Encouraging Muslim mothers through tailored Togetherness
Adapting to the cultural and religious needs of an Islamic community.
With a 20-year history of collaboration, First Steps Community CAMHS and Ihsan Children’s Centre are continually learning from their diverse communities to tailor mental health services, ensuring their voices are heard, the community is directly involved, and cultural and religious sensitivities are observed.
Developing a faith-based model
Alongside the successful implementation of Togetherness for Jewish Orthodox communities, teams have also adopted the model to develop a parenting offer that meets the needs of the local Islamic community, including providing a safe space for women to meet and discuss parenting issues without judgement or discrimination. Building Islamic teaching into the sessions, they provide tailored, culturally sensitive and appropriate guidance for Muslim parents in separate mother and father groups. Salmah Kansara and Asma Gajia are Services Managers, whilst Rumana Alibhai is an Early Years Practitioner, at Ihsan Children’s Centre, delivering a range of services for families with children aged 0-19. They have been working with Dr Beth Hill in First Steps Community CAMHS to deliver the ‘Understanding your child: from toddler to teenager’ parent groups, incorporating Qur’anic teachings. Asma: Salmah:
The Togetherness principles are universal, so when we began considering this faith-based focus, we knew there was nothing we needed to remove. Instead, we added Islamic perspectives to the existing content, making the workshops something that parents could immediately recognise and relate to.
This was a collaborative process, drawing on the knowledge of our team, Islamic scholars – of which I am one – and members of the community. We added relevant verses from the Qur’an, Hadith and stories of the Prophet Muhammad, checking the content carefully for accuracy and appropriateness. Parents also bring their own knowledge and experiences into the sessions, so the programme continues to develop organically.
For example, when we talk about play and its importance in children’s development, we explore how the Prophet played with his grandchildren. We don’t replace the content; we build on it, adding Islamic perspectives where they are meaningful.
We also created space for what we call Qur’an reflections. These provide an opportunity to connect the themes of the sessions with Islamic teachings, while allowing parents to reflect on how those ideas relate to their own lives and families.
“Immediately introducing a safeguarding course would understandably concern parents. They are much more likely to engage with an additional service when it comes through a connection they already trust. This gentle encouragement and these small differences matter. Parents are not made to feel that they have done anything wrong. Instead, they are offered an additional layer of support at the right time, building on their existing strengths, knowledge, and parenting skills.”
Building women’s confidence
Salmah: Beth:
It is incredibly important for Muslim women to have a safe and supportive space where they can come together to discuss parenting, share their experiences of racism and discrimination, and reflect on how these experiences affect them, both as individuals and as parents raising children in that context. Over the years, I have seen the transformative impact of these conversations. Many women join the group having had few opportunities to connect with other women or take part in a supportive group setting. As their confidence grows, they begin to recognise their own strengths, find their voice, and see what they are capable of achieving.
Some women who have attended the course have gone on to volunteer within the centre, or to employment. Rumana, Asma and Salmah are all role models to the other women in a way that is incredibly powerful. They represent something as parents, as grandparents, but also as working women.
