date

Cancellations and refunds

Please see the terms and conditions for our open-access courses.

The Department cannot be held responsible for any costs you may incur in relation to travel or accommodation bookings as a result of a course cancellation, or if you are unable to attend the course for any other reason. You are advised to check the terms and conditions carefully and to purchase travel insurance.

Funding

Concessionary rates are available on a non-residential basis for those that qualify.

The concessionary fee is for non-residential attendance only; participants will then be responsible for finding their own accommodation. For full details, including eligibility, see our OUSSA FAQ page.

Recommended reading

Winnicott, D.W., 1964, The Child, the Family, and the Outside World , Penguin Books

Darling, P.J., 2024, The Critical Role of Attachment Theory in Child and Adolescent Development, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11246728/ , Open-Access at PubMed

Stern, D.N. 1985, The Interpersonal World of the Infant, Basic Books

Nicol, M.R. 2025, Intergenerational transmission of trauma, adverse childhood experiences, and family outcomes, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11851674, Open-Access at PubMed

Module code: O26I310SSR

Most courses fill quickly so early registration is strongly recommended. If your preferred course is fully booked, you may wish to add yourself to the waiting list and the Programme Administrator will contact you should a place become available.

Please note, the programme is only open to those over the age of 18.

Online enrolment (single person accommodation and non-residential)

Single accommodation, double room for 1 person and non-residential places should be booked online by clicking on the ‘Book now’ button on this page.

Online enrolments require payment in full at the time of registering.

Enrolment form (multi-occupancy or accessible accommodation)

Those requiring twin, double or accessible accommodation (including ground/lower floor accommodation) should complete an enrolment form as these rooms cannot be booked or requested online.

Please send the completed enrolment form to the email address below. Both the PDF and Word option of the form below are editable, so you can complete them online before saving and sending to us as an email attachment. You do not need to print and scan them. (Please use these forms only if you are making a twin or double booking for two people.)

Enrolment form:

• PDF
• Microsoft Word

Please send your completed enrolment form to oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk.

Accessibility and disability support

Disabled students who have registered for, or are planning to attend, the OUSSA summer programme should contact the Programme Administrator by email at oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk to discuss any support needs.

Students with a mobility impairment can consult the University Access Guide and should contact the Programme Administrator at oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk to request any accommodation they need in this regard.

There is a special access ramp and a self-contained bedroom suite on the ground floor at Rewley House, equipped for use by people with mobility problems, with an adjoining room for carers. Two public disabled parking bays provided by Oxford City Council are situated on Wellington Square close to the Department. If you need this accessible room, please indicate this on your enrolment form, or contact the Programme Administrator prior to your arrival. Please also let us know of any support needs you may require.

If you need a room on a ground or lower floor, please indicate this on your enrolment form or contact the Programme Administrator prior to your arrival.

If you would like more information about support available to students with disabilities, please see our support page.

Terms and conditions

View our terms and conditions

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact us at oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk.

You may also find our frequently asked questions help page useful.

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