Skilled facilitators hold the key to the success of Nobody’s Perfect. They are the ones who draw parents into the program. If effective, they enable parents to become equal partners in the learning process. Facilitators strive to help groups and individuals recognize their strengths and work towards positive change, either through group support on individually. It is important for Nobody’s Perfect facilitators to receive training prior to implementing the program. Those who have not completed the facilitator training should not be offering the program. Nobody’s Perfect uses a ‘train-the-trainer’ approach to training and certifying facilitators, trainers, and master trainers.

• Facilitators work directly with parents within their communities.
• Trainers provide training sessions to individuals wishing to become facilitators.
• Master Trainers provide training to existing facilitators who want to become trainers.

Training:

Nobody’s Perfect facilitation training provides information about delivering the program and develops skills for helping adults learn in group settings. The training typically is four days and participants receive a parent kit and a training manual. These training manuals contain information and tools for facilitating strength-based learning and conducting non-judgmental and inclusive community programming. They do not include content on child health, safety, development, and/or parenting. Nobody’s Perfect is based on the concept of ‘experiential learning’. This means that Nobody’s Perfect facilitators do not tell parents what they should do or how they should do it. This program offers experiences through which parents gain information and insight and apply what they have learned to many areas of their lives. The process of experiential learning involves recognizing and examining experiences by asking (and answering) a series of questions. Nobody’s Perfect facilitators are prepared to change session plans to suit the needs and interests of the participants. The aim is to create a safe, friendly and non-judmental atmosphere. Learning activities provide parents with the opportunity to discuss and explore their roles as parents, understand their child’s behaviour and needs, buile upon their current skills and increase their confidence. The activities also encourage self-help and mutual support. Facilitators find that the skills and insights they develop working with Nobody’s Perfect are helpful in other areas of their lives. Training builds skills and confidence. Many facilitators report that the skills they learn through Nobody’s Perfect have an impact on their work and their daily life. The objectives of the facilitator training are:

• To ensure that facilitators understand the goal and objectives of Nobody’s Perfect.
• To enable facilitators to become familiar with all of the Nobody’s Perfect resource materials.
• To ensure that facilitator trainees have knowledge, understanding and skill development related to the key principles of the Nobody’s Perfect program including:
  • Personal values and beliefs
  • Principles of adult education
  • Experiential learning cycle
  • Program policies and guidelines
  • Participant centered approach
  • Strengths based approach
• To enable facilitator trainees to practice methods and activities designed to help parents learn in a group or in a one-to-one situation.
• To give facilitators the opportunity to plan a Nobody’s Perfect series for parents.

While the content of each training session varies to reflect the assessed needs of the participants and the evaluation of previous training sessions, every session includes training on the:

• Use of experiential learning cycle
• Principles of adult education
• Policies and guidelines of the program
• Participant centered approach
• Strengths based approach

Certification Standards

In order to be certified, each facilitator should:

• Successfully complete the four day Nobody’s Perfect training
• Offer a parenting series (either group or 1:1) within a year of finishing the training.
• Complete Facilitation Feedback and Program Monitoring forms and submit to the provincial or territorial coordinator

In order to remain active, each facilitator should:

• Offer a Nobody’s Perfect parenting series at least once every 2 years
• Participate in on-going refresher trainings or professional development opportunities (min of 8 hrs every 2 years)

We are grateful to the Public Health Agency of Canada for the ongoing support of the Nobody’s Perfect program. The Public Health Agency of Canada is not responsible for the content of any external resource or websites.

 “Nobody’s Perfect Parenting... support for moms and dads with children from birth to five.”