Parental Guidance
Whether you’re a creative, strat, or suit, parenting and caring while building a career in advertising isn’t easy.
Long hours, deadlines, and industry demands can clash with the unpredictable reality of family life – sick kids, inset days, school PTA (if you dare). And for carers there’s endless appointments and the need to be present.
No surprise we are the first generation of our kind in our industry – where both parents want to lean into the juggle, have the best of both worlds – to parent and progress. But we will not be the last.
A space for honest chats, practical advice, and peer-to-peer support
Parental Guidance is a mentoring scheme with a focus on ambitious parents and carers who want to be able to be there for their family whilst still having a career in communications. It connects experienced industry professionals who’ve successfully navigated the juggle with those who are earlier in the journey.
Who’s involved
All agencies across the UK are encouraged to get their working parents involved as mentors and mentees. We aim to recruit a diverse mix of parents to be our mentors. From parents to tots, those of school age, neurodiverse children, adopted children and teenagers. To parents who may be running blended families or from a same sex couple. We’ll match accordingly. Sophie Maunder, a qualified maternity coach from the MATRI programme, will be ensuring all mentors and mentees are given the best start to their mentoring journey and know how to get the most from it, with a live virtual launch session. NABS will help bring a deeper level of support for mentors and mentees on this initiative, being a resource for advice and help provide relevant content on an ongoing basis. The scheme is also being endorsed and supported by the IPA.
How it works
We match mentors and mentees based on experience and family circumstances. Each commits 1 hour a month for 6 months, in person or virtual.
Mentor
A parent with 15+ years industry experience
Mentee
A working parent in communications who is looking for support on navigating the juggle
Timeline
- Applications for our second cohort starting July ’26 are now OPEN
How to apply
Email mentor@parentalguidance.uk.com or mentee@parentalguidance.uk.com depending on what you’re applying for with:
– Your role + experience
– Family circumstances
– What you’d like to give or gain
Each cohort encompasses 30 mentors and 30 mentees. Any oversubscription of our 30 matches cap in July will carry over to January ’27.
How the programme is going
Thank you to everyone who joined our first Parental Guidance LIVE event at the IPA in March. With over 100 applications so far to the programme, it was a brilliant excuse to bring everyone together in solidariy over the pressures of being a working parent in this industry. We all want to parent and progress and that was exactly the discussion it the room.
⭐️The brilliant Leila Siddiqi shared data from the IPA Census. Highlighting just 6% of industry employees work part time.
⭐️ The wonderful Sophie Maunderpointed out the fundamental truth we can be passionate about parenthood AND work.
⭐️ The inspiring Carly Avenerunderlined the importance of flexible support networks.
⭐️ Josh Harris spoke with passion and honesty on why we need systems and structures that support ALL parents.
⭐️ Louise Scodie highlighted all the wonderful work NABS does to support parents. While reminding us all that not all advice is for you.
⭐️ Jonny Tennant-Price spoke with clarity and honesty on the fundamental truth that sometimes parenting and being present at work is hard.
